The Brazilian army decided to temporarily suspend the signing of the purchase of 36 Atmos cannons manufactured by Elbit, after the Israeli company won a local tender at the end of April. This was reported yesterday (Thursday) in the local media. In the framework of that tender for 750 million riyals (about 145 million dollars) the winners are the Brazilian subsidiaries of Elbit, Ares and AEL.
According to the local media outlet “Terra”, the Brazilian army justified the postponement by saying that the procedure must be resubmitted to the legal advice of the Ministry of Defense in Brasilia due to changes made in the final stage of the process. The purpose behind the move, according to local media reports, is to justify the decision to choose Elbit as the winner of the tender.
As part of the tender, Elbit is supposed to transfer two Atmos cannons to the Brazilian army for tests that will last two years, when at the end of the procedure, approval will be received to sign the final contract for the supply of the remaining 34 cannons. The current postponement is expected to last at least 60 days, even though the acquisition process began in 2017. At least according to the initial planning, the acquisition process should be completed in 2034.
The Atmos system includes a howitzer gun capable of firing all NATO-approved 155 mm shells and projectiles, with an effective range of more than 40 km with standard projectiles, and also offers extended range with rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP). Although Brazilian President Lula became one of Israel’s biggest critics, he actually supported the choice of Elbit due to the need to upgrade the army’s artillery forces, and the estimate that the agreement to purchase Atmos would lead to 200-400 new direct jobs and 400-700 new indirect jobs.
However, a letter of protest signed by Brazilian public figures including the former head of Lula’s presidential office, Jose Dirsao, called on the president to end trade relations with Israeli companies “due to Israel’s disregard of the UN Security Council resolution that ordered a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.” In all probability, the same letter that was also signed by famous Brazilian artists and human rights activists led to the same delay in the deal.
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