General Pires do Nascimento Hertz is from the armoured cavalry. He commanded the 7th Santana Armoured Cavalry Regiment and the 3rd Rio Grande do Sul Mechanized Cavalry Brigade. He has also held positions in intelligence and psychological operations, including with MINUSTA in Haiti. He is currently the head of the Land Operations Doctrine Centre of the Brazilian Army.

In his introduction, the speaker highlighted the change in the historical profile of the Brazilian armed forces' commitments. In addition to their external operations, the Brazilian Armed Forces are now employed within a constitutional framework to carry out missions to protect the national territory.

In Brazil, the armed forces have traditionally supported integration and national development, including through the construction of infrastructure. These contributions have led Brazil's armed forces to structure themselves as a national institution, with credibility recognized in all opinion surveys.

Article 144 of the Brazilian Constitution provides that, in the event of a crisis situation, military means may be used, as a last resort, on national territory. The Brazilian Armed Forces may thus be endowed with administrative police powers, by order of the President of the Republic, if the Governor of the State concerned declares that its dedicated instruments are unavailable, non-existent or insufficient. Within this framework, the Brazilian Armed Forces may be called upon to guarantee respect for law and order through so-called "GLO" operations.(Garantia da Lei e da Ordem), exceptionally, on a given territory and for a limited time, in order to preserve the security of the people and property.

At the same time, Brazilian military doctrine provides officers of the Brazilian Armed Forces with principles, values, tactics, techniques and procedures for the conduct of troops in war and non-war situations. This doctrine covers 13 fundamental principles, among which are: objective, simplicity, surprise, security, economy of forces, mass, maneuver, morale, preparation, unity of command, legitimacy, etc. Among the main principles guiding the use of the Brazilian Armed Forces in GLO operations are: proportionality and legality. GLO operations are also intended to be conducted in an integrated manner, to be intelligence-led, to take into account the limits of the use of force and restrictions applied to the population, and to include communication, negotiation, etc., actions.

It should also be noted that, in the context of GLO operations, the Brazilian armed forces are required to face the threat of fellow citizens. However, these individuals or groups cannot be qualified as "enemies". They are identified as agents disrupting public order.

In this context, the application of the principles of Brazilian military doctrine in the context of GLO operations raises two questions: are the soldiers facing the threat of enemies in a war situation the same as those facing the threat of fellow citizens on the national territory? Are the soldiers facing the threat of enemies in a war situation, within the rules of war, the same as those facing the threat of fellow citizens, within the legal framework described?

In this regard, the experience of the Brazilian Armed Forces has shown that, while citizens cannot be considered enemies, many of the principles of Brazilian military doctrine can be applied to theIn this regard, the experience of the Brazilian Armed Forces has shown that, while citizens cannot be considered enemies, many of the principles of Brazilian military doctrine can be applied to the use of force to maintain law and order on national territory, including the principles of simplicity, security, economy of forces, mass, readiness, unity of command and legitimacy.

In conclusion, the principles of war are a very important tool for the planning of operations upstream. They are perhaps even more useful in the analysis and monitoring of operations, in assessing their implementation and any mistakes that may have been made. Moreover, in today's environment, it is important to always keep in mind the principle of adaptability.