Artificial intelligence, Cyber Statecraft, and Amazonian security: operational integration of AI–SAR in the Brazilian Air Force

This study examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the processing of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery by the Brazilian Air Force to strengthen the strategic monitoring of the Amazon. Although the literature on the Revolution in Military Affairs and Network-Centric Warfare is well established, how AI-based automation transforms state capacity for territorial governance and the projection of sovereignty in contexts of non-traditional threats remains underexplored. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, based on document analysis and a systematic review of specialized literature (2022–2025). The analysis is conducted in light of the concepts of Data-Centric Warfare and Cyber Statecraft, examining how AI–SAR integration reconfigures data-mediated territorial governance and strengthens informational and technological sovereignty. The results demonstrate significant operational gains: reduced analysis time, increased target-detection accuracy, resource optimization, and compression of the Observe–Orient–Decide–Act cycle. Long-term sustainability requires robust ethical governance, algorithmic transparency, and accountability to mitigate risks of bias and discriminatory surveillance. It is concluded that AI–SAR integration represents a strategic reconfiguration of the relationship between the state, technology, and sovereignty, offering an adaptable model for Global South countries facing analogous challenges of territorial control.