US government releases sale of Javelin missiles to Brazil

The US State Department approved the possible sale of Javelin anti-tank missile launchers and related equipment to Brazil for an estimated cost of US$74 million.

The Pentagon communicated the decision to the US Congress on Tuesday, August 9, a day after Reuters news agency reported that Democratic congress members have been trying to block the sale due to concerns about President Jair Bolsonaro and his attacks on the Brazilian electoral system.

The US Congress now has 30 days to review the request and answer questions on the issue, but no approval is required. The House and Senate can issue a resolution to oppose the sale, which is unlikely to happen, according to a State Department representative. Then the Brazilian government must confirm whether to proceed with the purchase.

The Pentagon said Brazil had requested authorization to buy 33 launchers and 222 missiles of the Javelin system. Manufactured by defense giants Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Technologies Corp, the Javelin has become one of the world’s best-known weapons due to its success against Russian tanks in the Ukraine war.

The approved package includes training, simulations of system use, and technical assistance.

“The proposed sale will improve the Brazilian Army’s ability to face future threats by raising its anti-armor capability. Brazil will have no difficulty in absorbing these weapons into its Armed Forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” said the Pentagon.

According to the statement, the sale also supports the United States foreign policy and security objectives, considering Brazil as “an important force for political stability and economic progress in South America.”

PROCESS INITIATED UNDER TRUMP

The purchase order for the Javelins occurred in 2020, at a time of closer ties between the United States and Brazil under then-Presidents Donald Trump and Bolsonaro. In 2019, Trump designated Brazil as a top US ally outside of NATO, allowing greater access to weapons manufactured by American companies.

The deal cut across the Trump era and was inherited by Biden, who is less friendly to Bolsonaro than his Republican predecessor. Still, Biden’s State Department had given a preliminary positive nod to the purchase last year.

“There are those within the State Department’s working levels who have expressed reservations about this sale, given Bolsonaro’s actions and rhetoric and to certain actions of Brazil’s military and security services in the past,” a US government source had told Reuters.

“Such concerns are not shared among Defense Department officials or by State Department leadership.”

The State Department then sent the proposed sale for an “informal” review by the two Democrats who chair the congressional Foreign Relations committees and the two top Republican members of the collegia.

Congressional sources say the issue had not moved forward until this Tuesday because of concerns from lawmakers, including Senator Bob Menendez and Representative Gregory Meeks, Biden’s fellow Democrats.

According to a congressional source, they asked the US State Department several questions, ranging from Bolsonaro’s human rights record to whether Brazil needs such weapons, suggesting that they want to at least delay the sale until after Brazil’s October elections.

In response to the congress members, the State Department acknowledged that Javelin missiles do not protect against any specific threat Brazil faces, a US official told Reuters. But the department argued that Brazil’s attempt to upgrade its anti-armor capabilities is legitimate.

Demand for Javelins has skyrocketed since the start of the war in Ukraine. Thus, even if the US Congress approves the deal, it could take years for Brazil to receive the missiles due to the order list, with priority given to other US partners.

CONCERN WITH ELECTIONS

The Biden administration, still on alert for the invasion of the Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, was bothered by Bolsonaro’s comments about the election, and US envoys to Brasilia urged caution.

On a trip to Brazil in July, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for respect for democracy in a meeting with ministers from across the continent.

Before that, last year, on a visit to Brazil, CIA Director William Burns told Bolsonaro’s aides that the president should stop undermining confidence in the Brazilian electoral process.

Representatives of Brazilian NGOs also met in July with US State Department diplomats and members of the US Congress to urge Washington to quickly recognize the winner of Brazil’s presidential election in October.

With information from Reuters