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Montevideo, March 29th 2024 - 04:56 UTC

 

 

Sponsored by US, Brazil is to become “a major non-Nato ally”

Friday, March 15th 2019 - 10:30 UTC
Full article 3 comments
Bolsonaro will meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday during a visit aimed at strengthening economic, political and military ties Bolsonaro will meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday during a visit aimed at strengthening economic, political and military ties
A “major non-NATO ally” MNNA gives a country preferential access to the purchase of US military equipment and technology, including free surplus material A “major non-NATO ally” MNNA gives a country preferential access to the purchase of US military equipment and technology, including free surplus material

The United States will strengthen military ties with Brazil to a level usually reserved for NATO allies during President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to Washington next week, boosting growing cooperation between the Americas' two largest militaries, Brazilian government officials said on Thursday.

Bolsonaro will meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday during a visit aimed at strengthening economic, political and military ties between his right-wing government and Washington.

The status of “major non-NATO ally” (MNNA) gives a country preferential access to the purchase of US military equipment and technology, including free surplus material, expedited export processing and prioritized cooperation on training.

Currently 17 countries have MNNA status. Brazil would become just the second Latin American country to join their ranks after Argentina, which received the designation in 1998. Colombia last year became a member of NATO.

The Brazilian officials said they have been negotiating the designation since the beginning of this year. They requested anonymity because they were not cleared to discuss it publicly.

The MNNA designation would ease the transfer of defense technology at a time when Brazil's aerospace industry has forged new ties with the United States, including a planned tie-up between Boeing Co and

Brazilian plane-maker Embraer SA on both defense and commercial aircraft.

Last year the Trump administration embarked on an arms export policy to help American defense firms compete better against increasingly aggressive Russian and Chinese manufacturers.

Brazil may be the top South American consumer of equipment from the United States, but that number is still very small. In fiscal 2017 the US delivered only US$39 million in foreign military sales to Brazil.

The United States and Brazil have also reached an accord to safeguard US space technology that the South American nation hopes will be used in commercial rockets using its launch centre near the equator, officials said on Monday. They expect the deal to be sealed in Washington next week.

Brazil hopes to get a piece of the US$300 billion-a-year space launch business by drawing U.S. companies interested in sending up small satellites at a lower cost from the Alcantara base run by the Brazilian Air Force on the Atlantic coast.

Irrespective of the designation of Brazil as a major non-NATO ally, the US military has made deepening ties with Brazil a top priority.

The greater cooperation comes as the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Venezuela's leftist government to hold free elections and working closely with Colombia and Brazil to address their neighbor's mounting political and economic crisis.

The Brazilian and US military have cooperated since World War Two when Brazil was the only Latin American nation to send troops to fight with the allies in Europe. Ties cooled in 1977 when the administration of former US President Jimmy Carter enforced a US arms embargo over rights abuses by Brazil's military government.

Categories: Politics, Brazil, United States.

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • :o))

    REF: “Sponsored by US, Brazil is to become a major non-Nato ally”:

    Contributes NOTHING to:
    - Improvement of the Brazilian Economy
    - Improvement in the Quality of Life of the masses
    - Improvement in the Standard of Living of the masses

    The title: “A MAJOR NON-NATO ALLY” Is as valuable as a USED Toilet-Paper to the Brazilians/Americans! It can be an ADDITIONAL financial BURDEN on the Brazilian Shambled Economy [or what's left of it]

    Mar 15th, 2019 - 03:22 pm 0
  • DemonTree

    Perhaps during Trump's meeting with Bolso, he'll agree to take the Brazilian meat in exchange?

    Mar 15th, 2019 - 07:54 pm 0
  • :o))

    @DemonTree

    As The Loudmouth needs some favors from Brazil [+ the desperately needed “victory” to show to the americans]; some give-&-take is expected!

    But knowing the “Brazilian [weaker] Stand”; expect more give [to the US] than take!

    As far as the Food/Agricultural-Products are concerned; Brazil & The US are the global-competitors. So the maximum “activity” to the delight of the armed forces; maybe in the Non-Productive Areas [defence, etc] which may change NOTHING in the daily lives of the masses!

    Mar 15th, 2019 - 10:13 pm 0
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