Marina Sarruf
São Paulo – Brazilian company Inbra Blindados, specialized in the armouring of vehicles and equipment for ballistic protection, hopes to have the Arab market as one of its main export destinations. The company currently does not export, but it is negotiating with importers from Kuwait and Iraq.
"In effective terms, this is being our first contact with the Arab countries. The Inbra group is really interested in exports and is after possibilities," stated José Carlos Sampaio Alves, the company international business director.
Among the armoured vehicles that should be sent to Kuwait are Hummer jeeps and the Land Rover Defender 110. According to the company president Jairo Candido, the forecast is for 10 armoured vehicles to be sent to Kuwait every month for eight months. With regard to Iraq, Inbra Blindados may export 800 truck cabins.
According to Sampaio, the level of armouring of the vehicles to be exported to the Arab countries is B6. "It is a very high level, different from what we use on the domestic market," he said. The company also produces military helmets, and bulletproof jackets and shields.
Completely national
Inbra Blindados is one of the five companies belonging to the Inbra group, which also includes Inbrafiltro, Inbraglass, Inbratextil and Inbra-aerospace. The company is 100% Brazilian and armours an average of 60 vehicles a month, sold on the domestic market.
Inbra works with all levels of armouring, ranging from level 1 to 6. Apart from civil and military vehicles, helmets, and bullet proofed vests and shields, the company also works with laminated bulletproof glass.
The group was founded in 1979 and is installed in the city of Mauá, in greater São Paulo, in a 180,000 square metre industrial park with 20,000 square metres of built area. The company employs 380 people.
