Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL; ) is a Ministry of Defence quango, founded in 1975, which coordinates industrial activity related to the planning and production of war material through the transfer of technology and the financial and technical support of new military development.

History

Background

The company has its roots from 1808, when the King of Portugal, Dom João VI, created the Real Fábrica de Pólvora (English: Royal Gunpowder Factory), established in the area where the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon Farm was located. In 1826 it was transferred to the city of Magé in the state of Rio de Janeiro, under the name of Real Fábrica de Pólvora da Estrela (English: Royal Gunpowder Factory of Estrela), by decree of the Emperor Pedro I. From 1939, it was restructured and renamed Fábrica da Estrela (English: Estrela Factory), functioning as a Military Organization of the Ministry of the Army until the creation of IMBEL in 1975.

Foundation

IMBEL was founded on July 16, 1934, in the city of Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The original factory was designated Fábrica de Canos e Sabres para Armas Portáteis and later Fabrica de Itajubá (FI), which directly involved the Brazilian Army in the production of military material. On July 14, 1975, Law no. 6227 created Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL), linked to the Ministry of the Army, with the purpose of promoting the war material industry of interest to the army based on private investment. The organisation's remit was later expanded to promoting the military material industry in Brazil. It was initially involved in manufacturing Mauser rifles.

Products