Ahead of a crucial meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the BRICS Summit next month, defence cooperation between Brazil and India is rapidly gaining momentum. Brazil has shown keen interest in Indian defence platforms, with high-level military visits aimed at deepening defence relations and exploring potential procurement opportunities from India.
On Wednesday, Brazilian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno met with Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. The meeting highlighted Brazil’s interest in Indian defence products and platforms and discussed ways to enhance bilateral defence cooperation. This dialogue marks an important step in the increasingly strong defence relationship between the two nations.
Series of high-level military visits from Brazil
This latest visit by the Brazilian Air Force Chief is part of a broader pattern of high-level military engagements between the two nations. Since August 2023, Brazil has sent multiple senior defence officials to India, each focused on exploring different areas of collaboration:
- Brazilian Army Chief (August 28 – September 2, 2023): Strengthened ties between the two armies, focusing on technical cooperation and joint training programs.
- Vice Chief of the Navy (4-6 September 2023): Discussed naval collaboration, particularly in the area of maritime security.
- Chief of the Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen (August 19-24, 2024): Focused on enhancing maritime cooperation, including operational engagements and technical exchanges.
- Vice Chief of the Army (September 25-27, 2023): Reviewed possible collaboration on land defense technologies.
These visits underline Brazil’s strategic interest in India’s defence capabilities and highlight the strong momentum behind this bilateral relationship.
Strengthening defence cooperation: key platforms in focus
Brazil’s defence interests in India are multifaceted, with an emphasis on technology transfer and platform acquisition. During his visit, Lt. Brigadier Damasceno toured key defence facilities, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore, where India’s main defence systems are developed.
According to a senior diplomat, the Brazilian Air Force Commander has shown particular interest in several Indian defence products, including the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which represents India’s capability to produce indigenous fighter aircraft. Additionally, Brazil has shown interest in the Prachand and Rudra attack helicopters. “The Air Force Chief is keen to highlight the Brazilian offer of the E-145 for the NETRA programme and the C-390 for India’s Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme. He showed interest in Indian defence products, especially the Tejas,” a senior diplomat said, emphasising the wide scope of the discussions.
Brazil attends India’s largest air exercise as observer
Lt Brig Damascene’s visit to India also includes observing Exercise Tarang Shakti on Thursday (12 September 2024), India’s largest multinational air exercise, currently underway in Jodhpur. This exercise, involving ten countries with deployed assets, showcases India’s advanced capabilities in the air, including the Tejas, Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Rafale and AWACS systems, among others.
Brazil’s presence as an observer reflects its interest in understanding India’s operational capabilities and strengthening joint military exercises in the future. Brazil’s participation in defence exercises, including as an observer, is a significant indication of the country’s growing focus on joint operational engagements. This engagement follows similar visits by the leaders of the Brazilian Navy and Army, further reinforcing the strategic intent to build strong defence cooperation.
A long history of collaboration
India and Brazil share a deep and multifaceted relationship, which extends beyond defence cooperation. The two countries have been “Strategic Partners since 2006” and collaborate in several multilateral fora, including BRICS, G-20, IBSA, and the International Solar Alliance. However, defence cooperation has been a core element of this partnership since the “2003 defence cooperation agreement”, which formalised collaboration between the militaries of the two countries. Since then, seven Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meetings have been held, the most recent being in New Delhi in December 2021.
Expectations ahead of Modi-Lula meeting
The upcoming BRICS Summit, where Prime Minister Modi and President Lula will meet on the sidelines, is expected to further accelerate defence cooperation between India and Brazil. Defence is expected to be a key item on the agenda as both countries look to leverage their strategic partnership. India’s defence manufacturing sector, particularly its indigenous platforms, offers Brazil reliable and cost-effective solutions to meet its own defence needs.
For Brazil, which has been modernizing its armed forces, India represents a key partner capable of providing advanced technologies while fostering deeper cooperation in the defense industry. As diplomatic and defense engagements between the two countries continue to expand, the Modi-Lula meeting could serve as a significant milestone in shaping the future of defense relations between India and Brazil.
Note: This is an article republished from the «Financial Express» media outlet through a cooperation agreement between both parties for the dissemination of journalistic content. Original link.
She is a senior journalist working at The Financial Express Publications. In a career spanning nearly three decades, she has covered diplomatic and strategic affairs, as well as the defence and aerospace sectors. She is an expert on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Source: https://reporteasia.com/opinion/2024/09/12/brasil-expande-lazos-defensa-india/
