Army General José Benedito de Barros Moreira, special military assistant for the Ministry of Defense, defined, on Thursday (14), the failures on the antiaircraft and naval defense system as “unacceptable risks” for Brazil. In a public hearing at the Committee on External Relations and National Defense (CRE), he defended the destination of investments aiming at the modernization of the Armed Forces and the national military industry strengthening.

The biggest problem of the defense sector, in the general’s opinion, is that the country does not have enough power on military dissuasion. The current antiaircraft defense equipments, he informed, are “old and obsolete” and can not hinder modern fighter aircrafts from flying over the national territory. According to him, it would be possible to set up a new defense system for the Brazilian airspace with an investment equivalent to US$ 40 million.

- Our aerial defense is very small. The question that arises is: who will defend, for instance, Itaipu hydroelectric dam and the Planalto Palace – Moreira questioned.

During the lecture, entitled The World’s New Geography and its Consequences for Brazil, the general observed that the world walks towards a stage of more uncertainty and violence, with conflicts of difficult solution in regions such as the Middle East. Besides, he foresaw there will be more environmental problems and also scarcity of raw material and of energy.

The general reminded the audience that the good news for Brazil is that the country is located in the most pacific region of the world. Even so, he warned, an increase of tension might occur in specific regions, such as Colombia and Bolivia. He also mentioned the recent acquisition, by Venezuela, of 24 Sukkoi fighters, what may affect the aerial balance in the region.

Moreira informed the Army has approximately R$ 1 billion annually for all its expenses. He warned that there are almost no resources left for investments. On the other hand, he observed, the fact that the government has not given the Navy royalties’ resources destined to its modernization has made difficult the continuation of a program with the purpose of building a nuclear submarine - which could be operating within 15 years.

Senator Romeu Tuma (DEM-SP), author of the petition for the public hearing , said he became worried when he recently heard the information that the Brazilian Army could not avoid – but only make it difficult – Amazonia’s invasion. Senator Cristovam Buarque (PDT-DF) argued that the concern about the Armed Forces’ situation should become a Senate’s “concrete action” in defense of military modernization.

Senator Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG), who chaired the meeting, said this theme must be more present at the committees’ debates. According to him, the committee has given more attention to external relations than to national defense.

Senator Fernando Collor (PTB-AL) agreed with Moreira in regard to the need to stimulate the national warlike industry and mentioned the example of Chile, that destines to the Armed Forces a percentage of its copper exports. In turn, senator Augusto Botelho (PT-RR) reminded that investments by the Armed Forces in research bring good returns to the country. He mentioned, as example, the Brazilian Aeronautics company Embraer development, after the creation of the Aeronautics Technological Institute (ITA).