Brazilian Defense Introduces Novelties in LAAD, Defence & Security 2017

By Roberto Caiafa/Diálogo
March 21, 2017

The Armed Forces and Defense Ministry of Brazil introduced updated versions of the National Defense Policy, National Defense Strategy, and the White Book on National Defense for review and voting in the National Congress. The federal government also announced investments of about $142 million in the Integrated Border Monitoring System. Another point worth noting is the launching of the Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communication Satellite in March. These are two milestones in the Defense Ministry’s 2017 portfolio. Among the strategic programs in the three service branches, the Navy’s Submarine Development Program is moving towards delivery of the first four conventional submarines in the S-BR class while also building a naval base and shipyard in Itaguaí municipality, Rio de Janeiro. In the Air Force, the organizational restructuring and implementation of the new ALAS (Air Wings) are continuing alongside the development of the KC-390 military transport jet (28 units of which have been ordered). In the Army, Strategic Program Guarani should present a new version of its armored 6x6 vehicle, equipped with a new TORC30 turret. Meanwhile, the ground force will be expanding its capacities for live, virtual, and constructive domain simulation (training) and for cyber defense operations. It is in this context that LAAD Security & Defence 2017 is being held. LAAD (Latin America Aerospace & Defence) is the largest and most important defense and security exhibition in Latin America and is scheduled for early April in Rio de Janeiro. The gathering, held biennially, brings together Brazilian and international providers of equipment, services, and technologies that supply the military and police forces as well as the security managers for large corporations, utility providers, and critical infrastructure. There will be more than 600 brands on exhibit at the event, offering solutions in areas such as aeronautical engineering; naval engineering; personal and tactical equipment; weapons and munitions; optics and optronics; consulting, training, and services; cyber defense and cyber security; counterterrorism; transmission, communication, and positioning; salvage, rescue, and emergency services and equipment; access control and monitoring; criminal and forensic investigation; and vehicles, among others. In total, more than 37,000 qualified professionals are expected to attend the event. According to expo organizers, 195 official delegates from 85 countries, namely Latin American defense ministers and senior military officials, including those from the United States, will attend meetings with corporate exhibitors, as well as bilateral gatherings with Brazilian officials. Another important program coordinated by LAAD has to do with public safety, which brings together some of the sector’s key bodies via working meetings at the event. Among the organizations that have confirmed their meetings at LAAD 2017 are the National Board of State Secretaries of Public Safety, the National Council of Military Police and Fire Brigade Commanders, the National Council of Military Fire Brigades, the National Council of Police Chiefs, the National Council for Criminal Investigation, the Federal Highway Police, the Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and the Civil Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro. “The defense and security sectors have been working together seamlessly, and during their operations, they use the most advanced technologies and solutions available. Particularly in Brazil – which accounts for more than 40 percent of all military investment in Latin America – these sectors have seen growth in recent years, owing to the demand by the Brazilian Military to modernize and re-equip through strategic projects,” noted Sergio Jardim, CEO of LAAD Defence & Security’s organizing company. The Brazilian Ministry of Defense has signed several agreements that may lead to good business during LAAD Defence & Security. “LAAD 2017 will be an opportunity for us to forge new partnerships between our countries in the area of defense products, as the increase in cooperation with partner nations and the emphasis on regional cooperation as a deterrence factor are elements that bring Brazil’s new defense policy closer to Europe’s new global strategy,” Brazilian Minister of Defense Raul Jungmann stated. Seminars A tradition in the expo’s previous years, LAAD Defence & Security seminars provide plenty of programmed content to foster discussion on the main issues associated with these sectors, always addressing their technical and strategic aspects. Defense Seminar V will tackle issues such as Military Operations to Ensure Law and Order, Hybrid Warfare in the Brazilian Context, Strategy for Implementing Offset Agreements in International Procurement, and The Corporate Side of the Military and the Role of the Defense Industry in the Global Economy. In Security Seminar VI, discussions will cover Management of Prison Systems, Fighting Organized Groups, Intelligence and Counterintelligence in the Current Sociopolitical Environment, Current Issues in Corporate Cyber Security, Corruption and Compliance, Technology for Improved Efficiency of Police Work, and Management Tools for Corporate Security. Another content-rich event being held at the same time as the expo is the Eighth International Symposium on Military Logistics, organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense. The symposium is reserved exclusively for officers in training at the military academies of the three service branches. LAAD Defence & Security brings together exhibiting companies, Brazilian and international visitors, and key buyers (decision makers) from the Brazilian and foreign security and defense sectors. To achieve this result, the VIP Program brings exhibitors together with military, public safety, and corporate security officials who work in procurement, purchasing, and supply, at meetings scheduled with these guests during the event.