The Brazilian Army is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordinating itself, in the Federal Government's structure, to the Ministry of Defense, alongside the Brazilian Navy and Air Force. The Military Police and Military Firefighters Corps are legally designated as reserve and auxiliary forces to the army. Its operational arm is called Land Force. It is the largest army in South America and the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Brazil.
Engesa was a Brazilian company in the oil and later automotive and military sectors founded in 1958. In the 70s and 80s it established itself as one of the "big three" in Brazil's arms industry, alongside Avibras and Embraer. It manufactured 6,818 land military vehicles such as the EE-25 truck and the EE-9 Cascavel and EE-11 Urutu armored vehicles, which it sold to Brazil and 18 other countries, and are still used in conflicts today. Its technological peak was the prototypes of the EE-T1 Osório main battle tank. Its founder, José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro, was called the "civil armaments czar". In the civilian market, it became known with its Engesa 4 jeep. It went into decline at the end of the 80s as a result of mismanagement and a hostile internal and international environment, going bankrupt in 1993.
The Brazilian Marine Corps is the Brazilian Navy's naval infantry component. It relies on the fleet and Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, special operations forces and other support elements. Its operational components are the Fleet Marine Force, under the Naval Operations Command, in Rio de Janeiro, and Marine Groups and Riverine Operations Battalions, under the Naval Districts in the coast and the Amazon and Platine basins. The FFE, with a core of three infantry battalions, is its seagoing component.
The MAX 1.2 AC, —previously known as MSS 1.2 AC— is a Brazilian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Operated by infantry or vehicles, the system consists of a reloadable launch tube, laser-guided missile and firing unit, as well as a simulator and testing equipment. It was developed out of Oto Melara's “Missile Anti-Carro della Fanteria”, which was rejected by the Italian Army. Brazilian involvement began in 1986 and it has since then been tested and redesigned by the Brazilian Army's research institutes and a series of Brazilian companies.
The Brazilian Army Aviation is the air segment of the Brazilian Army, operating rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters) in conjunction with surface forces such as the 12th Light Infantry Brigade (Airmobile). Originally founded with aircraft in 1919, it ceased to exist in 1941, re-emerging in its current form in 1986. It has mainly transport aircraft in addition to light attack helicopters, but does not use dedicated attack helicopters. Its command (CAvEx) in Taubaté, São Paulo, is linked to the Land Operations Command, in Brasília, and the Southeastern Military Command. CAvEx only has subordinates in the 1st and 2nd battalions, also in Taubaté. The 3rd and 4th are respectively in Campo Grande and Manaus, subordinate to the Western and Amazonian Military Commands, and there is a detachment in Belém, in the Northern Military Command.
The Eastern Military Command is one of eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Eastern Military Command is responsible for the defense of the states Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo. A Parachutist Brigade and two Infantry Brigades are assigned to the 1st Army Division, which is the maneuver unit of the CML. Two Military Regional Commands are subordinated to the CML for administrative purposes.
The Planalto Military Command is one of the eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Planalto Military Command is responsible for the defense of the state Goiás, most of the state of Tocantins, the Federal District with the capital Brasília, and the Triângulo Mineiro region of the state of Minas Gerais.
The Southern Military Command is one of eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Southern Military Command is responsible for the defence of the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina.
The VBTP-MR Guarani is a 6×6 armoured personnel carrier developed by Iveco and the Brazilian Army as part of its "Urutu-III" modernization program aimed to replace all EE-11 Urutu by 2015. The 8×8 version of the VBTP-MR is the base of Iveco's Superav armoured personnel carrier. Other Brazilian companies also participated in the program, such as IMBEL (Communications), Elbit (Armaments), Usiminas and Villares.
The 12th Light Infantry Brigade (Airmobile) (Portuguese: 12.ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve (Aeromóvel), 12ª Bda Inf L (Amv)) is a large unit of the Brazilian Army based in Caçapava, São Paulo. It is subordinated to the 2nd Army Division. Since 1995 its elements have been transported by Army Aviation helicopters, being able to quickly operate in any part of Brazil's territory.
Joaquim Silva e Luna, is a Brazilian politician and former Brazilian Army general who served as Minister of Defence from February 2018 until January 2019.
General Geraldo Antônio Miotto was a senior officer of the Brazilian Army. As a member of the Army High Command, he was the Commander of the Amazon Military Command and Southern Military Command.
A military crisis was triggered in March 2021 when Brazil's highest military officials resigned in response to President Jair Bolsonaro's attempts to politicize the armed forces. Since the beginning of his government, Bolsonaro had appointed an unprecedented number of military personnel to civilian positions, seeking to receive, in exchange, support from the military, including through public demonstrations in favor of his government's policies and against the measures adopted by the governors to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to advocating the decree of the State of Defense, as a way to increase its powers.
The Aerospace Operations Command is a joint command of the Brazilian Armed Forces in charge of planning, coordinating and conducting the employment of aerospace assets. Although part of the Brazilian Air Force's structure, it includes personnel from the Brazilian Army and Navy. COMAE is the central body in the Brazilian Aerospace Defense System and as such, it is directly responsible for the aerospace defense of Brazilian territory and may control Air Force, Army and Navy units.
The Brazilian cavalry is one of the branches that make up the Brazilian Army. It operates in armored vehicles and, like the infantry, has the role of directly confronting the enemy, but with distinct missions such as reconnaissance and vanguard. It is organized into regiments and squadrons, which are equivalent to the infantry's battalions and companies. Its main types are tank, mechanized, armored and guard. Its troops serve in vehicle crews or as fusiliers on board, who can also fight on foot.
Marco Antônio Freire GomesGCMM is a retired Army general of the Brazilian Army, Commander from 31 March to 30 December 2022.
This list shows the present and future strategic re-equipment and modernization programs of the Brazilian Armed Forces that was based on the documents of the National Defense Strategy of 2008, and subsequent versions of the Defense White Paper that outline the major defense programs in Brazil from 2008 until 2040.
