Major General De Souza, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Army, outlines the country’s ambitious military transformation program. In this wide-ranging conversation, the discussion covers:
- The modernization of Brazil’s land forces, including long-range fire systems and armored fleet upgrades
- Lessons learned from Operation Atlas, a major joint exercise deploying 10,000 troops deep into the Amazon
- The logistical complexity of projecting force nearly 4,000 kilometers from southern Brazil to jungle terrain
- How extreme heat and humidity are shaping equipment requirements and operational doctrine
- The establishment of a dedicated drone battalion and Brazil’s evolving approach to cyber defense
- The challenge of making the case for increased defense spending in a country currently investing just 1.1% of GDP on its military
- The threat landscape along Brazil’s vast 17,000-kilometer border, from transnational crime to regional instability
A candid assessment of what it will take to build a force capable of meeting the demands of an increasingly uncertain world.
