In a secret meeting of more than three hours with the Committee on External Relations and National Defense, the commander of the Air Force, lieutenant-brigadier Juniti Saito, presented on Thursday (13) a "worrying" picture of the situation of the Force, according to the president of the committee, senator Heráclito Fortes (DEM-PI).

In the senator's opinion, it is not enough to increase the endowment for the Aeronautics in the Union Budget for 2008. It is also necessary, he said, to guarantee the liberation of the resources of the budget.

- The first necessary step is to assure the release of resources for strategic areas, as the Armed Forces. We are a peaceful country, but we are losing the race to neighboring countries in the area of the defense – Heráclito affirmed at the end of the meeting.

Soon after the beginning of the meeting, Saito commented the efforts to maintain the surveillance of the Brazilian air space – not just the territory of the country, but also the continental platform. Soon afterwards, he asked that the meeting became secret, to explain to the senators the current situation of the Air Force.

According to the vice-president of the committee, senator Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG), there is a possibility of increasing from R$ 2 billion to R$ 3 billion the endowment for the Air Force in 2008. Even so, he observed, Brazilian Air Force is "much weaker" than those of some neighboring countries.

Venezuela, mentioned Azeredo, is acquiring 60 new airplanes now for its Air Force. And Brazil, in his opinion, should not stay in a "inferior situation" regarding the neighboring country.

This was the second meeting of the committee destined to discuss the subject of the budget for 2008 of each one of the three Forces. Previously, the situation of the Navy had been presented. In the next meeting, the forecast of resources for the Army will be discussed.