GSI training covers defensive driving, shooting and tactical service to ensure the protection of the president and vice president
The Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic started, last Monday (4), a new edition of the Security Vehicle Driver Qualification Internship. The training, conducted by the Coordination of Security of Authorities (CSA), brings together 28 agents selected from various institutions, including members of the Navy, Army and Air Force, as well as members of the Military and Federal Police. The central objective is the technical improvement for the protection of the president and vice president of the Republic, as well as their families.
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Qualification is structured to respond to high-risk scenarios and requires a high level of readiness from drivers. The curriculum covers critical areas such as motorized escort — both for individual authorities (VIP) and in convoys — and advanced evasive driving techniques, essential for neutralizing threats in urban or road travel. The use of state-of-the-art driving simulators allows the reproduction of incidents without the risks of the real track, optimizing learning before practical maneuvers.
In addition to driving skills, the schedule includes intelligence and counterintelligence instructions, weapons and shooting, and specific physical conditioning. One of the pillars of the course is tactical pre-hospital care (PHC), which prepares the agent to provide immediate aid in case of attacks or serious accidents until the arrival of specialized medical support.
In order for drivers to be able to apply evasion techniques effectively, the fleet that serves the Presidency of the Republic — composed of high-end sedans and SUVs — is subjected to rigorous structural modification processes. Official vehicles usually have Tier III armor, in a restricted use specification, designed to withstand assault rifle fire and shrapnel from explosive devices.
The package includes ballistic glass tens of millimeters thick, steel door straps, a floor reinforced against grenades and tires with run-flat technology, which allow the vehicle to continue running for dozens of kilometers even after being punctured. To compensate for the excess weight, which can add almost a ton to the set, the mechanics require severe resizing. The suspensions are reinforced, the brakes gain high-performance compounds and the engines need extra breath, often delivering configurations around 250 hp and 38,7 kgfm, ensuring agile responses in emergency resumptions.
The extra weight of the armor drastically alters the vehicle’s dynamics It is at this point that GSI training is fundamental. During the internship, agents are pushed to the limits of physics to understand how the high center of gravity and weight of the doors affect the car’s balance in high-speed corners.
On asphalt and low-grip terrain, drivers exhaustively train in tactical survival maneuvers. The repertoire includes the J-turn (popularly known as the wooden horse in reverse, used to return 180º on blocked roads without losing speed), safe ramming techniques to break through barricades and drifting control under simulated fire. The main doctrine taught to drivers is clear: in the event of an ambush, the vehicle is not a trench for combat, but rather the tool to take authority away from the “kill zone” in the shortest possible time.
