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Army tests new rifle that will replace the one adopted 50 years ago

Considered the first one developed in Brazil, IA2 weighs 3.3 kilos.
1,500 weapons are tested by soldiers from 15 barracks in 11 states.

The Army is testing a new rifle that will replace the Belgian-designed FN FAL (light automatic rifle), used by the military since 1964. Considered the first one totally developed and produced by the national industry, the IA2 was designed by Imbel (Brazilian Army Material Industry, linked to the Ministry of Defense), has 85 centimeters and weighs 3.34 kilos - lighter than the current one.

There are 1,500 units that were distributed in 2014 to 15 barracks in 11 states to be submitted to daily shooting in various conditions and environments, from the caatinga to the Amazon jungle, in special operations troops and also in parachute jumps.

G1 followed a test firing of the weapon at the Army's 4th Light Infantry Battalion in Osasco, Greater São Paulo (see video above), which received 100 IA2 rifles. The model was used by the barracks during the World Cup to provide security for authorities arriving at Cumbica Airport, in Guarulhos.

According to Captain Leonardo de Mello Barbosa, the evaluation phase of the new rifle should be completed between November and December, so that, from then on, it will gradually be purchased and distributed to the Army's barracks. About 70% of all FALs should be exchanged, says the Army.

"The IA2 began to be developed by Imbel engineering in 2008 after we realized the Army's need for a lighter 5.56mm caliber weapon. It is an assault rifle, in comparison with the FAL, which is a battle rifle, and has a heavier caliber, of 7.62mm. With the IA2 we have a weapon about 1.1 kg lighter and also with a greater volume of fire, because it carries a 30-shot magazine compared to a 20-shot magazine," says Captain Barbosa.

"It is very easy to operate and disassemble, because it has some similarities with the FAL, the soldier adapted quickly. It is also more ergonomic and the shooting accuracy is very good," says Lieutenant Eduardo Luiz dos Santos Henrique, 26, who has already fired 200 shots with the gun.
One of the facilities that the officer noticed was in the situation of the automatic bursts: according to him, unlike the FAL and the Para-Fal (a new version of the FAL with a folding stock), the shots do not have a tendency to rise.

With 4.4 kg and 1.10 m in length, the FAL was developed after the Second World War (1939-1945), a time when combatants were far apart from each other, explains Captain Barbosa. The FAL was developed to hit targets at up to 600 meters. "The war has changed, now the combat is close and in urban areas, requiring a more practical, flexible rifle. Our target is for up to 300 meters with the IA2," he adds.

Each copy of the IA2 costs around R$ 5,500 and will also be used by the Navy and the Air Force, which have requested color changes (the top of the barrel of the weapon on the Army model is green, while the Air Force prefers blue and the Navy, black). Some African countries, as well as Uruguay, New Zealand, and Australia, have also shown interest in acquiring the weapon.

The new rifle is considered more malleable because it allows the attachment of more accessories than the FAL, such as tactical grips, flashlights, lunettes, sights, and night vision equipment.

"The FAL is a weapon that we have in the Army until today, we are used to it. But the IA2 arrived to show that it came to replace the FAL. It is lighter and more precise," says sergeant Reginaldo Pereira Barbosa, 44 years old, and 25 years in the Army.

The internal working system of the two rifles is also different: the FAL has a bolt (the set that locks the shot) in a tilted form, like a pistol, while in the IA2, the piece has a much lighter lock.

Since the Army started testing the IA2, soldiers have passed guidelines and criticisms to modify some parts, such as the rusticity of the breech box cover (which introduces the ammunition into the chamber for firing). Soldiers ended up breaking the cover when disassembling the new model for maintenance, which required the material to be reinforced. Changes were also made to protect the button that opened the magazine, which on the FAL could cause accidents.

A protective plate was also placed internally in the area where the shot comes out to avoid overheating after the rifle has fired more than 60 shots, something that generated complaints. The piece that holds the bandoleira (strap that holds the weapon to the soldier), which was half loose and made noise in the FAL, is fully attached to the IA2 and makes handling easier.

The Imbel technicians still want to make other improvements for the soldiers and a 7.62 caliber version is being developed to be tested by the troops in 2015. One of the ideas is to make a stock (the part that holds the rifle to the shoulder of the soldier) that can be extended or reduced, according to the will of the soldier, according to weapons technician José Ricardo de Souza.