Brazil Presents Dagger Glide Bomb Kit at Eurosatory 2024 Expo
Brazilian defense company Mac Jee will show its developments during the Eurosatory 2024 defense exhibition in Paris, June 17–21. The products fall under three categories — ammunition, rocket artillery, and chemical technologies. One of them is the Dagger guidance kit, an equipment that turns free-falling bombs into smart precision-guided munitions. Basically, the technology is similar to the JDAM of the U.S. design, Infodefensa notes.
The Dagger is compatible with the Mark family of air-launched unguided bombs, including the Mk 81, Mk 82, Mk 83, and Mk 84. The development of this equipment kit was revealed by Mac Jee in 2021.
The company does not disclose any system specifications publicly, neither price per unit, nor its attack range, but claims that the Dagger ensures hit accuracy within 1 meter from the target.
Another notable product the company brought to Eurosatory is the Armadillo, essentially a mini-MLRS mounted on HMMWV chassis. On a note from News Hub, similar highly mobile artillery rocket units have proved a fairly effective weapon on Ukrainian battlefields notable by the constant deficit of indirect fire weapons. Although short-ranged, they are useful for shoot-and-scoot attacks which makes it interesting to keep track of how much interest a similar Brazilian offer will spark during the event.
But the most interesting is the series of 155mm artillery ammunition Mac Jee is going to showcase in Paris. Besides making own finished artillery rounds, the company will offer production and supplies of octogen (HMX), a compound used in explosive fillings for ammunition and solid rocket propellants.
That brings us to the following conjecture. Currently, the official position of Brazil regarding any weapon or equipment supplies for Ukraine is a firm “no,” even through third parties. However, this posture may change in the future. Alternatively, it may with purely commercial interests in mind allow provisions of octogen to European defense companies which are loaded with orders for ammunition earmarked for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
