Brazil agreed to buy 12 used Dassault Aviation SA-built fighter jets from France to replace older planes.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie signed an agreement on the Mirage 2000 RDI planes and related services and on cooperation in military aeronautics today in Paris.

No price was given for the purchase. La Tribune newspaper today reported, without saying where it got the information, that Brazil will pay $60 million in total for the planes.

The used planes will replace older Mirage jets, some of which have been flying for three decades. Agreements on other issues such as advanced technologies were signed after a meeting between Brazilians President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his French counterpart, Jacques Chirac.

Brazil has 16 Dassault Mirage fighter jets in its air force.

The Brazilian government in February canceled a $700 million tender to buy 12 fighters after failing to decide on the purchase for four years.

Brazil is studying the purchase of brand new fighter jets in 2009-2010 to replace its fleet, Lieutenant General Luiz Carlos da Silva Bueno, commandant of the Brazilian air force, told reporters after the agreements were signed.

Four of the 12 planes of today's agreement will be delivered next year, he said.