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| Military of Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Armed Forces of Brazil |
| Native name | Forças Armadas do Brasil |
| Founded | 19th century (Imperial Army 1822) |
| Headquarters | Brasília |
| Commander in chief | President of Brazil |
| Minister | Minister of Defense |
| Active personnel | ~334,500 |
| Conscription | Mandatory (selective) |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Brazil |
Military of Brazil The Armed Forces of Brazil trace their origins to the Brazilian War of Independence and the Imperial Brazilian Army, evolving through the Paraguayan War, the Proclamation of the Republic (1889), the Tenentismo movement, the Vargas Era, and the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) into a modern force that participates in United Nations peacekeeping operations, regional security frameworks, and national defense planning under the Constitution of Brazil and the Ministry of Defense (Brazil). The forces have engaged in conflicts such as the Ragamuffin War indirectly via legacy units, fought in coalition settings during World War II as part of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force, and contributed to disaster relief after events like the 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and Amazon humanitarian operations coordinated with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.
The institutional history links the Imperial Brazilian Navy and the Imperial Brazilian Army to the transition from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves through independence during the Revolução Pernambucana (1817), participation in the Cisplatine War, and expansion during the War of the Triple Alliance alongside Argentina and Uruguay against Paraguay. Republicanization followed the Proclamation of the Republic (1889) and military influence peaked during the Estado Novo under Getúlio Vargas and the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état that installed a military dictatorship, leading to doctrines shaped by the National Security Doctrine and encounters with Operation Condor. Post-1985 democratization returned the forces to civilian oversight under presidents such as Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Jair Bolsonaro, while deployments included the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti with the Brazilian Army and Brazilian Navy contingents and participation in regional initiatives like the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone.
Command is exercised by the President of Brazil as Commander-in-chief, operationally advised by the Minister of Defense (Brazil), the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces (EMCFA), and service chiefs: the Army Command (Comando do Exército), the Navy Command (Comando da Marinha), and the Brazilian Air Force Command (Comando da Aeronáutica). The forces are organized into strategic commands such as the Southern Military Command (Comando Militar do Sul), the Amazon Military Command (Comando Militar da Amazônia), and the Northeast Military Command (Comando Militar do Nordeste), with logistics and procurement coordinated through agencies like the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology and the Brazilian Army Cabinet, integrating with institutions such as the Federal Police (Brazil) and the National Public Security Force for internal security operations under constitutional provisions.
The Brazilian Army fields infantry, armor, and engineering units including the Brazilian Expeditionary Force heritage, brigade groups, and the Comando Militar da Amazônia focused on riverine and jungle operations. The Brazilian Navy encompasses the Brazilian Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais), the Aspirante training system, and blue-water capabilities centered on Port of Rio de Janeiro basing for frigates, submarines including the Scorpène-class submarine program and future PROSUB assets. The Brazilian Air Force operates fighters, transport aircraft, and surveillance platforms such as the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, the A-29 Super Tucano export designation, and the F-5 Tiger II legacy, while collaborating with the Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica (Embraer) on aeronautical development and the Space Operations Center (COPE), interfacing with the Brazilian Space Agency.
Personnel policies combine volunteer professionals with selective compulsory service under the Brazilian Constitution and the Military Service Act, administered via conscription boards at municipal level and exemptions for students, with active force numbers influenced by budget decisions from the Ministry of Defense (Brazil). Career tracks include NCO and officer commissioning through institutions like the Agulhas Negras Military Academy (AMAN), the Naval Academy (Escola Naval), and the Academy of the Brazilian Air Force (AFA), and personnel receive training influenced by doctrines from partners such as the United States Marine Corps, the French Navy, and the British Army via bilateral exercises.
Brazilian procurement has emphasized domestic industry partnerships with Embraer, Avibras, IMBEL, and Emgepron to field armored vehicles such as the Guarani (VBTP-MR), artillery systems like the ASTROS II multiple rocket launcher, and naval assets from PROSUB including Riachuelo-class submarine (S40) platforms. Air capabilities mix legacy F-5 Tiger II fighters, multi-role acquisition programs involving the Gripen E/F contract, and transport platforms like the C-130 Hercules while maritime patrol uses platforms such as the P-3 Orion and planned P-3 replacement projects. Cyber and space components are developing through the Cyber Defense Command and partnerships with the Brazilian Space Agency and regional research centers, and logistics modernization integrates the National Defense Industry Strategy and the Strategic Defense Review.
Operations span domestic disaster response in the Amazon Rainforest and operations against organized crime in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro alongside the Public Security Integrated System, international peacekeeping such as MINUSTAH in Haiti and training missions in Mozambique, and maritime security patrols in the South Atlantic and around the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone. Joint exercises include participation in UNITAS, bilateral drills with the United States and France, and regional cooperation under the Union of South American Nations mechanisms, while strategic deployments have supported evacuation operations during crises like the 1994 Rwandan genocide indirectly via logistic support agreements and humanitarian assistance to neighbors such as Bolivia and Paraguay.
Defense policy is set by the National Defense Strategy, implemented through the Ministry of Defense (Brazil) and subject to approval by the National Congress of Brazil and budget appropriations overseen by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). Expenditure prioritizes modernization programs (e.g., PROSUB, Gripen E/F acquisition, and indigenous development with Embraer), force maintenance, and strategic autonomy goals articulated in the Brazilian Defense White Paper and the National Defense Policy, balancing regional leadership ambitions within frameworks like the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone and obligations to multilateral organizations such as the United Nations.