Weaker nations achieving strategic results through advanced, affordable technology
In late May, Brazil's Army gathered military commanders, engineers, and defense contractors in Brasília to witness what it believes will define the next era of warfare: unmanned systems built at home. The demonstration was not merely a display of hardware, but a declaration of strategic intent — that a nation need not be a traditional superpower to reshape the balance of force. In a world where drones armed with rifles can operate 300 kilometers from any human hand, Brazil is quietly insisting it will help write the new rules of combat.
- Armed drones, surveillance systems, and radiological sensors developed by Brazilian companies were put through live demonstrations before senior Army commanders at a Brasília shooting range.
- Military leadership warned that the global equation of combat power is being rewritten — smaller nations are achieving strategic deterrence through affordable, advanced unmanned technology.
- Brazil's Army is not waiting to import solutions: it is mobilizing its own Military Institute of Engineering, defense contractors, and innovation agencies to develop and integrate these systems domestically.
- A far larger follow-on event in Rio de Janeiro will bring 33 companies and more lethal prototypes, moving the conversation from demonstration to active procurement planning.
- All of this is anchored in 'Força 40,' Brazil's long-range military vision targeting readiness for geopolitical, technological, and climate disruptions by 2040 — with unmanned systems at its core.
For one week in late May, Brazil's Army turned a shooting range outside Brasília into a window onto the future. Senior officers watched drones carrying rifles and grenade launchers, surveillance platforms linked to attack systems, and sensors capable of detecting nuclear and radiological threats — all developed by companies within Brazil's own defense industrial base. The event was a symposium on unmanned systems for land forces, designed not just to impress, but to educate commanders on what to buy and how to use it.
The timing is deliberate. Brazil's military modernization plan, running through 2039, names unmanned systems as foundational — and the Army is positioning itself as a developer, not merely a customer. Army Commander General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva made the strategic logic plain: nations with less traditional military weight are already achieving outsized results through advanced, affordable technology. Drones, in his framing, are rewriting the arithmetic of power.
What happened in Brasília was described as a preview. General Hertz Pires do Nascimento announced that a much larger demonstration is coming to Rio de Janeiro within months — 33 companies, more lethal prototypes, and a clear goal: assembling a technology portfolio matched to the Army's operational needs. This is procurement planning in the language of innovation.
The deeper frame is Brazil's 'Força 40' initiative, a vision of an Army ready for the geopolitical and technological landscape of 2040. Unmanned systems offer force multiplication at every level — tactical, operational, strategic — allowing smaller forces to project power while reducing risk to personnel. By hosting these events and investing in domestic capability, Brazil is signaling that it intends to be a participant, not a spectator, in the global reshaping of warfare.
The Brazilian Army spent a week in late May demonstrating what it sees as the future of combat: unmanned systems. At a shooting range in Brasília called General Darcy Lázaro, senior military officers watched drones armed with rifles and grenade launchers. They saw surveillance systems integrated with attack drones. They observed equipment that could operate nearly 300 kilometers away, and sensors designed to detect nuclear and radiological threats. The demonstrations were part of a larger symposium on unmanned systems for the land forces, an event that brought together military brass, defense contractors, and technology specialists to discuss how Brazil's domestic defense industry is building the tools of modern warfare.
The timing reflects a deliberate strategic shift. Brazil's military transformation plan, which runs through 2039, explicitly names unmanned systems as foundational to modernization. The Army is not simply buying foreign technology; it is positioning itself as a developer and integrator of these capabilities. The symposium included presentations from the Military Institute of Engineering and exhibits of technologies built by companies in Brazil's defense industrial base. The goal was to level strategic knowledge among senior commanders and give them the information they need to make decisions about what systems to acquire and how to use them.
General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, the Army commander, framed the stakes clearly. He noted that Brazil's defense industry has shown rapid evolution in unmanned systems development. More broadly, he observed that countries with military power inferior to traditional superpowers are achieving strategic results through advanced, affordable technology. Drones and unmanned systems, in his view, are rewriting the equation of combat power. The Army is not standing still. It operates the Military Institute of Engineering, a Department of Science and Technology, an evaluation center, and a technology innovation agency—all focused on developing the scientific and technological capacity to compete in this space.
The demonstrations in Brasília were framed as a preview. General Hertz Pires do Nascimento, who heads the Army's Department of Science and Technology, indicated that a much larger event is coming to Rio de Janeiro within months. Thirty-three companies will bring prototypes of unmanned systems with even greater lethality. The purpose is to assemble a portfolio of technologies that can be integrated into systems meeting the Army's operational needs. This is not theoretical discussion. It is procurement planning dressed in the language of innovation.
The broader context is Brazil's "Força 40" initiative, a long-term vision of an Army prepared for geopolitical, technological, and climate shifts by 2040. Unmanned systems fit squarely into that vision. They offer force multiplication at tactical, operational, and strategic levels. They allow smaller forces to project power. They reduce risk to personnel. They are, in military terms, a way to do more with less—or at least to do different things with the same resources. By hosting this symposium and planning a larger demonstration, the Brazilian Army is signaling that it intends to be part of the global conversation about how unmanned systems reshape warfare, and that it believes its domestic industry can deliver the tools to make that vision real.
Citações Notáveis
Weaker nations with inferior traditional military power are achieving strategic deterrence through advanced, affordable technology that is changing the global defense equation— General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, Army Commander
The Army operates multiple institutions—the Military Institute of Engineering, Department of Science and Technology, evaluation centers, and innovation agencies—all focused on developing domestic technological capacity— General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Brazil need to develop its own unmanned systems? Why not simply purchase proven technology from established manufacturers?
Because buying foreign systems means depending on foreign supply chains, foreign support, and foreign decisions about what you can and cannot do with the technology. Brazil wants strategic autonomy. Building domestic capacity means the technology is yours to modify, integrate, and deploy as your own doctrine demands.
The Army commander mentioned that weaker nations are achieving strategic results through advanced technology. Is Brazil positioning itself as a weaker nation trying to punch above its weight?
Not quite. Brazil is a regional power with significant military resources. But it's thinking ahead—to a world where traditional military superiority matters less, where a smaller, smarter force with the right technology can deter or defend effectively. Unmanned systems are the technology that makes that possible.
Thirty-three companies will show up in Rio with prototypes. Does that mean the Army will buy from all of them?
No. The Army is building a portfolio to understand what's available and what's possible. Some companies will win contracts, others won't. But the process itself—gathering all these capabilities in one place—sends a signal to the industry about what the military values and what it's willing to invest in.
What happens if these systems don't work as advertised in actual operations?
That's the real test. Demonstrations and symposiums are one thing. Combat is another. But the Army is being deliberate about this. They're not rushing. They're building knowledge, evaluating options, and planning for integration over years. That's how you avoid expensive mistakes.
Does this mean Brazil is preparing for a specific conflict?
Not necessarily a specific one. The Army is preparing for a range of possibilities—border security, regional instability, climate-driven crises. Unmanned systems are useful across all of those scenarios. The technology is flexible. That's part of why it matters.