Postponed since May by decision of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the purchase of 36 armored vehicles and 155mm howitzers – a type of long-range and precision cannon – could come to an end this Wednesday (18).
The will analyze a consultation by the Ministry of Defense that questions whether Brazilian legislation prohibits the participation in tenders of companies that have their headquarters in a country experiencing armed conflict.
The expectation is that the Court will confirm that there are no restrictions for companies in this situation. With this, at least from a technical point of view, there will no longer be restrictions on purchasing.
With a positive signal, the government will still have to resolve ideological positions internally. The Chief Advisor for International Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic,
Opponents of the purchase claim that it is unreasonable for the Brazilian government to acquire military equipment from a country whose military action in the Gaza Strip is criticized by Lula. They argue that the purchase of howitzers, for almost R$1 billion, could finance Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.
To try to reach a middle ground, the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, has an ace up his sleeve. The proposal would be instead of purchasing the 36 vehicles, as foreseen in the tender, the Army would retain only two units of military equipment.
If the test product was approved, Brazil could activate a clause to purchase the remaining 34 howitzers, with one requirement: all weapons must be produced in Brazil.
This transaction would involve two Brazilian companies (Ares Aeroespacial and AEL Sistema) and the promise of creating 400 direct jobs. The resumption of the defense industry is one of the agendas defended by Lula.
Negotiations started 7 years ago
The Army’s tender to purchase 36 new howitzers under the justification of modernizing this type of equipment for the Force’s artillery began in 2017. The howitzers currently used are, in large part, from the Second World War (1939-1945).
The competition entered its final phase approximately two years ago, and companies from four countries competed for the contract with the Army (Israel, France, China and Slovakia). Elbit Systems, an Israeli, won based on technical criteria and lowest price.
The Atmos system, produced by Elbit and best scored by the Army Logistics Command, has already been exported to several countries. The fifth-generation systems are operated by the militaries of Denmark, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Colombia. Previous versions equip forces in Thailand, the Philippines and Uganda, among others.
Considered heavy weapons, due to their high destructive power, howitzers are a type of cannon from modern times, in which explosive projectiles are fired inside a tube that directs them to the target. They can be used individually (towed), but it has become more common to install them on armored (self-propelled) vehicles.
