Brazil’s historic experience in hydrography goes back to the time of the country’s discovery, and has been influenced by Portuguese expeditions which began hydrographic surveys as early as the sixteenth century. The Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN) was created in 1876 and is the Brazilian Navy’s military organisation whose purposes are: to support the application of naval power, to contribute to both the safety of navigation in the maritime interest area and the execution of national research projects in Brazilian waters, as well as those resulting from international commitments.

In support of the application of naval power, the aim is to acquire the necessary knowledge of the physical factors through the Brazilian Navy’s areas of interest. DHN has developed many products as charts, information publications and prediction tables, in order to support the strategic, tactical and operational requirements demanded by the several types of naval operation. Among these products, the Special Meteorological Forecast has shown significant advances through the implementation of numerical models, allowing the estimatation up to 96 hours ahead of the likely weather conditions which could affect planning and operations in progress.

The Operations Planning Special Charts project aims to produce cartographic documents and complementary information, in order to contribute to the planning and execution of many types of naval operations. Meanwhile, the Physical Factors Thematic Charts have the purpose of presenting time-space distribution of certain oceanographic parameters.
However, it is the Navigation Electronic Charts (CEN), built to S-57 format, which represent the state of the art in terms of navigation aids and have, as a goal, to integrate real-time navigation systems for the conduct of naval operations and in support of the computer systems used for planning.

DHN continues its endless quest for the latest technological developments which can contribute to the efficiency of its products and operations. This year will see the commencement of the implementation of the Satellite Data Processing Nucleus (NPISat) which has the objective to provide information and support for search and rescue, maritime traffic control, environmental monitoring, environmental prediction and cartographic production activities.

In contributing to the safety of navigation, DHN is responsible for nautical charts and navigational aids publications, as well as for operating and inspecting a wide nautical lighthouse network along the Brazilian coast and navigable inner waters.
Among research programmes in which DHN participates, along with national and international institutions, the main ones are the Brazilian Antarctic Programme (PROANTAR), the Continental Shelf Survey Plan (LEPLAC), the Global Ocean Observation System (GOOS) and its related pilot programmes: Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), Buoy National Program (PNBOIA) and Tropical Atlantic Fixed Buoys Network Pilot Research Program (PIRATA).


Vice-Admiral Julio Soares de Moura Net, Director of Brazil’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation