The National Military Armored Vehicle Industry: historical evolution and strategic perspectives

Abstract

The article examines the trajectory of Brazil's Defense Industrial Base (DIB), with an emphasis on the development and production of armored vehicles between the 1960s and 2000s. During the military government, the search for technological autonomy and prominent positions on the international stage drove the creation of a national innovation strategy, in which the defense sector played a central role. With the end of the military regime and the consequent reduction in government investment in the sector, armored vehicle manufacturing companies ceased operations, resulting in the deterioration of accumulated knowledge and a loss of international competitiveness. Starting in 2011, public policies aimed at revitalizing the DIB sought to reestablish the sector's strategic relevance, with an emphasis on initiatives to modernize the Brazilian Army's (BA) fleet and develop a new generation of national armored vehicles. In this context, the present study, with a qualitative approach and an exploratory and descriptive character, through bibliographic and documentary research, offers an overview of the evolution, decline, and attempted recovery of the armored vehicle industry in Brazil, highlighting its role in the country's international projection and in contemporary efforts to strengthen technological sovereignty.