A new debate has opened in Brazil over replacing compulsory military service with a more professional and technology-focused force. Former justice minister Ricardo Lewandowski argued that modern warfare increasingly depends on cyber capabilities, drones, artificial intelligence, and other advanced systems, making mass conscription less useful. Critics of the current model say conscripts receive only basic training and are often used for nonmilitary tasks, while Brazil continues to lose ground in global military rankings despite substantial defence spending.
Lewandowski argued for ending the current model, expanding the professionalization of the Armed Forces, and significantly increasing investment in technology. The proposal is based on a clear premise: war has changed, and Brazil may be falling behind. According to Lewandowski, who left the Ministry of Justice and Public Security on January 9, contemporary conflicts are no longer confined to the traditional domains. Today, battles also take place in space and cyberspace, in scenarios of hybrid and asymmetric warfare. This new environment requires different doctrines and, above all, highly specialized fighters. “Strategic superiority no longer depends only on the number of soldiers or the conventional weapons a country may have, but above all on the ability to master communication networks, intelligence systems, and advanced protocols.”
