Description
Military organisations tend to copy each other to modernise and achieve effectiveness. Since the early 2000s, NATO’s military transformation became the benchmark for military modernisation as several doctrines and practices spread globally. Doctrinal, organisational, and technological capabilities took centre stage in force planning worldwide—such as capability-based planning, netcentric warfare, expeditionary warfare, increased jointness, and systems integration. These ideas would also spread beyond the European and NATO operational environments reaching South American states despite these armies having very distinct missions and security environments since the early 2010s. Brazil and Colombia would also engage in significant army reform processes called ‘transformations’—using similar words, concepts, and ideas from NATO. Yet, these two states share fragile internal security environments, militarised defence institutions, armies with distinct inclinations to change, and received distinct support from foreign powers. These factors can directly influence the outcome of the diffusion process. Hence, the question (s) of why and how these states engaged in ‘transformations’ are yet to be answered. Most specifically, how have Brazil and Colombia adopted NATO-led ideas and structures about military transformation during their army reform processes? This paper compares
these two states’ army reform processes, focusing on doctrinal, organisational, and technological changes.
