Following military tensions between Guyana and Venezuela on the border with Brazil, the Army has been working to increase its arsenal of the Surface-to-Surface 1.2 Antitank Missile (MSS 1.2 AC). As found out by the People's Gazette, depending on the terms and values negotiated with the supplier company, the force intends to acquire around 200 missiles of this type to be used throughout the country. Currently, the Army has around 50 to 60 of these weapons in its arsenal and half are being sent to Roraima.
The weapon is laser-guided and can pierce armor up to 530 mm, in addition to having a range of up to three thousand meters. It is considered an anti-tank weapon and can help increase the deterrent power of troops in the region. One of the hypotheses that was considered is that the Venezuelan army would pass through Brazilian territory with armored vehicles to invade Guyana.
Portable anti-tank weapons, which can be fired by soldiers in ambushes against tanks and armor, proved to be of utmost importance in modern conflicts when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian fighters armed with American Javelin missiles and portable rocket launchers prevented columns of Russian armored vehicles invaded the capital Kyiv. Associated with other factors, they changed the course of the war, preventing the overthrow of the government and forcing Moscow to change its strategy.
The MSS 1.2 AC missile is manufactured by SIATT, a company specialized in the production of aerospace defense that makes up Brazil's Defense Industrial Base (BID), in partnership with the Army.
The new reinforcement sent to Roraima can be understood as Brazil's response to the threat of conflict in the border region in the north of the country. Maduro has threatened to invade Guyana with the intention of annexing 70% of its area to Venezuelan territory. The two countries have disputed the Essequibo region for hundreds of years. The autocrat's interest, however, gained strength recently after Guyana's economic growth through the exploration of oil reserves in Essequibo. But the possibility of military action was practically ruled out after Venezuela and Guyana participated in negotiations this month.
Since the increase in tensions between the South American neighbors, the Brazilian Armed Forces began to move to protect the borders with both countries. But no Brazilian reaction to date represented a “tough response” to the risks of violating national limits. The sending of missiles to the region, on the other hand, improves Brazil's position on the tension between Guyana and Venezuela, as it sends a message that the national territory cannot be violated.
The acquisition of this type of weapon was already scheduled to take place throughout 2024, as predicted by the Army's Strategic Planning, but was brought forward “due to the situation of tension between neighboring countries”, as the Army informed the People's Gazette.
The MSS 1.2 AC can attack tanks, pillboxes and even helicopters. The weaponry can also be used by infantry or in light armored vehicles — such as those already available to the Boa Vista (RR) regiment.
In addition to acquiring the missiles, the Armed Forces also advanced the sending of reinforcements to Roraima, which was scheduled to happen in two years. The Army is reinforcing the 1st Jungle Infantry Brigade, a unit that has 2,000 fighters based in Boa Vista (RR) and Manaus (AM) and is responsible for defending the Roraima border. The city borders Venezuela and Guyana.
The recent reinforcements are part of the strategy of transforming the Brigade's Cavalry Squadron (tank unit) into a Regiment. This will increase its number three times, to around 450 fighters. Modernized Cascavel reconnaissance armored vehicles armed with 90 mm cannons are also being sent to join the military unit. The Army also sent 16 4×4 armored cars (Guaicuru model) to the cities on the border between Brazil and Guyana and Venezuela.
The vehicles available to the 1st Brigade, however, are not battle tanks and do not have the capacity to face a Venezuelan attack. The missile, although available in small quantities, is a viable option for use by infantry troops against the Maduro regime's tanks, such as the Soviet T-72, from the 1970s, and the French AMX-30, from the 1990s.
Defense and Army wanted to prevent Venezuela from using Brazil to invade Guyana
The Army's actions together with the Ministry of Defense were a response to the fear that Venezuela could use Brazilian territory to invade Guyana. By land, the terrain on the border between the two neighboring countries does not allow the passage of tanks, armored vehicles or troops, due to the characteristics of the Amazon jungle and the soil. Among the alternatives, using Brazilian territory — which has highways that connect the country to Guyana — would be the most viable.
Tempers in recent days between the two countries, however, have calmed down. After Maduro's meeting with the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, the two leaders agreed to resolve the “territorial impasse” peacefully and without war. Despite this, Brazil has prepared itself to not allow violation of its territory.
Even before the recent Venezuelan threats, the People's Gazette found that the Army had already been monitoring the possibility of conflict between the two countries and therefore the reinforcement of troops in the region was already advanced.
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