Brazilian MoD, ABDI to work together to increase defence exports

The Brazilian-made Guarani armoured vehicle has been exported to Ghana, Lebanon, and the Philippines. Here it is shown mounting the Ares REMAX 3 remote weapon station armed with the FN Herstal MAG 7.62×51 mm machine gun. (Victor Barreira)

The Secretariat of Defense Products (SEPROD) of the Brazilian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Directorate of Sustainable Economy and Industrialization of the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) signed a technical co-operation agreement on 24 June designed to enhance defence exports.

The agreement aligns with Mission 6 of the New Industry Brazil 2024–33 industrial policy, formally launched by the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade, and Services in January 2024, the ABDI said.

According to the MoD, the partnership aims to expand the defence sector's participation in Brazilian exports and increase the sector's nationalisation rates in goods and services.

The agreement has four axes for action.

The first involves the ABDI modelling an offset mechanism in support of co-operative activities in the technological, commercial, and industrial fields.

Under the second, the ABDI will develop a model of government-to-government exports of defence and security goods to support the increase of Brazilian defence exports.

The third axis covers the mapping of the Brazilian defence industrial base by the ABDI, including qualitative and quantitative studies of selected segments.

The fourth axis covers specialised technical advice on public procurement of innovation through the ABDI's Hubtec virtual public procurement platform.

According to Minister of Defence José Múcio Monteiro Filho, the agreement would help provide more accurate data on the Brazilian defence industry.