Delegations from India and Brazil toured South Africa’s defense industry in November to explore possibilities for defense cooperation among the three IBSA countries. In an email interview, Daniel Flemes, a researcher in the Institute of Latin American Studies at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies, discussed IBSA defense cooperation.
WPR: What is the recent history of defense cooperation within IBSA in terms of defense industry collaboration and military-to-military cooperation?
Daniel Flemes: As yet, most of IBSA’s ambitious agenda for defense cooperation has not been put into action. Increasing military personnel exchanges and joint exercises have been the most visible outcomes of defense cooperation. Initial contacts and the first steps in armaments industry cooperation have been taken, but so far with few tangible outcomes.