ABSTRACT
This chapter explains Brazil's relative military capability. It shows that the military capability of Brazil ranks in relation to that of twenty-nine other selected countries in the world and twelve other Latin American nations. The chapter analyses the direction in which Brazil seems to be going in relative military capability over the past ten years as compared to other selected countries. It provides a theoretical-empirical elucidation of one aspect of the overall phenomenon of power—military capability. The ability to project military force abroad remains an important element in assisting a government to accomplish foreign policy goals. The indicator-variables discussed examine and measure the relative position of a state's military capability vis-a-vis other states at a macro level. Brazil's financial commitment to its armed forces and capacity to extract resources from the society are well below those of many peer countries and severely limit the scope of its military capabilities.
