Defense policy in Brazil: bridging the gap between ends and means?

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the Brazilian Defense Policy in terms of its ability to reduce the gap between ends and means. Since 2003, the Brazilian defense policy has evolved along with Brazil’s increased role in the international system. Sustaining this process depends on institutional, economic, and operational conditions that are yet to be fully guaranteed. They require negotiations, reforms, and strategic perspective. By identifying specific challenges emerging from the national security institutional framework, the combat capability building process, the budgetary cycle, as well as from the defense industrial base, we sought to explain their rationale and to offer concrete policy pointers to overcome obstacles. As a general conclusion, the Brazilian defense policy was strengthened by the 2008 National Defense Strategy (END) due to its clearer strategic goals. Bridging the gap between those ends and the proper means is a continuous effort for any given country, but in the case of Brazil it has been addressed with firmer steps since the END, even in the face of harder economic and political conditions.

Keywords:

• Brazil
• defense
• doctrine
• armed forces
• defense industrial base

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Luiza Bulhões Olmedo, Laura Quaglia, Aline Hellmann, Alfredo Valladão, Alcides Vaz, Rodrigo Baena Soares, Antônio Jorge Ramalho da Rocha, Juliano Cortinhas, Mariana Fonseca, Cláudio Leopoldino, Sebastián Granda, and Carlos Arturi.

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [306308/2012-6].

Notes

1. Unless otherwise indicated, all acronyms and abbreviations used in this article follow the Portuguese extension designation.

2. This temporal horizon matches the tenure of the government led by the Worker’s Party broad coalition. However, it is not our subject here to evaluate Mr da Silva or Mrs Rousseff performances during their respective terms as Presidents.

3. There is also the National Defense White Paper – LBDN. It is an important document on defense, providing official information on the Brazilian strategic-related attributes and its vision on international security. The writing of the White Paper counted on unprecedented engagement of civilian groups. However, since its content is essentially informative, it would not be adopted as an element of our analysis. See Brazil (2012c) for the English translation of the document.

4. This particular approach builds loosely on the framework of analysis proposed by Proença and Diniz (1998).

5. For the current situation of inteligence in Brazil, see Brandão and Brito (2014), as well as Cepik and Ambros (2014). For police institutional reforms in Brazil, see Willis and Prado (2014).

6. For a thorough evaluation of the Brazilian Space policy, see Machado (2014) and Passos (2011).

7. In 2016, EMBRAER declared its intention of expanding its share in the space sector (AEB 2015).

8. In 2016, the government cut half of Odebrecht’s funding destined to the development of PROSUB (Exame 2016).

9. In 2016, the company KMW established its first subsidiary outside German soil in Santa Maria, the main base for MBTs in Brazil.

10. The new IA2 assault rifle, manufactured by the MD-owned company Imbel, was chosen by the Joint Staff to equip all service branches (Brazil 2012c). Although already employed by some Army units, its adoption by the Navy and the Air Force was not officially confirmed by the time we finished this article.

11. The most famous case being the development of SIPAM (see Silva 2004, pp. 81–86).

12. Expenses with pensions will slowly shrink as changes in military retirement plan already in force will affect the younger generations of officers.

13. The Multiannual Plans of the Union establish guidelines, goals, and targets of the federal public administration for the period it is in force. The plan was instituted by the 1988 Constitution as a way to bring back mid-term governmental planning into the country.

14. As a consequence of recent financial and legal troubles, Odebrecht has divulged the intention of selling its respective share in Mectron.