Military of Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brazilian Armed Forces Forças Armadas Brasileiras | |
|---|---|
| Image:Troca da bandeira na Praça dos Três Poderes, 5 de agosto de 2007.jpg | |
| Branches of service | |
| Image:COA of Brazilian Air Force.svg Brazilian Air Force Image:Coat of arms of the Brazilian Army.svg Brazilian Army Image:COA Brazilian Navy.svg Brazilian Navy | |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief: | President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| Minister of Defense: | Nelson Jobim |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel: | 287,000 (2006) ranked 18th |
| Reserve personnel: | 1,115,000 (2006) |
| Military age population: | Males age 19-49: 45,586,036 (2005 est.) |
| Total fit for service: | Males age 19-49: 33,119,098 (2005 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually: | Males: 1,785,930 (2005 est.) |
| Military age: | 19-45 years of age for compulsory military service |
| Service law: | Compulsory military service |
| Conscript service: | 9 to 12 months |
| Industry | |
| Annual spending: | USD $9,9 billion (2005) (ranked 17th) |
| Percent of GDP spent on military: | 1.3% (2005) |
| Major domestic suppliers: | Embraer Avibrás |
| History | |
Military history of Brazil | |
| Ranks and insignia | |
| Military ranks of Brazil | |
The Brazilian Armed Forces (Portuguese: Forças Armadas Brasileiras) comprise the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy (including the Brazilian Marine Corps and naval aviation) and the Brazilian Air Force.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The Armed forces of Brazil comprise the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy, and the Brazilian Air Force.[2] The Military Police (State's Military Police) is described as an ancillary force of the Army.[2] Brazilian armed forces are the largest in Latin America.[3][4] All military branches are part of the Ministério da Defesa (Ministry of Defence).[5] The Brazilian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Brazilian armed forces. Força Aérea Brasileira was formed when the air divisions of the Army and Navy were merged into a single military force, initially called "National Air Force". Both air divisions transferred their equipments, installations and personnel to the new armed force. The FAB is the largest air force in Latin America, with about 700 manned aircraft in service, and as of July 8, 2005, had 66,020 personnel on active duty. An additional 7,500 civilian personnel are employed by the Air Force.[6] The Brazilian Navy is responsible for naval operations and for guarding Brazilian territorial waters. It is the oldest of the Brazilian Armed forces and the largest navy in Latin America,[7] with a 27,307-ton aircraft carrier, the NAeL São Paulo (formerly FS Foch of the French Navy), some American and British-built frigates, a few locally-built corvettes, coastal diesel-electric submarines and many other river and coastal patrol craft. Finally, the Brazilian Army is responsible for land-based military operations, with a strength of approximately 190,000 soldiers.
[edit] Service obligation and manpower
The CIA World Factbook reports that the military age is 19-45 years for compulsory military service and the service obligation is for nine to 12 months. The age for voluntary service is 17-45 years, and an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals. Brazil's military manpower as of a 2005 estimate is 45,586,036 males age 19-49 and 45,728,704 females age 19-49 available for military service, and 33,119,098 males age 19-49 and 38,079,722 females age 19-49 fit for military service. A 2005 estimate found 1,785,930 males age 18-49 and 1,731,648 females age 19-49 reach military service age annually.
Males in Brazil are required to enlist for serving 12 months (24 months in the air force, 36 in the navy) of military service upon their 18th birthday. However, most enlisted are dispensed, and do not serve at all. Most often, the service is performed in military bases as close as possible to the person's home. The government does not require those planning to attend college or holding a permanent job to serve. There are also several other exceptions, including health reasons, for which one may not have to serve.
Women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in 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. In 2006, the first class of female Air Force pilots graduated.
[edit] Insufficient Investments
Military expenditures for 2005 were $9.94 billion, about 1.3 percent of the gross domestic product. Payments for personnel and pensions absorb 80% of the Defense budget, therefore the Brazilian military doesn't have enough money to invest both in maintenance and new equipments. Between 2001 and 2007 just R$11.1 billion, roughly US$6.1 billion, were invested in the military. For 2008, however, R$10.1 billion (US$5.6 billion) are expected to be invested. [8]
Only 267 or 37% of the Air Force's aircraft are operational, lack of maintenance and spare parts have grounded 452 aircraft. [9] Compounding this problem is the fact that 60% of the aircraft are 20 years old or older. [10]
The Navy is also facing difficulties because besides of only having 21 combat surface ships to patrol more than 7,000 km of coast line only 10 of those ships are operational and even so with operational restrictions. Of the Navy's 5 submarines, only one is fully operational, two others operate with restrictions and 27 or 46% of the Navy's 58 helicopters are grounded as well.[11]
The Army is also facing challenges, 78% of all Army vehicles are 34 years old or older and some trucks date from World War II, most of the Army's artillery guns are also from World War II. Of the Army's 1,437 armored vehicles over 40% are not combat ready and 40% or 2,670 of the Army's vehicles are not operational. Lastly, the amount of ammunition stock is only 15% of what is recommended.[12]
[edit] Notes
- ^ According to article 144 of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, the para-military Polícia Militar is constitutionally considered an auxiliary and potential reserve to the federal military forces, though subordinate to the state governors. They can, however, be compelled to federal service under a statute similar to posse comitatus[1].
- ^ a b Brazilian Federal Constitution. Brazilian Government (official text). Retrieved on 2007-05-17. See also: "Brazilian Federal Constitution in English", text translated to English (unofficial). Retrieved on 2007-05-17.
- ^ See List of countries and federations by military expenditures
- ^ See List of countries by number of active troops
- ^ Ministry of Defence Structure "Defence" Ministério da Defesa. Accessed June 22, 2007.
- ^ Sala de imprensa - FAB em números
- ^ El Universal
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1697776,00.html
- ^ http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/brasil/2007/10/18/sinopse_da_imprensa_apenas_37_dos_avioes_da_fab_tem_condicoes_de_uso_diz_saito_1049201.html
- ^ http://odia.terra.com.br/brasil/htm/pais_gigante_defesa_pobre_133990.asp
- ^ http://odia.terra.com.br/brasil/htm/pais_gigante_defesa_pobre_133990.asp
- ^ http://odia.terra.com.br/brasil/htm/pais_gigante_defesa_pobre_133990.asp
[edit] See also
- Brazil and weapons of mass destruction
- Policing in Brazil
- Military Police of Brazilian States
- BOPE: Special Police Operations Battalion of the Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
[edit] External links
- Brazilian Ministry of Defence
- Brazil military profile from the CIA World Factbook
- Brazil military guide from GlobalSecurity.org
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Militaries of South America | ||
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| Sovereign states | Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Panama* · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago* · Uruguay · Venezuela | Image:South America.png |
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| * Territories also in or commonly reckoned elsewhere in the Americas (North America). | ||
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