Information-Based Warfare: A Brazilian Approach to 21st Century

摘要

Brazil does not presently have an IW doctrine capable of combating the existing and future threats to its national integrity, and Brazil will be unable to achieve its security objectives without an IW doctrine. Brazilian National Defense Policy considers border control and drug traffic as major threats for Brazilian security. The region most vulnerable to those threats is the Amazon. The Brazilian Amazon is considered an excellent way to allow drug traffic and cultivation. Drug traffickers use Brazilian territory to dispatch drug to consumer's center, inclusive US. That situation must be controlled for the next century. To solve the problems of border control and drug traffic Brazil has many approaches, but based on Brazilian Strategy, historical characteristic of peaceful nation, and resources' availability, the less expensive approach is the establishment of an IW doctrine for the year 2000. To do it, IW must be considered as an efficient tool to Brazil's strategy, and the legal, technological and intelligence environments must adequate to a new situation. Finally, beyond strategic evaluations, some operational changes must be considered, such as the Brazilian Marine Corps' Information Warfare independent company which would be responsible for IW analysis and employment during peacetime or crisis. Brazil must consider the IW doctrine proposed in order to achieve economically its National Defense Policy objectives of border control and drug traffic.