The Brazilian Navy and Embraer have joined forces to improve maritime surveillance capabilities.
The partnership, announced during the LAAD exhibition in São Paulo, is intended to elevate Brazil’s defence systems.
The collaboration aims to propel the development of on-board surface search and coastal surveillance radars.
With a share of 55%, Brazil will account for the largest share of the Latin American naval radar market during the next decade, according to GlobalData’s “The Global Naval Radar Market 2019-2029” report. Brazilian procurement of maritime vessels and associated radar systems is primarily driven by its effort to modernise the Navy, patrol territorial waters to protect economic interests, and participate in international peacekeeping missions. Almost 90% of Brazil’s trade is conducted by sea.
At the signing ceremony, Rear Admiral Alexandre de Vasconcelos Siciliano emphasised the significance of the partnership, stating, “We are proud to partner again with Embraer. This agreement consolidates the continuity of a long-term collaboration with a global technology leader that will expand the range of capabilities for the Brazilian Navy to fulfil its missions. Our expertise in the Gaivota X Radar will be complemented by Embraer’s cutting-edge technologies and advanced capabilities, allowing us to share knowledge and cooperatively develop cutting-edge solutions for the global market.”
The focal point of the collaboration revolves around the refinement of the Gaivota X radar, a flagship project of the Brazilian Navy. By harnessing Embraer’s capabilities, the Navy aims to elevate the maturity of this radar system to higher levels. This alignment enhances Brazil’s defence capabilities.
Fábio Caparica, Vice President of Business Development for Latin America at Embraer Defense & Security, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We are very pleased to sign this new agreement with the Brazilian Navy, an institution with which we have a solid, long-term relationship. This cooperation will bring many advances, not only for the Brazilian Navy and Embraer but also for the Brazilian Defense Industrial Base.”
Central to the partnership is the integration of the Gaivota X radar with command and control systems, including the Georeferenced Command and Control System (SisC2Geo) and the Unified Situational Awareness System for Maritime Information Acquisition (SCUA). These integrations show the commitment to enhancing Brazil’s defence infrastructure while simultaneously nurturing the growth of the Defence Industrial Base.
Brazil’s maritime defence strategy has received boosts recently as the country commissioned its second and third indigenously-built submarine, the Humaitá, on January 12, 2024. Additionally, the Tonelero submarine was commissioned on March 27, 2024.
