The Batista brothers have agreed to buy Avibras, Brazil’s leading defence manufacturer and a key supplier to the Brazilian Army, through their holding company J&F. The acquisition, announced on August 21, covers 100% of Nova AVB S.A., the holding that controls Avibras Aeroco, the company behind Brazil’s Astros rocket system and the MTC-300 cruise missile. The transaction still needs approval from CADE, Brazil’s antitrust authority.
A Familiar Investment Vehicle
J&F is using its investment arm Globe Investimentos for the deal, the same vehicle deployed in other industrial acquisitions including a 4.99% stake in steelmaker Usiminas in 2025. Globe said in a statement that the goal was to “provide support for the resumption of Avibras operations” and preserve the company’s “technological and industrial capacity.”
The value of the transaction was not disclosed. Employees were informed through formal company communications issued jointly by Avibras Aeroco and Nova AVB on August 21.
A Company in Recovery
Avibras has been through a turbulent period. The company entered judicial recovery, Brazil’s equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in 2022 after years of cash-flow problems and delayed contracts. Production at its Jacarei factory in Sao Paulo halted for nearly four years, from September 2022 until April 2026, when operations gradually resumed.
Before the full acquisition, Joesley Batista had already participated in a 300 million real private capital injection into Avibras, coordinated by the Brasil Credito fund. The J&F move now consolidates the Batista family’s control over the defence company.
Strategic and Political Stakes
Avibras is not just any manufacturer. Its Astros multiple-launch rocket system is used by the Brazilian Army and exported to several countries. The MTC-300 cruise missile, still in development, is part of Brazil’s push to build a domestic long-range strike capability. Lula visited the Avibras factory in Jacarei in July, publicly backing a military-grade industrial revival.
The deal comes as Brazil’s defence industry attracts growing private capital amid rising global demand. Saudi Arabia’s Black Storm Military Industries had also reportedly been in talks to buy Avibras earlier this year, but the Batista offer appears to have prevailed. CADE’s review is expected to take several months.
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