Brazilian efforts to reduce dependence on the international defence market passed a milestone on 1 August, when Imbel announced the first delivery of domestically produced 155mm ammunition to the Brazilian Army.
The rounds were manufactured at the Imbel facility in Juiz de Fora and handed over to the 5th Supply Battalion in Palmeira.
The ammunition had previously undergone ballistic tests with the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras and the Army Assessment Centre to evaluate its safety, performance and lethality.
The Brazilian Army operates the M109A3 and M109A5+ 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer (SPH), and an acquisition programme is in progress to buy 36 wheeled SPHs with