AIAB President Julio Shidara met with the Secretary of Defense and National Security Affairs, Air Brigadier Marcos Aurélio Vilela Valença, to discuss issues of interest not only to the Aerospace Industry, but also to Brazil.
Also taking part in the meeting, which took place on the 25th, were Col. Ricardo Felzcky, Director of the Department for Accompanying Space Affairs, and Col. Marcelo Oliveira da Silva, General Coordinator for Critical Infrastructure Security.
In a recent organizational restructuring that took place in the Office of Institutional Security (GSI) of the Presidency of the Republic, the Secretariat headed by Brigadier General Valença became responsible for activities related to the Brazilian Space Program (PEB) within the GSI, and became the Executive Secretariat of the Brazilian Space Program Development Committee (CDPEB).
Among the topics discussed were the actions underway to establish the National Space Council (CNE) and a reflection on the strategic importance of the PEB not only for fulfilling the constitutional mission of the Armed Forces, but also for Brazil’s economic and social development.
“In the United States, 14 out of a total of 16 infrastructure systems considered critical depend on GPS (Global Positioning System) to function. In Brazil, this dependence should be no different,” said the AIAB president.
“AIAB has concrete and realistic public policy proposals for building its own basic space infrastructure so that, gradually, Brazil can leave the current uncomfortable situation of vulnerability by depending mostly on foreign satellites to be able to offer essential and basic services to Brazilian society, such as electricity, financial services, internet, transportation, among others,” he concluded.