Multi-Role-Fighter acquisition in dispute – Naval investments beyond question

08:43 GMT, August 29, 2008 Brazil is about to significantly boost its defence spending, the country’s Secretary of Strategic Subjects Roberto Mangabeira Unger told reporters yesterday. The ‘National Defence Plan’ which Unger submitted to his President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will shift the country’s defence priorities away from its southern borders to the Amazon region, its long Atlantic coast and its air space. The long-term plan explicitly calls for additional spending to adequately equip Brazil’s armed forces by creation of a rapid strike force securing its northern borders against foreign intrusions, and building of a state-of-the-art weapons industry.

Further details of the plan – for example the proposed level of a possible budget increase – were not commented but expected to be published within the next two weeks. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Brazil led South America’s military expenditures in 2007 spending $15,3 billion (€ 9,5 billion).

"Brazil is perhaps the least belligerent nation in the world," Secretary Unger told AP. "But this does not exempt us from the responsibility of defending ourselves against aggressions and threats." Beside the protection of its porous northern borders Brazil especially has to take care about its Air Force and Navy capabilities. Newly discovered offshore oil reserves in Brazilian waters holding up to 55 billion barrels focused attention on the country’s coastline protection. However, Unger told local newspapers three weeks ago that there are also other reasons to strengthen its marine forces: "The presence of the United States Marines in international water throughout the Southern Cone only reiterates the importance for Brazil to take better care of its own defense shield."

Unger underlined that "if Brazil wants to develop and become a world power then it must have a defense shield." Despite that approach the Secretary added that this realignment should not concern its neighbours in the Amazon: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. "We do not feel threatened by any of our neighbours and therefore no major part of our proposals will result in significant deployment of Brazilian troops along our borders," he said.
"We want to restructure the Army along the model of a rapid deployment strike force. Especially in the Amazon, the solution to our problems is surveillance and mobility," Unger made clear. Under a strategic alliance with France announced earlier this year, Brazil will receive at least one conventional and one nuclear-powered submarine by French DCNS and acquire about 50 EC725 military helicopters from Eurocopter.

Brazil has not decided yet whether to purchase new generation multi-role fighter jets, even after its Air Force launched a bidding process for 36 aircraft in June. "We are a constitutional democracy. Military decisions are made by the civilian leadership," said Unger. "I have told the Armed Forces that as long as they act as another lobby asking for money, we will not solve our defense problems."

The Air Force chose six manufacturers to participate in the procurement process: Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II, Sukhoi's SU-35, Dassault's Rafale, Saab's Gripen and Eurofighter's Typhoon.