Strategic Implications of Brazil's Military Operations

The Brazilian armed forces on Aug. 7 launched Operation Agata 5, the fifth in a series of military actions along the Brazilian border since August 2011. Agata 5 involves about 9,000 military personnel as well as fighter jets, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and river patrol ships. The operation, which is taking place along Brazil's border with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, also involves about 1,000 members of various civil security and inspection services.

These operations ostensibly aim to curb cross-border criminal activities such as smuggling and illegal resource extraction; but they also serve a deeper purpose for the Brazilian military. Brasilia sees the operations as a way to familiarize its armed forces with recently acquired equipment in a relatively low-risk tactical environment. More important, the actions will help the military grow accustomed to Brazil's newly established military doctrine of joint force action, which involves multiple military service branches operating in a coordinated manner to improve fighting capabilities; this aspect has drawn the concern of neighboring states.