Brazilian Ministry of Defense announces plan to acquire 36 155mm self-propelled howitzers.

The Brazilian Ministry of Defense unveiled on August 17, 2023, its plans to acquire and develop 36 Viatura Blindada de Combate Obuseiro Autopropulsado 155 mm Sobre Rodas (VBC OAP 155 mm SR), which translates to 36 armored self-propelled howitzers. This move comes after a series of evaluations and public consultations.
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Israeli ATMOS 2000, French CAESAR NG, Swedish Archer(Picture source: KNDS, BAE System, Elbit System )

From August 17 to November 10, 2022, COLOG conducted the public consultation ng 01/2022. The general consensus emphasized the need to reassess the Operational Requirements and the Technical, logistics, and Industrial Requirements for the VBC OAP 155 mm SR. Through this Tender Request, the ministry aims to acquire the VBC OAP 155 mm SR, as outlined in the Implementation Directive. The acquisition will be made through a direct contract for the Sample/Evaluation Lot.

For subsequent stages of the same item, the acquisition method may change. Options include Gov to Gov transactions or External Credit Operations. The final decision will depend on negotiations with the top-ranked company from the RFP/RFT, which will be made public at the end of the negotiation phase. All of this aligns with the current needs of the Army's Strategic Armored Forces Program. A Contractual Logistic Package will also be procured, including Logistic Support for the VBC OAP 155 mm SR. This support is expected to last for three years and will be governed by a specific contract.

It is desirable for the offer to include a simulation system for the entire project. This system should facilitate training at the individual level, the vehicle crew, and/or the fraction, providing responses equivalent to real-world military equipment usage scenarios. This component might be part of the Offset projects. If the proposed VBC OAP 155 mm SR requires it, there are plans to acquire special tools to facilitate maintenance after the SLI contract concludes.

It's worth noting that the currency for transactions will be either the US Dollar or the Euro, not the Brazilian Real. It remains to be seen who will respond to this tender and, more importantly, who will win it. We are led by 4 potential competitors, such as the Swedish Archer, the Israeli ATMOS 2000, the French CAESAR NG and theTurkish YAVUZ as we mentionned at Army Recognition on 10 august 2023.