During a recent visit to the Brazilian Army’s Centro Instrucao de Guerre na Selva (CIGS - Jungle Warfare Training School) in Manaus, it became apparent that China has formally requested Brazilian assistance in training its own troops in the disciplines of jungle warfare.
The CIGS has an enviable track record of training non-Brazilian troops in jungle warfare. Of the almost 6,000 graduates of the school to date, approaching 500 are from foreign countries. The majority of these, to be sure, are from Brazil’s Latin American neighbours, but an appreciable number are from other regions of the world, including Europe.
According to the school’s commandant, Coronel Alcimar Marques de Araujo Martins, the Chinese recently sent a delegation to CIGS, intending to send their first group of officers and NCOs to participate in the CIGS courses. Discussions rapidly progressed, however, to the point at which China has now formally requested Brazilian instructors be posted to China to help modify and upgrade that nation’s own jungle warfare training.
MT understands that the arrangement may be similar to a recent agreement between Brazil and Canada in which instructors from the Brazilian Army’s Paratroop Brigade’s Pathfinder Company swaps instructors with the Canadian paratroops’ equivalent unit. Although in its early stages, it is understood that China’s intent is for the arrangement to be long term and scalable.
The CIGS has an enviable track record of training non-Brazilian troops in jungle warfare. Of the almost 6,000 graduates of the school to date, approaching 500 are from foreign countries. The majority of these, to be sure, are from Brazil’s Latin American neighbours, but an appreciable number are from other regions of the world, including Europe.
According to the school’s commandant, Coronel Alcimar Marques de Araujo Martins, the Chinese recently sent a delegation to CIGS, intending to send their first group of officers and NCOs to participate in the CIGS courses. Discussions rapidly progressed, however, to the point at which China has now formally requested Brazilian instructors be posted to China to help modify and upgrade that nation’s own jungle warfare training.
MT understands that the arrangement may be similar to a recent agreement between Brazil and Canada in which instructors from the Brazilian Army’s Paratroop Brigade’s Pathfinder Company swaps instructors with the Canadian paratroops’ equivalent unit. Although in its early stages, it is understood that China’s intent is for the arrangement to be long term and scalable.
Tim Mahon, reporting from Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil