The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2020 to 2025 South America
Military - note Brazil, in 6 editions.
The entry for Brazil published Military - note in 6 editions of 36, from 2020 to 2025. The text changed in 5 editions. Each is shown as published. Military - note in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 5
- the first edition with it
- 2020
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Military - note” (2020 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024- the military's primary role is enforcing border security, particularly in the Amazon states;
- it also assists with internal security operations with a focus on organized crime
- Brazilian police forces are divided into Federal Police (around 15,000 personnel), Military Police (approximately 400,000 personnel), and Civil Police (approximately 125,000 personnel);
- the Federal Police serve under the Ministry of Justice, while the Military and Civil police are subordinate to the state governments;
- the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states;
- article 144 of the Brazilian constitution states that all state Military Police are classified as reserve troops and ancillary forces of the Brazilian Army
the military's primary role is enforcing border security, particularly in the Amazon states; it also assists with internal security operations with a focus on organized crime
Brazilian police forces are divided into Federal Police (around 15,000 personnel), Military Police (approximately 400,000 personnel), and Civil Police (approximately 125,000 personnel); the Federal Police serve under the Ministry of Justice, while the Military and Civil police are subordinate to the state governments; the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states; article 144 of the Brazilian constitution states that all state Military Police are classified as reserve troops and ancillary forces of the Brazilian Army
- as of 2021, the military's primary role was enforcing border security, particularly in the Amazon states;
- it was also assisting with internal security operations with a focus on organized crime
- Brazilian police forces are divided into Federal Police (around 15,000 personnel), Military Police (approximately 400,000 personnel), and Civil Police (approximately 125,000 personnel);
- the Federal Police serve under the Ministry of Justice, while the Military and Civil police are subordinate to the state governments;
- the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states;
- all state Military Police are classified as reserve troops and ancillary forces of the Brazilian Army
- Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US;
- MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation;
- while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2021)
as of 2021, the military's primary role is was enforcing border security, particularly in the Amazon states; it was also assists assisting with internal security operations with a focus on organized crime
Brazilian police forces are divided into Federal Police (around 15,000 personnel), Military Police (approximately 400,000 personnel), and Civil Police (approximately 125,000 personnel); the Federal Police serve under the Ministry of Justice, while the Military and Civil police are subordinate to the state governments; the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states; article 144 of the Brazilian constitution states that all state Military Police are classified as reserve troops and ancillary forces of the Brazilian Army
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2021)
the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s
- the three national police forces – the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, and Federal Railway Police – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice);
- there are two distinct units within the state police forces: the civil police, which performs an investigative role, and the military police, charged with maintaining law and order in the states and the Federal District;
- despite the name, military police forces report to the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Defense;
- the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states;
- the armed forces also have some domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Defense
- Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US;
- MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation;
- while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2022)
as of 2021, the military's primary role was enforcing border security, particularly in origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the Amazon states; it was also assisting with internal security operations with a focus on organized crime 1640sBrazilian the three national police forces are divided into – the Federal Police (around 15,000 personnel), Military Police (approximately 400,000 personnel), Police, Federal Highway Police, and Civil Police (approximately 125,000 personnel); the Federal Railway Police serve under – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice, while Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice); there are two distinct units within the Military state police forces: the civil police, which performs an investigative role, and Civil the military police, charged with maintaining law and order in the states and the Federal District; despite the name, military police are subordinate forces report to the state governments; Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Defense; the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states; all state Military Police are classified as reserve troops and ancillary the armed forces of also have some domestic security responsibilities and report to the Brazilian Army Ministry of Defense
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2021) (2022)
- the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US;
- while they are responsible for external security and protecting the country’s sovereignty, Brazil does not have any territorial disputes with its neighbors or regional rivalries;
- the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions
- the Army has a considerable internal security role;
- in the past decade, it has mobilized thousands of troops to conduct counternarcotics operations, support the police in combating crime, assist with disease outbreaks and humanitarian missions, and provide security for major events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics;
- it has also cooperated with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay on border security to combat smuggling and trafficking;
- the Army is organized into regional commands, military regions, and geographically based divisions covering the entirety of the country;
- it has approximately 30 combat brigades which include light, mechanized, or motorized infantry, light armored/cavalry, special operations, artillery, and helicopter forces;
- many of the light infantry brigades are specialized for air mobile, airborne, jungle, mountain, or urban warfare operations;
- the Army has established a battalion-sized (1,000 troops) expeditionary force for foreign international missions that it plans to increase to a 3,000-strong brigade by 2030
- the Navy conducts coastal, regional, and riverine operations and has a wide variety of missions ranging from sea patrolling and power projection to countering piracy, illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime;
- it is organized into 9 districts covering the entirety of the country;
- the Navy’s principal warships include approximately 14 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol ships, 7 attack submarines, and a multi-purpose helicopter landing platform (LPH) amphibious assault ship that serves as the fleet’s flagship;
- it also has a considerable coastal and riverine patrol vessel fleet, an aviation wing with about 50 combat aircraft and helicopters, and a marine amphibious force
the Air Force has over 100 fighter and ground attack aircraft, as well as dozens of support aircraft and helicopters for missions such as patrolling, reconnaissance, transport, logistics, special missions, and training
- the three national police forces – the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, and Federal Railway Police – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice);
- there are two distinct units within the state police forces: the civil police, which performs an investigative role, and the military police, charged with maintaining law and order in the states and the Federal District;
- despite the name, military police forces report to the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Defense;
- the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states;
- the armed forces also have some domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Defense
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
- the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s;
- Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II;
- the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2023)
Rewritten: too little of the 2022 text remains to mark the changes.
the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US; while they are responsible for external security and protecting the country’s sovereignty, Brazil does not have any territorial disputes with its neighbors or regional rivalries; the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions
the Army has a considerable internal security role; in the past decade, it has mobilized thousands of troops to conduct counternarcotics operations, support the police in combating crime, assist with disease outbreaks and humanitarian missions, and provide security for major events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics; it has also cooperated with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay on border security to combat smuggling and trafficking; the Army is organized into regional commands, military regions, and geographically based divisions covering the entirety of the country; it has approximately 30 combat brigades which include light, mechanized, or motorized infantry, light armored/cavalry, special operations, artillery, and helicopter forces; many of the light infantry brigades are specialized for air mobile, airborne, jungle, mountain, or urban warfare operations; the Army has established a battalion-sized (1,000 troops) expeditionary force for foreign international missions that it plans to increase to a 3,000-strong brigade by 2030
the Navy conducts coastal, regional, and riverine operations and has a wide variety of missions ranging from sea patrolling and power projection to countering piracy, illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime; it is organized into 9 districts covering the entirety of the country; the Navy’s principal warships include approximately 14 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol ships, 7 attack submarines, and a multi-purpose helicopter landing platform (LPH) amphibious assault ship that serves as the fleet’s flagship; it also has a considerable coastal and riverine patrol vessel fleet, an aviation wing with about 50 combat aircraft and helicopters, and a marine amphibious force
the Air Force has over 100 fighter and ground attack aircraft, as well as dozens of support aircraft and helicopters for missions such as patrolling, reconnaissance, transport, logistics, special missions, and training
the three national police forces – the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, and Federal Railway Police – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice); there are two distinct units within the state police forces: the civil police, which performs an investigative role, and the military police, charged with maintaining law and order in the states and the Federal District; despite the name, military police forces report to the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Defense; the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states; the armed forces also have some domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Defense
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s; Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II; the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2023)
- the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US;
- they are responsible for external security and protecting the country's sovereignty but also have a considerable internal security role;
- the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions
- in the past decade, the BAF has mobilized thousands of troops to conduct counternarcotics operations, support the police in combating crime, assist with disease outbreaks and humanitarian missions, and provide security for major events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics;
- it has also cooperated regularly with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay on border security to combat smuggling and trafficking
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
- the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s;
- Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II;
- the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2024)
the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US; while they are responsible for external security and protecting the country’s sovereignty, Brazil does not country's sovereignty but also have any territorial disputes with its neighbors or regional rivalries; a considerable internal security role; the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missionsthe Army has a considerable internal security role; in the past decade, it the BAF has mobilized thousands of troops to conduct counternarcotics operations, support the police in combating crime, assist with disease outbreaks and humanitarian missions, and provide security for major events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics; it has also cooperated regularly with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay on border security to combat smuggling and trafficking; the Army is organized into regional commands, military regions, and geographically based divisions covering the entirety of the country; it has approximately 30 combat brigades which include light, mechanized, or motorized infantry, light armored/cavalry, special operations, artillery, and helicopter forces; many of the light infantry brigades are specialized for air mobile, airborne, jungle, mountain, or urban warfare operations; the Army has established a battalion-sized (1,000 troops) expeditionary force for foreign international missions that it plans to increase to a 3,000-strong brigade by 2030 trafficking
the Navy conducts coastal, regional, and riverine operations and has a wide variety of missions ranging from sea patrolling and power projection to countering piracy, illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime; it is organized into 9 districts covering the entirety of the country; the Navy’s principal warships include approximately 14 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol ships, 7 attack submarines, and a multi-purpose helicopter landing platform (LPH) amphibious assault ship that serves as the fleet’s flagship; it also has a considerable coastal and riverine patrol vessel fleet, an aviation wing with about 50 combat aircraft and helicopters, and a marine amphibious force
the Air Force has over 100 fighter and ground attack aircraft, as well as dozens of support aircraft and helicopters for missions such as patrolling, reconnaissance, transport, logistics, special missions, and training
the three national police forces – the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, and Federal Railway Police – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice); there are two distinct units within the state police forces: the civil police, which performs an investigative role, and the military police, charged with maintaining law and order in the states and the Federal District; despite the name, military police forces report to the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Defense; the National Public Security Force (Forca Nacional de Seguranca Publica or SENASP) is a national police force made up of Military Police from various states; the armed forces also have some domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Defense
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s; Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II; the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2023) (2024)
- the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US;
- they are responsible for external security and protecting the country's sovereignty but also have an internal security role;
- the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions;
- it also cooperates with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay to combat cross-border smuggling and trafficking
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
- the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s;
- Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II;
- the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2025)
the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US; they are responsible for external security and protecting the country's sovereignty but also have a considerable an internal security role; the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions missions; it
in the past decade, the BAF has mobilized thousands of troops to conduct counternarcotics operations, support the police in combating crime, assist with disease outbreaks and humanitarian missions, and provide security for major events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics;has also cooperated regularly cooperates with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay on border security to combat cross-border smuggling and trafficking
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s; Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II; the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2024) (2025)
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Brazil: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2020–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/brazil/military-note.