Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Representatives of the Brazilian Army and the US Department of Defense have signed an agreement to define joint actions on chemical and biological defense issues. The instrument is a complementary annex to the Master Information Exchange Agreement (MIEA), signed by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.
The Master Agreement provides for the exchange of unclassified information by the parties, mutual visits to laboratories and research centers and discussions on technical studies. The aim is to promote common interests in defense knowledge management, project partnerships, human resources training and product creation.
The partnership currently benefits research, development and project evaluation, as well as standardizing the use of military equipment linked to defence against chemical and biological threats. With the agreement, the Defense Industrial Base can also receive diverse investments, with results in national technological advancement and job creation.
The annexed agreement, signed at the end of 2023, outlined the main topics for the exchange of information on chemical and biological defense. These are: sample detection and analysis, decontamination, computer modeling, security, quality management and technologies to certify compliance with the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CPAQ) and to carry out proficiency tests for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),
The advancement of the partnership on defense issues strengthens diplomatic and institutional relations between Brazil and the United States and confirms the commitment of the two friendly nations to promoting peace and respecting international conventions that prohibit the use of chemical and biological weapons. In 2023, the partnership also resulted in projects for extended-range ammunition in 120 mm mortars and the First Workshop on Nitrocellulose and Propellants, a technical-scientific exchange held at the Military Engineering Institute (IME).
The agreement involved the Department of Science and Technology, represented by Lieutenant General Armando Morado Ferreira, as well as the Army Technology Center and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Institute. On the US side, the agreement was signed by Michael Bailey, Director of the Chemical and Biological Defense Center of the US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM-CBC).
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***