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Brazilian Army
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The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence (1822-25), Argentina-Brazil War (1825-28), Platine War (1851-52), Uruguayan War (1864-65) and the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70). It has also participated at the side of the Allies at the Second World War from 1942 (but effectively from 1944) to 1945.
r the Brazilian declaration of independence from Portugal in 1822, the Brazilian Army was created to defeat the Portuguese resistance (especially in Bahia) but also to avoid a fragmentation of the new Brazilian Empire.
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Encyclopedia
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence (1822-25), Argentina-Brazil War (1825-28), Platine War (1851-52), Uruguayan War (1864-65) and the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70). It has also participated at the side of the Allies at the Second World War from 1942 (but effectively from 1944) to 1945.
History
After the Brazilian declaration of independence from Portugal in 1822, the Brazilian Army was created to defeat the Portuguese resistance (especially in Bahia) but also to avoid a fragmentation of the new Brazilian Empire. It destroyed any separatist tendencies of the early years, supporting the authority of Emperor Dom Pedro I across his vast country and was complemented by the National Guard, a paramilitary militia supported by the big slave and land owners, aka as Colonels.
In the Regency Era period, after the renunciation of the first Emperor (but before the second emperor become old enough to be ascend the throne) the Army had to repress a host of popular movements for political autonomy and/or against the slavery and colonels' power across Brazil.
On May 1 1865, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina signed the Triple Alliance to defend themselves against aggression from Paraguay, which was ruled by the dictator Francisco López, whose troops after had invaded Brazilian territory through the state of Mato Grosso and the north of Argentina was heading for south of Brazil and north of Uruguay. Many slaves had been incorporated into the Brazilian forces to face the increasingly serious situation. As a result of their solid performance during the conflict, the Armed Forces developed a strong sense against slavery. After 5 years of a terrible warfare (the largest in South American history), the Alliance lead by Brazil defeated Lopez.
During World War I the Brazilian government sent three small military groups to Europe soon after declaring war upon Central Powers in October 1917. The first two units were from the Army; one consisted of medical staff and the other of a sergeants-officers corps, and both were attached to the French Army in the Western Front in 1918.
Between 1893 and 1926, the first Republican Period, the Army had to deal with various movements: some were derived from Navy and Army corps who were unsatisfied with the regime and clamoring for democratic changes, while others had popular origins without conventional political intentions guided by messianic leaders like Canudos.
From October 1930 to 1945, the Army give the necessary support for the Getulio Vargas regime against its opposition, defeating the Constitutionalist Revolt in 1932 and two separate coup d’état attempts: by Communists in 1935 and by Fascists in 1938. The Army also helped to formalize the dictatorship in 1937.
In August 1942, after German and Italian submarines sunk many Brazilian merchant ships, popular mobilization forced the Brazilian government to declare war on Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. In July 1944, after almost two years of public pressure, one expeditionary force was sent to Europe to join the Allied forces in the Italian campaign.
In the night of March, 31 1964, the Brazilian Army, then led by General Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco seized power through a coup d’état, beginning the Military Dictatorship in Brazil, which lasted 21 years until March 1985. This was the first of a series of coups d’état that discharged elected liberal governments by force, setting military regimes in their place, that would rule the South American Political scene until 1980's.
during the Italian Campaign (World War II).]]
In this period the Army employed all means it judged necessary to speak a decisive word over any group that tried to object the dictatorship: legally; changing the law, first abolishing and repealing civil and political rights little by little, after harassing and pursuing those who tried to make democratic demands, and militarily; with support of police forces and militias, proceeding with methods of counter-guerrilla and counter-insurgency warfare to defeat the guerrilla movements that tried to combat the regime by force. The urban guerrillas were active in Brazil between 1968 and 1971 while in the rural areas the 2 main movements subdued by the Army were respectively, one in the region where are today the Caparaó National Park (1967) and the other in the region of Araguaya River (1972-74).
Internationally, in 1965 the Brazilian Army joined forces with US marines intervening in the Dominican Republic, in Operation Powerpack, along with cooperation with armies from other South American countries giving and receiving advisement about counter-guerrilla and counter-insurgency methods as well as information about political dissidents.
Since the 1950s it has taken part in some United Nations missions as for example: Suez 1956-67, East Timor 1999-2004 and Haiti since 2004, being the latest, the most recent outside intervention in Haiti.
Strength
Active troops: 235,978
Reserves: 1,740,000
- Trained first-line: 1,115,000
- Subject to immediate recall: 400,000
- Second-line: 225,000
Organization
High Command
- Army General Headquarters (Quartel-General do Exército) - Brasília
- Terrestrial Operations Command (Commando de Operações Terrestres) - Brasília
- Army General Staff (Estado Maior do Exército) - Brasília
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Military Commands
The Army is structured into seven military commands. Each of the seven military commands is responsible for one or more military regions.
Military Regions
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The Brazilian territory is further divided into twelve military regions. Each military region has jurisdiction over one or more states and is subordinate to a military command.
Main units
Brigades:
Jungle Warfare
The Brazilian Army has five Jungle Infantry Brigades (1st, 2nd, 16th, 17th, and 23rd Jungle Infantry Brigades) and a Jungle Warfare Training Center.
Special Forces
The Special Operations Brigade is Brazil's special operations force. Although administratively assigned to the Plateau Military Command, the brigade's operations are under the direct control of the Land Operations Command.
Special Forces were initially formed in 1957 as a parachute trained rescue unit, which specialized in conducting deep jungle rescues along the Amazon basin. After conducting its initial selection, a US Army Special Forces Mobile Training Team (MTT) conducted the unit's first training course.
Conditions of Service
According to Article 143 of the 1988 constitution, military service is obligatory for men, but conscientious objection is allowed. Women and clergymen are exempt from compulsory military service. At age seventeen, men are required to register for the draft and are expected to serve when they reach age eighteen. About 75 percent of those registering receive deferments.
Generally, those from the upper class and upper middle class find ways to defer, and as a result the ranks are made up primarily of lower-class and lower-middle-class recruits. A growing number of recruits are volunteers, accounting for about one-third of the total. Those who serve generally spend one year of regular enlistment at an army garrison near their home. Some are allowed six-month service terms but are expected to complete high school at the same time. These are called "Tiros de Guerra," or "shooting schools," which are for high school boys in medium-sized interior towns, run by army sergeants. The army is the only service with a large number of conscripts; the navy and air force have very few.
The conscript system is primarily a means of providing basic military training to a sizable group of young men who then return to civilian life and are retained on the reserve rolls until age forty-five. The army recognizes that it provides a public service by teaching large numbers of conscripts basic skills that can be valuable to the overall economy when the young men return to civilian life.
Equipment
Overview of the Army's equipment, it also includes other vehicles such as trucks and cars, note that the Army doesn't operate helicopter gunships.
Main Equipment
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Equipment
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
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| Leopard Tank
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| tank
| 1A1
| 128
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| Leopard Tank
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| tank
| 1A5
| 270
| (ex-German Army)
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| M-60
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| tank
| A3 TTS
| 91
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|-----
| M-41
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| light tank
| M-41B/C
| 112
|Being withdraw. Replaced for Leopard 1A5
|-----
| EE-9 Cascavel
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| armored car/recon
| EE-9
| 409
| 45 being upgraded
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| EE-11 Urutu
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| armoured personnel carrier
| EE-11
| 213
| 121 being upgraded
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| M-113
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| armoured personnel carrier
| M-113
| 584
| 350 being upgraded
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| M108
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| self-propelled artillery
| 105 mm
| 72
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| M-109
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| self-propelled artillery
| 155 mm
| 38
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|-----
| ASTROS II
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| multiple rocket launcher
| 108/180/300 mm
| 20
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|-----
| M578
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| command armor vehicle
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| 17
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|-----
| M114
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| towed howitzer
| 155 mm
| 92
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| L118
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| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| 36
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|-----
| OTO Melara Mod 56
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| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| ?
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|-----
| M101
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| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| 320
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|-----
| M2
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| towed mortar
| 120 mm
| 60
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| M30
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| towed mortar
| 107 mm
| 209
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| M936 AGR
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| towed mortar
| 81 mm
| ?
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|-----
| RO
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| towed mortar
| 81 mm
| ?
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|-----
| M949 AGR
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| light mortar
| 60 mm
| ?
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|-----
| Brandt 60
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| light mortar
| 60 mm
| ?
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| Oerlikon 35mm
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| towed aa artillery
| 35 mm
| 38
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| Bofors 40mm L/70
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| towed aa artillery
| 40 mm
| 24
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| Bofors 40mm L/60
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| towed aa artillery
| 40 mm
| 103
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| M40
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| recoiless rifle
| 106 mm
| 105
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| Carl Gustav
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| recoiless rifle
| 84 mm
| 127
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| AT4
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| rocket laucher
| 84 mm
| ?
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|ALAC
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| rocket laucher
| 84 mm
| ?
|-----
| ERYX
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| anti-tank guided missile
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| 20
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| MILAN
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| anti-tank guided missile
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| 12
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| MSS 1.2
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| anti-tank guided missile
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| 10
|First units placed in 2009
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| Igla
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| SAM missile
| SA-18
| 118
|More ordered in 2008. Version Igla-1S
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| Roland
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| SAM missile
| Roland II
| 4
|Non-operational
|-----
|}
Individual Weapons and Equipment
Aircraft inventory
The Brazilian Army Aviation Command operates 82 helicopters, of which the 16 Helibrás HB 350 represent some of the Brazilian-made aircraft.
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar
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| transport helicopter
| AS 532UE
| 8
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|-----
| Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
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| scout/liaison/attack helicopter
| AS 550A-2
| 20
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|-----
| Eurocopter AS 365 Panther
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| transport/attack helicopter
| AS 365K
| 34
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| Helibras HB 350
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| utility/attack helicopter
| HB 350-1
| 16
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| Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk
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| transport helicopter
| S-70A
| 4
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|-----
| Eurocopter EC 725
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| transport helicopter
| EC72BR
| 0 (16)
| ordered
|}
See also
External links
- (in Portuguese)
- (in Portuguese)
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- (Portuguese)
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