“Beyond BRICS: The Quiet Birth of a Global South Defense Network”, India Narrative, december 13, 2025
“When India and Brazil signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms, the announcement drew modest headlines. But the implications of this agreement stretch far beyond the technicalities of life-cycle support or joint training modules. In reality, this pact offers a glimpse into a shifting global order—one increasingly shaped by South–South cooperation, defense industrial realignment, and a recalibration of maritime strategy in a world where oceans are once again geopolitical fault lines.
At first glance, the India–Brazil naval relationship appears intuitive. Both countries operate Scorpene-class submarines—diesel-electric hunter-killers designed by France’s Naval Group—and both face long-term challenges in sustaining and upgrading these complex vessels. India has already built several Scorpenes domestically at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL) under a technology transfer arrangement, whereas Brazil is leveraging similar expertise for its future nuclear-powered submarine program. This MOU, therefore, is not merely a symbolic gesture: it is a practical partnership aimed at filling critical capability and maintenance gaps through shared experience.
But the deeper significance lies in how and why these two nations—geographically distant but geopolitically aligned—are coming together…..”
Read full article at openthemagazine.com
