Armed Forces of Uruguay (Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Maritime National Prefecture (Coast Guard)), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea); Guardia Nacional Republicana (paramilitary regiment of the National Police) (2021)
Brazilian Armed Forces: Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil, MB, includes Naval Aviation and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB); Public Security Forces (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for Navy) for male or female voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2021)
18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 10-12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s, when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2% of GDP (2019)
2.1% of GDP (2018)
2% of GDP (2017)
1.9% of GDP (2016)
1.8% of GDP (2015)
1.5% of GDP (2019)
1.5% of GDP (2018)
1.4% of GDP (2017)
1.3% of GDP (2016)
1.4% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Armed Forces of Uruguay have approximately 22,000 active personnel (14,500 Army; 5,000 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2021)
the Brazilian Armed Forces have approximately 360,000 active personnel (215,000 Army; 75,000 Navy; 70,000 Air Force) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the inventory of the Armed Forces of Uruguay includes a wide variety of older or second-hand equipment; since 2010, it has imported limited amounts of military hardware from about 10 countries with Spain as the leading supplier (2020)
the Brazilian military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically-produced and imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; since 2010, France, Germany, the UK, and the US are the leading suppliers of military equipment to Brazil; Brazil's defense industry is capable of designing and manufacturing equipment for all three military services and for export; it also jointly produces equipment with other countries (2020)
