The Brazilian Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Brasileiras, ) are the unified military forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Consisting of three service branches, it comprises the Brazilian Army (including the Brazilian Army Aviation), the

Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= " Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship '' Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious ...

(including the

Brazilian Marine Corps ) , colors=Red and white , colors_label=Colors , march= , mascot= , battles =Portuguese conquest of French Guiana, Invasion of Cayenne (1809)Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental, Banda Oriental Conquest (1816)War of Independence of Brazil, Wa ...

and

Brazilian Naval Aviation Brazilian Naval Aviation ( pt, Aviação Naval Brasileira; AvN) is the air arm of the Brazilian Navy operating from ships and from shore installations. History The Brazilian Naval Aviation branch was organized in August 1916, after creation of ...

) and the

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

(including the

Aerospace Operations Command The Aerospace Operations Command ( pt, Comando de Operações Aeroespaciais - COMAE) is a Brazilian air and space command created in 2017 and is part of the Brazilian Air Force. Is responsible for planning, coordinating, executing and controllin ...

). Brazil's armed forces are the second largest in the Americas, after the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, and the largest in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere by the level of military equipment, with 334,500 active-duty troops and officers. IISS 2012, pp. 376–378 Brazilian soldiers were in Haiti from 2004 until 2017, leading the United Nations Stabilization Mission (

MINUSTAH ) , leader_title = Head , leader_name = Sandra Honoré ( Special Representative of the Secretary-General) , status = Replaced by MINUJUSTH , formation = 1 June 2004 , websiteUN Peacekeeping: MINUSTAH

Organization

The Armed Forces of Brazil are divided into 3 branches: See also
"Brazilian Federal Constitution in English"
text translated to English (unofficial). Retrieved on 2007-05-17. * Brazilian Army **

Brazilian Army Aviation Command The Brazilian Army Aviation Command ( pt, Comando de Aviação do Exército) is a component of the Brazilian Army containing the army's helicopter units. Tasks The task of the Brazilian Army Aviation Command is to provide organic airmobility a ...

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

The

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, Screening (tactical), ...

(state police) alongside the Military Firefighters Corps are described as an auxiliary and reserve force of the Army. All military branches are part of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

. The

which is the oldest of the Brazilian Armed Forces, includes the

and the

Service obligation and manpower

18–45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation – 10 to 12 months; 17–45 years of age for voluntary service. An increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in the early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps.

Mission and challenges

South America is a relatively peaceful continent in which wars are a rare event;http://www.senado.gov.br/JORNAL/arquivos_jornal/arquivosPdf/080331.pdf (p. 9) as a result, Brazil hasn't had its territory invaded since year 1865 during the

Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadliest ...

. Additionally, Brazil has no contested territorial disputes with any of its neighbours and neither does it have rivalries, like

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

and

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

have with each other. However, Brazil is the only country besides China and Russia that has land borders with 10 or more nations. Moreover, Brazil has of land borders and of coastline to be patrolled and defended. Overall, the Armed Forces have to defend 8.5 million km² (around 3.2 million sq. mi.) of land and patrol 4.4 million km² (around 1.7 million sq. mi.) of

territorial waters The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potenti ...

– or ''Blue Amazon'', as the

calls them. To achieve this mission, significant manpower and funding is required.

Military history of Brazil

Since 1648 the Brazilian Armed Forces have been relied upon to fight in defense of Brazilian sovereignty and to suppress civil rebellions. The Brazilian military also has three times intervened militarily to overthrow the

Brazilian government The politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The political and administrative ...

. The Brazilian Armed Forces were subordinated to the Emperor, its Commander-in-Chief. He was aided by the Ministers of War and Navy in regard to matters concerning the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and the

Armada Armada is the Spanish and Portuguese word for naval fleet, which also adopted into English, Malay and Indonesian for the same meaning, or an adjective meaning 'armed'; Armáda () is the Czech and Slovak word for armed forces. Armada may also refe ...

, respectively. Traditionally, the Ministers of War and Navy were civilians but there were some exceptions.Carvalho (2007), p.193 The model chosen was the British parliamentary or Anglo-American system, in which "the country's Armed Forces observed unrestricted obedience to the civilian government while maintaining distance from political decisions and decisions referring to borders' security". The military personnel were allowed to run and serve in political offices while staying on active duty. However, they did not represent the Army or the Armada but instead the population of the city or province where elected. Dom Pedro I chose nine military personnel as Senators and five (out of 14) to the State Council. During the Regency, two were chosen to the Senate and none to the State Council as there was no Council at the time. Dom Pedro II chose four military personnel to become Senators during the 1840s, two in the 1850s and three until the end of his reign. He also chose seven military personnel to be State Counselors during the 1840s and 1850s and three after that. It has built a tradition of participating in UN

peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United ...

missions such as in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

and

East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-we ...

. Below a list of some of the historical events in which the Brazilian Armed Forces took part:

Armed conflicts involving Brazil

' * First Battle of Guararapes (1648): Decisive Portuguese victory that helped end Dutch occupation. Due to this battle, the year 1648 is considered as the year of the foundation of the Brazilian Army. * Invasion of Cayenne (1809) (1809) : Was a combined military operation by an Anglo-Portuguese expeditionary force against Cayenne, capital of the French South American colony of French Guiana in 1809, during the Napoleonic Wars. *

Luso-Brazilian invasion The Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental was the armed-conflict that took place between 1816 and 1820 in the Banda Oriental, for control of what today comprises the whole of the Republic of Uruguay, the northern part of the Argentine Meso ...

(1816–1820) : Was an armed conflict between the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and the partisans of José Artigas over the Banda Oriental (Eastern Bank), present-day Uruguay. *

Brazilian War of Independence The Brazilian War of Independence ( pt, Guerra de Independência do Brasil, links=no), was waged between the newly independent Brazilian Empire and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, which had just undergone the Liberal Re ...

(1822–1824): Series of military campaigns that had as objective to cement Brazilian sovereignty and end Portuguese resistance. * Confederation of the Equator (1824) : Was a short-lived rebellion that occurred in the northeastern region of Brazil during that nation's struggle for independence from Portugal. *

Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War (), also known as the Argentine-Brazilian War () or, in Argentine and Uruguayan historiography, as the Brazil War (''Guerra del Brasil''), the War against the Empire of Brazil (''Guerra contra el Imperio del Brasil'') or t ...

(1825–1828) : Armed conflict over an area known as Banda Oriental or "Eastern Shore" between the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and Empire of Brazil in the aftermath of the United Provinces' emancipation from Spain. *

Ragamuffin War The Ragamuffin War (Portuguese: ''Guerra dos Farrapos'' or ''Revolução Farroupilha'') was a Republican uprising that began in southern Brazil, in the province (current state) of Rio Grande do Sul in 1835. The rebels were led by generals Ben ...

(1835–1845) : Was a Republican uprising that began in southern Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in 1835. The rebels, led by Generals Bento Gonçalves da Silva and Antônio de Sousa Neto with the support of the Italian fighter

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, patr ...

, surrendered to imperial forces in 1845. * Platine War (1851–1852): The Brazilian Empire and its allies went to war against the dictator

Juan Manuel de Rosas Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rosas (30 March 1793 – 14 March 1877), nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Althoug ...

of the

Argentine Confederation The Argentine Confederation (Spanish: ''Confederación Argentina'') was the last predecessor state of modern Argentina; its name is still one of the official names of the country according to the Argentine Constitution, Article 35. It was the na ...

. * Uruguayan War (1864–1865): Brazilian intervention in

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. With support from Argentina, imperial forces deposed President Atanasio Aguirre from office and instated general

Venancio Flores Venancio Flores Barrios (18 May 1808 – 19 February 1868) was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was President of Uruguay from 1854 to 1855 (interim) and from 1865 to 1868. Background and early career In 1839, he was made politic ...

in his place. *

(1864–1870): Over 200,000 Brazilians fought on this conflict, which is considered as the most serious in Brazilian history. * Brazilian Naval Revolt (1893–1894) : Were armed mutinies promoted mainly by Admirals Custodio de Mello and Saldanha da Gama and their fleet of Brazilian Navy ships against unconstitutional staying in power of the central government in Rio de Janeiro. *

War of Canudos The War of Canudos (, , 1895–1898) was a conflict between the First Brazilian Republic and the residents of Canudos in the northeastern state of Bahia. It was waged in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery in Brazil (1888) and the overt ...

(1893–1897): The deadliest rebellion of Brazil, the insurrectionists defeated the first 3 military forces sent to quell the rebellion. * Contestado War (1912–1916) : Was a guerrilla war for land between settlers and landowners, the latter supported by the Brazilian state's police and military forces. The war lasted from October 1912 to August 1916. * Brazil during World War I: Brazil entered into World War I in 1917 alongside the

Triple Entente The Triple Entente (from French ''entente'' meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as well as ...

. Brazil's effort in World War I occurred mainly in the Atlantic campaign, with a smaller participation in the land warfare. *

Constitutionalist Revolution The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War or Brazilian Civil War) is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 when ...

(1932) : Was the armed movement occurred in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, between July and October 1932, which aimed at the overthrow of the Provisional Government of Getúlio Vargas and the promulgation of a new constitution for Brazil. * Brazil in World War II (1942–1945): Brazil declared war on

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

in August 1942 and in 1944 sent an Expeditionary Force of 25,334 soldiers to fight in Italy. Brazil also supplied vital raw materials for the war effort and ceded important airbases at Natal and Fernando de Noronha Archipel that made possible the North African invasion, i.e. Operation Torch, and had a key role in patrolling the South Atlantic sea lanes. Brazilian Expeditionary Force, initially composed of an infantry division, eventually covered all Brazilian military forces who participated in the conflict, including the Brazilian Air Force who did a remarkable job in the last nine months of war with 445 missions executed. Offensive: 2546, Defensive: 4.

Brazilian military coups d'état

Although no military coups occurred during the 67 years of the Brazilian Empire, the Republican period experienced 4 military coups d'état in the 75 years between 1889 and 1964. * Proclamation of the Republic (1889): End of the Brazilian Empire, this was the first

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...

performed by the Brazilian military. *

Revolution of 1930 The Revolution of 1930 () was an armed insurrection across Brazil that ended the Old Republic. The revolution replaced incumbent President Washington Luís with defeated presidential candidate and revolutionary leader Getúlio Vargas, concludi ...

: Second military overthrow of government, in which President

Washington Luís Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (; 26 October 1869 – 4 August 1957) was a Brazilian politician who served as the 13th president of Brazil. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís belonge ...

was replaced by Getúlio Vargas, who became the Provisional President. * End of ''Estado Novo'' (1945): Then Dictator

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Braz ...

is deposed by

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

s and later General

Eurico Dutra Eurico Gaspar Dutra (; 18 May 1883 – 11 June 1974) was a Brazilian military leader and politician who served as the 16th president of Brazil from 1946 to 1951. He was the first President of the Fourth Brazilian Republic, which followed the ...

was elected president. *

1964 Brazilian coup d'état The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état ( pt, Golpe de estado no Brasil em 1964), colloquially known in Brazil as the Coup of 64 ('), was a series of events in Brazil from March 31 to April 1 that led to the overthrow of President João Goulart by membe ...

: President

João Goulart João Belchior Marques Goulart (1 March 1919 – 6 December 1976), commonly known as Jango, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 24th president of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on 1 April 1964. He was considered the ...

is removed from office, leading to a military dictatorship which lasted until 1985.

Ministry of Defence

2021-03-31 Encontro com os novos comandantes das Forças Armadas - 51086752341 (cropped)

On 10 July 1999, the Ministry of Defence was created, with the abolition of the EMFA and the merger of all three ministries of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) into a singular ministry of the Cabinet.

Joint Staff of the Armed Forces

Joint Staff of the Armed Forces is an agency of the Ministry of Defense of Brazil, which centralizes the coordination of command of the armed forces: Army, Navy and Air Force. It was created by Complementary Law No. 136 of 25 August 2010, and has in Ordinance No. 1429 its operating guidelines. Advising the Minister of Defense in the upper direction of the armed forces, aiming the organization, preparation and employment, in order to fulfill its constitutional mission and its subsidiaries assignments, with the goals strategic planning and the joint use of the military services. It is up to JSAF plan together and integrated employment of staff of the Navy, Army and Air Force, optimizing the use of the military and logistical support in the defense of the country and in peacekeeping, humanitarian and rescue operations; border security; and civil defense actions. The body has its powers and duties according to the Regimental Structure approved by Decree 7.9744, April 1, 2013. Since its inception, the JSAF has worked with the Central Administration of the Ministry of Defence, on the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia (DF). The head of the JSAF is private of a general officer of the last post, active or reserve, designated by the Ministry of Defence and appointed by the president. Their hierarchical level is the same of the military commanders of the Navy, Army and Air Force. Under the coordination of the Joint Armed Forces also operates the Committee of Chiefs of Staffs of the military services. The current head of JSAF is the Army General Laerte de Souza Santos.

Brazilian Army

The Army High Command of Brazil is formed by the Army Commander and other

army general Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.　 In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...

s in active service. The country current have sixteen active 4-star generals, several of then in command posts, in addition to a post in the

. The mission of ACE include the selection of a list of candidates to the post of commander, the prospection of regional and global political situations, among others roles. All Brazilian generals are graduates of the

Brazilian Superior War School Brazilian commonly refers to: * Something of, from or relating to Brazil * Brazilian Portuguese, the dialect of the Portuguese language used mostly in Brazil * Brazilians, the people (citizens) of Brazil, or of Brazilian descent Brazilian may also ...

. File:Astros 2020 (14360471744).jpg, Brazilian Rocket Artillery ASTROS II File:Cavalaria (28698736774).jpg, A

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...

of Brazilian M113s File:Blindados em Rosário do Sul - RS (9919079464).jpg, Brazilian

Leopard 1A5 The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought t ...

File:Cavalaria (29242889921).jpg, Brazilian

in Night Shoot File:Cavalaria (29242886961).jpg, Brazilian VBTP-MR Guarani File:Ministro Jaques Wagner assiste exercício de artilharia antiaérea do Exército (20161936520).jpg, Brazilian AA Gepard File:Exército Brasileiro (4968751470).jpg,

Electronic Warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

Trucks File:Specialforces.jpg, Army Special Forces File:Junglee.jpg,

Jungle Warfare Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain. It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for bo ...

Infantry File:Aviation Command.jpg, Airmobile Infantry with a HM-1 Pantera from Aviation Command File:Credito-edmilson-severinoexercito-brasileiro.webp, Air Defense Troops with a RBS-70 File:Infantryy.jpg, Brazilian Army

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and m ...

File:Paratroopers.jpg, Brazilian Army

Paratroopers A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachuting, parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne forces, airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used ...

File:Makunfron.jpg, Border

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

Soldier File:Diadoeb.jpg, Army Troops on

Army Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, ...

Brazilian Navy

The navy ( pt, Marinha do Brasil, ) has eight bases throughout Brazil. File:Aspirantex 2020 (49488410763).jpg, Brazilian Navy Task Force File:GLAM MB Piloto Caça Untitled-1 (36124829324).jpg, Brazilian Navy

A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed ...

File:Aspirantex 2020 (49488413213).jpg, Frigate F42 Constituição underway File:US Navy 110422-N-ZI300-115 The Brazilian navy frigate Bosisio (F 48) fires at an unmanned aerial vehicle during a drone exercise (DRONEX) with ship.jpg, Brazilian

frigates A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

in shooting exercise File:GLAM - WEB Aspirantex 2019 (46974007572).jpg, Multipurpose aircraft carrier NAM Atlântico File:GLAM MB IMG 4068 (28933649305).jpg, Corvette V-34 Barroso firing missile

Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical directo ...

File:S40 Riachuelo.png, Brazilian S-40 Riachuelo submarine underway File:Operação Atlântico 2018 (cropped).jpg, Brazilian EC725 in flight File:Lançamento de Armas 2021 Exocet 11 (51279148576).png, Brazilian EC725 firing an

missile File:ABC 3561 (26818408105).jpg, Task Force with NDM Bahia leading File:Operação Formosa 2014 (15481886779).jpg, Brazilian Marines ASTROS II File:Operação Ágata Norte 2022 - Operação Demonstrativa em Belém (PA) (52130022414).jpg, Brazilian Navy SOF ( GRUMEC) File:Operação Formosa 2016 (30388031181).jpg, Brazilian Marines SOF (

COMANF The Marine Corps Special Operations Battalion, known as the Tonelero Battalion, located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, is the military unit of the Amphibious Commandos (COMANF), which are a troop of Special Forces of the Marine Corps of the Brazi ...

) File:Aeronave ScanEagle em um lançador (52200554203).jpg, Brazilian Navy ScanEagle File:Fuzileiros Navais (32669765020).jpg, Brazilian Marines MOWAG Piranha File:Bateria de obuseiros 105mm Light Gun (52280626843).jpg, Brazilian Marines L118

Brazilian Air Force

The Brazilian Air Force ( pt, Força Aérea Brasileira, , also known as ''FAB'', or ) is the second-largest air force in the Americas (behind only the United States) and has around 70,000 active

personnel Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any ot ...

. The FAB is subdivided into four operational commands. File:Brazilian Saab Gripen E (cropped).jpg, Brazilian Air Force F-39E Gripen during an exercise File:22 10 2021 Solenidade Militar alusiva ao Dia do Aviador e ao Dia da Força Aérea Brasileira (51619395824).jpg, Brazilian Air Force KC-390 in formation with F-5M and F-39E File:Aeronave A-29 Super Tucano em voo sobre a Floresta Amazônica.jpg, Brazilian Air Force A-29 Super Tucano patrolling the Amazon rainforest File:Brazilian Air Force AMX air-to-air refuelling.jpg, Brazilian Air Force A-1A AMX File:Brazilian Gripen F-39E (cropped).jpg, Brazilian Air Force F-39E Gripen flying over

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

File:FAB2901 KC30 Brazilian Air Force.jpg, Brazilian Air Force KC-30 with a pair of F-5M File:Sábado Aéreo 2014 (15101174380).jpg, Brazilian Air Force UH-60L File:Embraer KC-390, Paris Air Show 2019, Le Bourget (SIAE0824).jpg, Brazilian Air Force

C-390 Millennium The Embraer C-390 Millennium is a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. It is the heaviest aircraft the company has constructed to date. Work on ...

File:R99 - RIAT 2007 (2370466415).jpg, Brazilian Air Force E-99 AEW&C File:CRUZEX 2013 (10798689103).jpg, Two F-5M taking off in aerial alert File:Vant Hermes 450 da FAB no aeroporto de Cáceres (MT) (8101398607).jpg, Brazilian Air Force RQ-450 File:02 09 2021 Foto do dia (51419982851).jpg, Brazilian Air Force EC725 File:P3am-orion.jpg, Brazilian Air Force P-3AM Orion File:Infantaria.jpg, Brazilian Air Force Infantry File:Revo02.jpg, Brazilian Air Force

KC-130 The Lockheed Martin (previously Lockheed) KC-130 is a family of the extended-range tanker version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The KC-130J is the latest variant operated by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), with 48 delivered o ...

refuels H-36 Caracal over

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...

File:Parasar.jpg, Brazilian Air Force SOF ( Para-SAR)

Brazilian aerospace command

The Aerospace Operations Command is a Brazilian air and space command created in 2017 and is part of the

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

. It is responsible for planning, coordinating, executing and controlling the country's air and space operations. The

and Brazilian Army also are part of the organization.

Troop relocation

Brazil has the need to patrol its of land borders. Since the 1990s Brazil has been relocating its forces in accordance to this national security requirement. Between 1992 and 2008, the ''1st, 2nd'' and ''16th Jungle Infantry Brigades'', the ''3rd Infantry Battalion'', the ''19th Logistics Battalion'', and the ''22nd Army Police Platoon'' were transferred by the

from the states of

and Rio Grande do Sul to the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

region in accordance with the friendship policy with Argentina. After those redeployments the number of Army troops in that region rose to 25,000. Also relocated from the state of Rio de Janeiro were the ''1st'' and ''3rd Combat Cars Regiment'', now stationed in the city of Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. However, despite those efforts, the presence of the Armed Forces on the border regions of the

Brazilian Amazon Brazilian commonly refers to: * Something of, from or relating to Brazil * Brazilian Portuguese, the dialect of the Portuguese language used mostly in Brazil * Brazilians, the people (citizens) of Brazil, or of Brazilian descent Brazilian may also ...

continues to be sparse and disperse, given the fact that the Army has just 28 border detachments in that area, a total of 1,600 soldiers, or 1 man for every of borders. More redeployments are expected since the states of Rio de Janeiro,

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literall ...

and

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist att ...

still concentrate over 49,000 soldiers. In May 2008, the Navy announced new plans to reposition its forces throughout Brazil.

Communications and territorial surveillance

The Brazilian territory corresponds to 47.3% of the South American continent, and its land border is over 16.000 km and 4,5 million km2 of sea territory. With the objective of ensuring Brazil's sovereignty, strategic monitoring and communications projects have been launched in recent years.

SGDC

The ''Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellites'' or ''SGDC'', are geostationary communication satellites developed by the

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

and the Brazilian Space Agency, created with the objective of operating strategic military, government and civil communications, also offering broadband internet throughout the national territory. The first satellite called

SGDC-1 The Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite or SGDC (in Portuguese: ''Satélite Geoestacionário de Defesa e Comunicações Estratégicas'') is a Brazilian geostationary communication satellite that was built by Thales Aleni ...

, was launched in 2017 and the

SGDC-2 The Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite 2 or SGDC-2 (in Portuguese: ''Satélite Geoestacionário de Defesa e Comunicações Estratégicas 2'') is a Brazilian geostationary communication satellite that is currently in the p ...

has planned to launch in 2022. The ''Space Operations Center'' (COPE) was inaugurated in 2020, subordinated to the

, with the objective of operating the satellites.

SISFRON

The ''Integrated Border Monitoring System'' (SISFRON) is a border system developed by the Brazilian Army for supporting operational employment decisions, operating in an integrated manner with all defense systems in the country, whose purpose is to strengthen the presence and capacity for monitoring and action in the national land border strip. Was conceived at the initiative of the Army Command, as a result of the approval of the ''National Defense Strategy'' in 2008, which guides the organization of the Armed Forces. The ''SISFRON'' are deployed along the 16,886 kilometers of the border line, favoring the employment of organizations subordinate to the North, West, Southern and the Amazon military commands.

SisGAAz

The ''Blue Amazon Management System'', is a surveillance system developed by the

, in order to oversee the Blue Amazon, the country's exclusive economic zone and a resource-rich area covering about off the Brazilian coast. This area is home to a huge diversity of

marine species Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. ...

, valuable metallic minerals and other

mineral resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. ...

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

, and the world's second largest

rare-earth The rare-earth elements (REE), also called the rare-earth metals or (in context) rare-earth oxides or sometimes the lanthanides ( yttrium and scandium are usually included as rare earths), are a set of 17 nearly-indistinguishable lustrous sil ...

reserve. The SisGAAz integrates equipment and systems composed of radars incorporated on land and vessels, as well as high resolution cameras and features such as the fusion of information received from collaborative systems.

Link-BR2

The ''Link-BR2'' is a datalink developed by the Air Force and the Brazilian defence company AEL Sistemas, this technology allow the exchange of data such radar information, videos and images with other units of the three branches anytime and anywhere, using an advanced encrypted protocol with a high degree of security.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Brazilian Ministry of Defence

Brazil military profile
from the '' CIA World Factbook''
Brazil military guide
from GlobalSecurity.org {{Military of South America