TSAMTO, December 8. According to information published on December 2 on the Defesa Aera and Naval website, the 29th group of self-propelled artillery of the Brazilian Armed Forces received the second batch of 155-mm tracked self-propelled howitzers M-109A5, which were repaired and restored, obtained from among the surplus weapons of the US Armed Forces.
In May, the 29th Self-propelled Artillery Group (Grupo Humaita), stationed in Cruz Alta (Rio Grande do Sul State), has already received four M-109A5 self-propelled howitzers. Now the division has accepted 12 more installations. Before delivery, the equipment was serviced and retrofitted in accordance with the requirements of the Brazilian Armed Forces in the 5th Regional Service Park (Pq R Mnt/5) in Curitiba. Work on the repair and modernization of the new batch was carried out in the 3rd regional service park in the locality of Santa Maria.
As reported by TSAMTO, during 1999-2001. The Brazilian Armed Forces received 37 M-109A3 self-propelled howitzers from the Belgian Armed Forces. In order to replace outdated installations in 2016, a request was sent for the supply of 60 SG M-109A5 from among the surplus weapons of the US Armed Forces, which was approved in 2017. At the end of June 2017, the United States and Brazil signed a letter with a proposal and acceptance of a proposal to transfer the Brazilian Armed Forces under the program "Surplus Military Equipment" (EDA) 60 stored 155-mm self-propelled howitzers M-109A5. The first four units were delivered in March 2018. In October 2018, a ship with 56 howitzers arrived at the port of Paranagua.
According to the previously announced plans, after the completion of maintenance and repair work, the received M-109A5 will enter service with the 15th, 27th and 29th groups of self-propelled artillery of the Brazilian Army.
As part of a separate program, the Brazilian Armed Forces received 32 M-109A5 SG from the US Armed Forces, which were upgraded by BAE Systems to the M-109A5+BR standard under a contract signed in September 2016. These howitzers were intended for the 3rd Self-propelled Artillery Group (3er GAC Ap) of the 6th Mechanized Brigade in Santa Maria and the 5th Self-propelled Artillery Group (5to GAC Ap) of the 5th Armored Cavalry Brigade stationed in Curitiba.
