In a major defense industry deal
it was recently announced that the Israeli company Elbit Systems has won a
tender worth $100 million to supply the Brazilian military with state of the
art remote-controlled weapon stations, also known as REMAX (Reparo de
Metralhadora automatizada X). The work
will actually be carried out by a Brazilian subsidiary company owned by Elbit Systems
called Ares. Apparently the work is already underway with a $7.5 million
production order already delivered to the Brazilian military.
What is REMAX?
REMAX is an advanced type of
remote controlled weapons station built for machine guns mounted on logistical
and armored vehicles. The REMAX systems produced by Elbit and Ares were created
to meet the exacting standards of the Brazilian military and to be compatible
with the Brazlilain army’s Gurani 6x6 vehicles. When the new weapon stations
are installed the vehicles that are equipped with REMAX systems will be used
for a variety of purposed including troop transportation, peacekeeping, and
border patrol.
Who are Elbit Systems?
Elbit Systems is one of the
largest Israeli registered companies involved in the defense and
aerospace industries. The company was established in 1966 and since that time
has become a large publicly traded company with subsidiaries in Europe, North
America, and South America. With over 12,000 employees the company is a leader
in new military technologies, especially drones and unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV).
Elbit Systems in Brazil
In 2001 Elbit entered the
Brazlian market by purchasing Aeroeletronica (AEL). Then in 2011 Elbit acquired
two additional Brazilian companies: Periscopio Equipamentos Optronicos and Ares
Aeroespecial e Defesa. However, the potentially biggest development in regards
to Elbit’s activity with the Brazilain market was a strategic agreement signed
in April 2011 with Embraer S.A., the large Brazilian headquartered aerospace
conglomerate. This agreement has led Embrarer and Elbit to work jointly on
developing new technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles for military
applications. The Brazilian air force now has several Elbit Systems Hermes 450 UAVs in service and
performing operational duties. This same model of drone has reportedly been
used in Israel during its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In other
countries it has been used for border patrol and reconnaissance missions.
Brazilian Israel Relations
While it is certain that this
$100 million dollar deal was carried out after an extensive due diligence process, it remains to be seen if it will
lead to warmer Israel – Brazil relations in other areas of the government. For
the past year and a half, Israel has had no ambassador in Brazil due to the
fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed the controversial
Israeli settler leader Dani Dayan to the post. Thankfully the impass was
resolved a week ago when the Israeli government decided to appoint a different
candidate to the ambassadorship, Yossi Shelly. However, he is also a
controversial figure for having a checkered past with questionable ethical
violations. He also has no experience as a diplomat. However, as he has now already
been approved by the Brazilian government he can focus on getting to work on
improving relations between the two countries.
