BRAZILIAN ARMY

The 'Brazilian Army' is the land arm of the Brazilian Military.

Contents

History

Brazilian military figures

Modern army

Equipment

Main Equipment

Individual Weapons

Aircraft inventory

See also

References

External links

History

After the Brazilian declaration of independence from Portugal in 1822, the Brazilian Army was essential 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 empire.
By the Regency Era it was complemented by the National Guard, a paramilitary militia.
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, who invaded the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, the north of Argentina and was heading for Uruguay. Supported by the UK and with overwhelming numbers, the Alliance defeated Lopez.
After World War I, under a contract where French army officers came to Brazil, the Brazilian Army was restructured according to lessons learned by the French in the war.
In 1942, after German torpedoes sunk many Brazilian merchant ships (Although those claims are disputed), Brazil declared war on the Axis Powers. In 1944 the FEB (Brazilian Expeditionary Force) was sent to Italy to fight with the U.S. Fifth Army in Monte Castello. During eight months of the campaign, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force managed to take 20,573 Axis prisoners (two generals, 892 officers and 19,679 other ranks) and had 443 of its men killed in action. It had support from the FAB (Brazilian Air Force) recently created to fight in that war.
In 1964 Brazilian Army General Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco took power in a state coup, beginning the Military Dictatorship in Brazil that lasted until 1985.

Brazilian military figures

Military branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes Marines), Brazilian Air Force.
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 19-49: 45,586,036
females age 19-49: 45,728,704 (2005 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 33,119,098
females age 19-49: 38,079,722 (2005 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,785,930
females age 19-49: 1,731,648 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $9.94 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.3% (2005 est.)

Modern army

Total armed forces
Active: 337,800 (133,500 conscripts).
Terms of service: 12 months (can be extended by 6 months).
Reserves: trained first-line: 1,115,000; 400,000 subject to immediate recall.
Second-line: 225,000.
220,000 (incl 126,500 conscripts);
HQ: 7 Military Comd, 12 Military Regions.; 8 div (3 with Region HQ); 1 armd cav bde (mech, 1 armd, 1 arty bn); 3 armd inf bde (each 2 inf, 1 armd, 1 arty bn); 4 mech cav bde (each 3 inf, 1 arty bn). 12 motor inf bde (26 bn); 1 mtn bde; 2 "jungle" bde (7 bn); 1 frontier bde (6 bn); and others.

Equipment

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^[1]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Leopard Tank
|
| tank
| 1A1
| 128
|
|-----
| Leopard Tank
|
| tank
| 1A5
| 0
| ordered 240 (ex-Germany Army)
|-----
| M-60
|
| tank
| A3
| 91
|
|-----
| M-41
|
| light tank
| M-41B/C
| 112
|
|-----
| EE-9 Cascavel
|
| armored car/recon
| EE-9
| 409
| 45 being upgraded
|-----
| EE-11 Urutu
|
| armoured personnel carrier
| EE-11
| 213
| 121 being upgraded
|-----
| M-113
|
| armoured personnel carrier
| M-113
| 584
|
|-----
| M108
|
| self-propelled artillery
| 105 mm
| 72
|
|-----
| M-109
|
| self-propelled artillery
| 155 mm
| 38
|
|-----
| ASTROS II
|
| multiple rocket launcher
| 108/180/300 mm
| 20
|
|-----
| M578
|
| command armor vehicle
|
| 17
|
|-----
| M114
|
| towed howitzer
| 155 mm
| 92
|
|-----
| L118
|
| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| 36
|
|-----
| OTO Melara Mod 56
|
| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| M101
|
| towed howitzer
| 105 mm
| 320
|
|-----
| M2
|
| towed mortar
| 120 mm
| 60
|
|-----
| M30
|
| towed mortar
| 107 mm
| 209
|
|-----
| M936 AGR
|
| towed mortar
| 81 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| RO
|
| towed mortar
| 81 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| M949 AGR
|
| light mortar
| 60 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| Brandt 60
|
| light mortar
| 60 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| Oerlikon 35mm
|
| towed aa artillery
| 35 mm
| 38
|
|-----
| Bofors 40mm L/70
|
| towed aa artillery
| 40 mm
| 24
|
|-----
| Bofors 40mm L/60
|
| towed aa artillery
| 40 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| M40
|
| recoiless rifle
| 106 mm
| 105
|
|-----
| Carl Gustav
|
| recoiless rifle
| 84 mm
| 127
|
|-----
| AT4
|
| rocket laucher
| 84 mm
| ?
|
|-----
| ERYX
|
| anti-tank guided missile
|
| 20
|
|-----
| MILAN
|
| anti-tank guided missile
|
| 12
|
|-----
| Igla
|
| SAM missile
| SA-18
| 50
|
|-----
| Roland
|
| SAM missile
| Roland II
| 4
|-----
|}

Individual Weapons

★ FN M2HB heavy machine gun.

★ FN MAG GPMG. Designed M971.

★ M964 FAP, a license-built FN FAL SAW.

★ M964 Rifle, a license-built FN FAL.

★ M964A1 Rifle, a license-built FN PARAFAL.

★ MD97 assault rifle, externally similar to FN FAL but in 5.56 × 45 mm NATO.

★ M4 carbine used by some SOF units.

★ M972 SMG, a license-built Beretta Model 12.

★ M973 pistol, a license-built M1911 modified to 9 mm Luger Parabellum.

★ M975 pistol, a license-built Beretta 92.

★ Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle used by SOF units.

★ Heckler & Koch PSG1 sniper rifle used by SOF units.

★ AGCL sniper rifle in 7.62x51 used by regulars sniper teams.

★ Assorted submachine gun and pistol types uses by SOF units.

Aircraft inventory

The Army operates 82 helicopters, of which the 16 Helibras HB 350 represent the only Brazilian-produced 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^[2]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Eurocopter Cougar
|
| transport helicopter
| AS 532UE
| 8
|
|-----
| Eurocopter Fennec
|
| scout/liaison/attack helicopter
| AS 550A-2
| 20
|
|-----
| Eurocopter Panther
|
| transport/attack helicopter
| AS 365K
| 34
|
|-----
| Helibras HB 350
|
| utility/attack helicopter
| HB 350-1
| 16
|
|-----
| Sikorsky S-70
|
| transport helicopter
| S-70A
| 4
|
|}

See also

★ Brazilian Air Force

★ Brazilian Navy

★ Military history of Brazil

★ Military ranks of Brazil

★ Brazil and weapons of mass destruction

References

1. "Armamentos e Munições", Portal do Exército Brasileiro, ''Centro de Comunicação Social do Exército'', May 4 2007.
2. "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', January 15 2007.

External links

★ Official Brazilian Army Website (in Portuguese)

★ Official Brazilian Army Aviation Command Website (in Portuguese)

★ Base Militar Web Magazine's Brazilian military aircraft data base

★ Information on the Osório MBT

★ Military Orders and Medals from Brazil ('Portuguese')