Brazilian Marines pursue additional modernisation capabilities

The Brazilian Navy is exploring ways to modernise the Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais) and has unveiled a plan to merge three previous modernisation programmes into a new single effort called Programa de Meios de Fuzileiros Navais (PROADSUMUS).

In October the navy began the PROADSUMUS design with the goal of increasing the Fleet Marine Force’s, Riverine Operations Battalions’ and the district's Marines Groups capabilities by 2040. One goal is to enable the marines to execute a larger spectrum of military operations to better protect the nation's jurisdictional waters, riverine waters, naval and port facilities, and island, and archipelagos. At the same time, these forces will also be used in support of civil defence roles, as well as peacekeeping and humanitarian relief missions.

This push will require the creation of new organisations, infrastructure modernisation, and the acquisition of new equipment, the Marine Corps General-Command recently told Janes .

On the materiel side, the service will need to acquire light tanks, 4×4 wheeled armoured vehicles, field towed howitzers, 120 mm mortars, Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U5000 4×4 trucks, new lightweight non-armoured 4×4s, air defence radar and missile systems, anti-armour, and anti-tank systems.