Replacement of "Minas Gerais" was under serious consideration by 1999; despite numerous refits and life-extending upgrades, the MB predicted that the carrier would require replacement before 2010. As well as the two proposals, consideration was given to acquiring a second-hand carrier, such as the French Navy's . One of the main issues in considering the replacement was the MB's significant investment in fixed-wing aviation in the late 1990s; a carrier capable of operating the recently acquired Skyhawks would be more expensive to acquire and operate than a STOVL or helicopter carrier, but the cheaper concepts would require the refactoring of Brazilian naval aviation. In the end, "Foch" was acquired, renamed NAe "São Paulo", and slated to commission into the "Marinha do Brasil" in April 2001. She was downclassed as a helicopter support ship in 2001 before her decommissioning.