This inaugural stage harmoniously combined an institutional visit to the Brazilian Military High Command with a series of academic presentations dedicated to the host country’s defense and security industrial fabric.
The morning was dedicated to an immersion within the Southeast Military Command (CMSE), a major command of the Brazilian Army based in São Paulo, whose strategic vocation relies on rapid deployment capabilities. At the opening of this session, the Brigadier General, Commandant of ESIG (COMESIG), spoke to reaffirm the profound meaning and strategic objectives assigned to this study mission. The class representative then proceeded to introduce the student officers, highlighting the resolutely international dimension of this 21st Class, which brings together trainees from twenty-three (23) African and European countries. Following this presentation, the COMESIG expressed his wish to soon welcome Brazilian student officers to the Simbock campus, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation ties between the two institutions.
For his part, the Major General, Commander of the CMSE, warmly welcomed the Cameroonian delegation, seizing this opportunity to praise the excellence of the bilateral cooperation between Brazil and Cameroon. The subsequent presentation of the CMSE allowed the student officers to familiarize themselves with its organization, its missions, and the role of its major subordinate units. These notably include the 2nd Army Division, the 12th Light Infantry Brigade (Airmobile), the Army Aviation Command, and the Anti-Aircraft Defense Command.
The morning program was further enriched by a tour of the Command’s Operations Center—the nerve center for conducting and coordinating activities—as well as a visit to a Japanese garden. Designed in strict compliance with the traditional canons of Japanese landscaping while incorporating Brazilian plant species, this site illustrates the historical depth of the friendly ties uniting Brazil and Japan since World War II, symbolized by a commemorative stele erected in memory of Japanese soldiers who fell on the field of honor.
The afternoon was devoted to a series of lectures designed to familiarize the delegation with the Brazilian defense and security industry ecosystem, recognized as one of the most structured in Latin America. The briefings focused on three major presentations :
The first presentation covered the Brazilian Association of Defense and Security Materials Industries (ABIMDE). Founded in 1985, this organization unifies and represents the voice of defense industrial base companies before public authorities.
The second presentation highlighted the Omnisys Group. Founded in 1997 by Brazilian engineers and now a subsidiary of the Thales Group, this entity—certified as a « Strategic Defense Enterprise » by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense—specializes in the development of surveillance radars and advanced electronic systems at its São Bernardo do Campo site.
The third presentation concluded with the HELIBRAS Group (Helicópteros do Brasil S.A.), the only turbine helicopter manufacturer in Latin America and a subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters, whose main facility in Itajubá (State of Minas Gerais) maintains a long-standing historical partnership with the Brazilian state.
At the close of this inaugural day, this study mission stands out as a privileged framework for observation and high-level training. By linking meetings with the Military High Command to the discovery of key players in the defense industrial and technological base, it provides the student officers of the 21st Class with concrete insights into the necessary alignment between operational needs, strategic partnerships, and the emergence of a sovereign defense industry.
Furthermore, it projects an outstanding image of the vitality of military and cooperative relations between Cameroon and Brazil.
