By Mariana Vicara
Brasília (DF), 3/8/2024 – In just seven months, authorizations for exports of Brazilian defense products surpassed the total for 2023. As of July 2024, authorized operations total R$8.4 billion (US$1.47 billion) in sales abroad, while in 2023 the figure reached US$1.45 billion. The partial figure for 2024 already represents the second best result in the 2013-2024 historical series.
Among the most exported items are components and aircraft, such as the KC-390 and the A-29 Super Tucano, which were a sales success in the period. This year alone, approximately 500 million dollars were raised from exports, with the United States, Denmark, Hungary and Portugal being the main importers, with investments of over 100 million dollars each.
The Defense Products Secretariat (Seprod), the Defense agency responsible for promoting national defense products, works to insert Brazilian companies into the international market. The activity takes place through trade promotion, coordination of dialogues between defense industries, technical visits to the Defense Industrial Base (BID), bilateral meetings and participation in national and international fairs. The Secretary of Seprod, Heraldo Luiz Rodrigues, commented on the increase in exports: “Among the main items exported are combat and military transport aircraft, which have great added value and cutting-edge technology. Exports stimulate international cooperation and integration, attract foreign investment and retain talent in the country. The figures indicate economic development, increased competitiveness and the strengthening of the Defense Industrial Base,” he said.
For the president of the Brazilian Association of Defense and Security Materials Industries (Abimde), Roberto Gallo, the success is the result of a joint strategic action of about a decade. “What we are selling today is the result of a strategic defense product that has been in use for at least a decade, because products need to be tested. It comes from a construction, from a long-term strategic vision of the Ministry of Defense, of the Armed Forces, through Seprod, coordinating the activities to achieve this success, including interaction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This opens the door for Brazil to once again become one of the largest exporters of defense systems in the world,” he said.
The Defense Industrial Base (BID) is made up of a group of companies, both state-owned and private, involved in various stages, including research, development, production, distribution and maintenance of strategic defense products. These products, which can be goods or services, play a crucial role in achieving the country’s security and defense objectives.
Currently, the Ministry of Defense has a register of 235 companies that are part of the IDB. The Brazilian portfolio is diverse and includes around 1,700 products, including aircraft, vessels, cyber solutions for data protection, radars, secure communication systems and armaments. All these items are high-tech and contribute significantly to the country’s defense and security.
SEPROD – The Secretariat for Defence Products (Seprod/MD) was created by Decree No. 7.364/2010, as part of the National Defence Strategy of 2008, which called for the reorganization of the Defence Industrial Base (BID), to ensure that the equipment needs of the Armed Forces (FA) are met, based on technologies under national control, preferably dual-use technologies.
Photos: Sgt Batista/ FAB