Brazil has a significant arms industry of its own which regularly exhibits at the
DSEI arms fair in London.
Major companies include aircraft producer Embraer, which mostly produces civil aircraft, but also the Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft, which has been sold to conflict-affected countries around the world; Condor non-lethal technologies, a major tear-gas producer; and Taurus, one of the largest producers of small arms in the world.
Brazil has a substantial domestic arms industry, which it is seeking to develop further with a goal of attaining a large degree of self-sufficiency in arms production.
It is using major arms imports, in particular the Gripen combat aircraft from Sweden and submarines (including a nuclear submarine) from France, to gain technology transfers, training, and local co-production, with the aim of being able to design and produce such systems independently in the future.
Brazil was the 24th biggest exporter of major conventional weapons between 2008-2017 according to SIPRI, selling to 21 countries, with no individual recipient predominating.
Brazil hosts a major biennial arms fair, LAAD Defence and Security, which claims to be “the leading defence and security exhibition in Latin America”. The arms fair is strongly supported by the Brazilian government and armed forces.
The most recent such event was
LAAD Defense and Security 2019, which had 450 exhibitors and 183 official delegations, including one from the UK. BAE Systems was a diamond sponsor” for the event.
Embraer
The third largest producer of commercial aircraft in the world after Boeing and Airbus, around 16% of Embraer’s sales are nonetheless from arms.
Embraer produces the Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft, which has been exported by Brazil to 15 countries worldwide between 2008-2017. It is particularly popular for counter-insurgency purposes, including in numerous ongoing conflict countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, Mali, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The Super Tucano is also produced under license in the US, from where it is also exported. (The Nigerian planes were from the US production line, for example).
Embraer has also led development of a new military transport aircraft, the KC-390, along with other South American partners. Embraer was listed by SIPRI as the 84th largest arms company in the world outside China in 2017, with arms sales of $950 million.
Odebrecht
Odebrecht is a giant Brazilian infrastructure and construction company that has also developed interests in the arms industry. In particular, it won the contract for construction of a new submarine construction facility and naval base for the submarines bought from France in 2009.
First Brazilian made Scorpene
Helibras
A Brazilian subsidiary of Airbus, producing military and civil helicopters; its military helicopters are mostly used by the Brazilian armed forces.
Taurus
Taurus claims to be
one of the three largest small arms manufacturers in the world.
According to its
website:
“The company produces a wide range of models of weapons and accessories, including holsters, revolvers, pistols, machine guns and long guns used for the markets of the military and police as well as to the civil market.”
It exports to around 80 countries worldwide, with a particular focus on the US market, where it also has a subsidiary.
Condor Non-Lethal Technologies
Condor Non-Lethal Technologies is a Rio-based company, specialising in tear gas, pepper spray, stun guns, rubber bullets, smoke grenades, impact grenades and pyrotechnics.
It sells to militaries, police forces, and the UN, and also offers training to public and private institutions around the world. The company was founded in 1985 and regularly exhibits at DSEI and other arms fairs..
Advanced Composites Solutions
Commonly shortened to
ACS is an engineering company specialized in composite materials technology, mainly their application to the development and construction of light aircraft..
