Reading about the Brazilian military, it strikes me as small and humble in some regards and quite powerful in others. Compared to Brazil's large population and economy (in absolute terms) its 335,000 active duty personnel or $20 billion budget (1.2% of GDP) don't seem glaringly bloated for a country of its size.

On the other hand, Brazil doesn't seem to have a lot of threats that would require a military as big as it has. It doesn't appear to have extensive security commitments or a serious challenge to the homeland from any of its neighbors. I'm aware there were significant tensions with Venezuela, but I'm not frankly knowledgeable if there was a serious concern about armed conflict there. Since the reestablishment of civilian rule it appears like the Brazilian military has only been engaged in joint operations with Colombia against FARC and UN peacekeeping.

With all that being said, does the size and structure of the Brazilian military more or less reflect perceived threats, or is its size a matter of continuing influence by a military lobby and/or a sense that Brazil should have a powerful military out of national pride?