Gen. José Elito Carvalho Siqueira
Secretary for Education, Logistics & Mobilization and Science & Technology, Brazil's Defense Ministry
The top military official organizing the 2009 Latin American Aerospace and Defense exposition, which takes place April 14-17 in Rio de Janeiro, is Army Gen. José Elito Carvalho Siqueira, the secretary for education, logistics and mobilization and science and technology in Brazil's Defense Ministry.
Gen. Jose Elito Carvalho Soqueira is the Brazilian Defense Ministry Secretary for Education, Logistics & Mobilization and Science and Technology. (Brazilian Government Photo)
His previous experience includes command of the United Nations-sponsored stabilization effort in Haiti, military commander of the Brazilian province of Amazon, and command of the country's Southern Region (Região Sul).
Q. In 2009, Brazil increased its defense spending by more than 50 percent. But with the fall in oil revenue, the government now forecasts only a 2 percent growth this year in gross domestic product, and independent analysts say it's more likely to be close to zero. Can Brazil hold the line on defense spending, or will you have to seek cuts?
A. This is more a political question. The Ministry of Defense takes a long-term, objective view that absolutely will be able to deal with these different economic times. So the most important things now are the trends for the long term, and I think the results should be very good.
Q. What are Brazil's three largest defense programs today?
A. The Navy recently agreed to a huge contract to build submarines, and [is buying] transport helicopters. In the Air Force, we are moving forward to conclude with the F-X2 fighter program and we have the three competitors in a final state. In the Army, we are buying helicopters and, over the next three years, increasing the acquisition of German Leopard tanks.
Q. What is the status of the F-X2 fighter program? Will those aircraft be built in Brazil?
A. I don't have the precise answer for you. It is moving forward, and I think we will have the final decision this year.
[Among the factors in the decision:] we have to buy materials and also have technology exchange. We have to have the black boxes and we have to have the facilities to develop our technology, not only to buy material. Transfer of technology is being included in the negotiations with all three countries [Sweden, France and the United States]. I don't know exactly if they are to be built here.
Q. What other sorts of technologies is Brazil interested in acquiring?
A. The Army, for example, has 80 French helicopters, but today we are conducting 100 percent of the training for these helicopters. That is the basis for the arrangement. We also make spares that are produced in Brazil. And for the next helicopter acquisition, the Puma, we have an expectation to produce the spare parts in Brazil.
Q. Do you need communications and computer technologies as well?
A. Absolutely. It's a huge country with large distances. Communications and computers are in discussion all the time. The new National Strategy, due in three or four months, should spell out the long-term plan for the best way ahead.
Q. Brazil has embarked on an ambitious program to build nuclear submarines. What are the challenges for the program, both in the near term and beyond?
A. For the next 10 to 15 years, until 2020, to build a nuclear submarine. Until then we will build non-nuclear submarines.
Oil prices change all the time, and the situation around the world will change all the time. We can't go up and down with this wave; we have to plan. But defense is a national concern, and it's not to preserve our sovereignty, it's to preserve our oil. It's expensive, yes, but that's the reason we need to have a plan.
It is not the military people who are concerned about the defense of Brazil, it is the people, our society, our state. This is the most important point to emphasize. It is not a military problem, it is a national problem, with military and civilians together, and that's very good.
Q. What are some of the key countries Brazil is reaching out to for defense industry cooperation?
A. Over the last six months, our minister of defense [Nelson Jobim] has visited most of the countries in Latin America. Around the world, he has gone to France, England and Russia - that is a key effort for our minister of defense. We can see that he's optimistic in his contacts and with the [potential] for the future.
Q. Will the proposed Unión de Naciones Sudamericanas (UNASUR) security alliance have an effect on military procurement in Latin America?
A. UNASUR, as the minister has emphasized, is not only a military agreement, it is more an attempt to integrate mutual interests in our countries.
We all have problems with natural disasters, and in the last 30 years we have had a very intense interchange between counties at different levels. But sometimes we can have common interest, and now with UNASUR we will know, for example, what Argentina or Chile is doing. UNASUR is a structure to support a national agreement in military or civilian terms. A month ago, we had another meeting and we're moving forward, but it's not yet a military agreement.
Q. You were in charge of the Brazilian mission to Haiti. Is Brazil interested in taking on a similar role elsewhere in the world?
A. The United Nations around the world has more then 18 different missions, but from this side of the world, the unique case is Haiti. After four years, we are very happy with the results in Haiti. It's the poorest country in the world. For the U.N. mission, we led 22 nations. The results were very positive. We had municipal, parliamentary and other elections. And for more than a year, we haven't had any shooting around the country. So I think the results were worthwhile.
The problem now in Haiti is more political and social rather than military. But Haiti doesn't have an armed force, it has a police force. But the police have some of the missions of an armed force, and this takes time [to establish].
It has been an amazing mission. Our soldiers are doing a very reliable job. They are motivated because we are doing well to help that country. But the country is where the economic and social results [need to take place], and they are coming along very slowly.
So for Brazil, we'll keep the troops there. For the next government, I don't know. But I think the U.N. mission will continue, with or without Brazil, because we need to give Haiti the level of government they deserve.
Brazil today has more than 10 missions around the world supporting different countries. Haiti is the biggest one.
The experience abroad is welcome all the time, but to have a permanent team around the world is not a priority right now.
Q. What should those coming to LAAD this year expect to see and hear?
A. Everybody is expecting it to be bigger than two years ago. We invited more than 60 countries, and there will be more than 200 delegations. We also have invited 30 ministers of defense.
Q. What major changes are there from the 2007 exposition?
A. LAAD will be larger. More products, services and facilities. We need to open the ideas and suggestions from different countries.
Q. What do Brazil and its Latin American neighbors offer the world's defense industry?
A. Now is a good time because of the economic situation around the world. Brazil is in a good state, and all our economic indicators are doing well. We have, as of last December, a national structure document for the country. As a country, we are thinking defense, so the time is very good. The economy is going well. We are having a lot of different contacts around the world.
The ministers of defense are doing very intense activities with all the ministers in South America. Now we have the [proposed UNASUR alliance], they're thinking together, discussing together, looking for common objectives. ■
By Christopher P. Cavas in Washington.
Military profile
■ 2008 budget: $42.72B
■ Troops (active): 326,425 (Army, 190,000; Navy, 67,900; Air Force, 69,435)
■ Major weapons: 224 Leopard and M60 heavy tanks; 64 armed and transport helicopters; one aircraft carrier; five diesel submarines; 10 frigates; 12 Mirage 2000, 55 F-5, four F-4 fighter jets; 40 A-1, 100 A-29 Super Tucanos, 38 AT-26, two AT-2, 24 AT-27 attack planes.
■ Recent and planned buys: 50 EC-725 military transport helicopters and five submarines from France ($12 billion); 36 F-X2 fighter aircraft, for which competition is ongoing (about $2.2 billion).
Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Defense News research
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