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Brazil OKs Israeli ATMOS-2000 Howitzers Despite Accusing It Of 'Gaza
Geocide'; Triumphs Chinese, French Artillery Guns
(HTM) Source
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**Wars make strange bedfellows. Nowhere is this more true than the
recent purchase by Brazil of Israeli Howitzers. Brazil's President
recently blamed Israel for the death of thousands of Palestinians in
Gaza. Still, his government has gone ahead to order howitzers from the
same Israelis whom he blamed for the "genocide" of Palestinians.**
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Brazil's criticism and disapproval of Israel's war in Gaza - that
triggered a diplomatic breakdown between the two countries - has still
not dissuaded it from buying the Jewish nation's weapons.
Brasil announced it had selected the Israeli ATMOS-2000 truck-mounted
155-mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/Gun (SPH/SPG) last week. Among the
competitors for the Howitzer deal were the French CAESAR, the Chinese
SH-15, and the Slovakian Zuzana-2.
South America's defense and military analysis forum SA Defensa, on
March 2, had said that the "four options" were "narrowed down"
following a "rigorous evaluation." Last week, it reported that
Brazil's Ministry of Defense announced the conclusion of the Viatura
Blindada de Combate Obuseiro Autopropulsado (VBCOAP) competition by
declaring Israel's Elbit Systems as the winner.
## **The Contract**
As per the "initial contract," the company is now expected to supply
36 guns, with the first two units as part of the "Sample Lot" to be
handed over within 12 months.
These vehicles will "undergo technical and operational evaluations in
Brazil." A main contract will follow for the remaining 34 systems,
which will be delivered in annual batches until 2034. It may be
mentioned that in January 2023, Colombia, too, ordered 18 ATMOS guns
in a deal worth $101.7 million.
The main trial would involve comprehensive field firing and mobility
trials. The government of President Lui Inacio Lula Da Silva (or
"Lula" as he is endearingly known) can also be assumed to have taken
into account supply chain, life-cycle costs, and availability of
spares, components, which usually differ depending on the country of
origin.
## **ATMOS-2000 SPH**
The 52 caliber Autonomous Truck-Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS),
mounted on a Tatra T-815 6×6 wheeled truck, features a magazine of 27
rounds and achieves a maximum range of 41 kilometers with extended
range rounds. Its rate of fire, ranging from 4-9 rounds per minute,
ensures rapid response in combat situations.
The Brazilian Army's acquisition of the ATMOS is part of its efforts
to modernize its artillery capabilities. The Israeli howitzers will
complement its existing arsenal, which includes the ASTROS II multiple
rocket launcher, the M109A5 self-propelled howitzer, and the Gepard
anti-aircraft system. Azerbaijan, Botswana, Denmark, Cameroon, the
Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia also use the ATMOS-2000.
File Image: ATMOS
## **Brazil & Israeli Row Over Palestine**
Brazil has traditionally been supportive of Palestine, calling for a
Palestinian state to be created on the borders that existed before the
1967 Arab-Israeli War.
Israel had seized the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem during
the war. Brazil's position became harder and sharply critical of Tel
Aviv after civilian deaths reached nearly 20,000 earlier this year in
the war in Gaza.
Latest estimates put the toll at close to 30,000 casualties. Lula had
termed Israel's war on Gaza a "genocide" against Palestinians and even
compared it with Adolf Hitler's extermination of the Jewish people
during the Holocaust. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
slammed Lula's remarks and said the comparison was "crossing a red
line."
Israel soon declared Lula as a "persona non-grata" in response to his
remarks, while Brazil retaliated by recalling its ambassador in Tel
Aviv. Netanyahu called Lula's comments "shameful and serious," adding
how he "trivialized" and "harmed Jewish people and Israel's right to
defend itself."
"Israel fights for its defense and securing its future until complete
victory, and it does so while upholding international law. I decided
with Foreign Minister Israel Katz to summon the Brazilian ambassador
to Israel for a stern reprimand conversation immediately," Netanyahu
added.
A few days later, Lula again described Israel's offensive in Gaza as a
"genocide" and that he would "not exchange (his) dignity" over his
position on the matter. He emphasized the severity of the raging Gaza
war and its devastating impact on Palestinians. Lula also called for a
"free and sovereign Palestinian state" amid the raging battle. By
then, the spat had snowballed into an unprecedented diplomatic row.
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