IMBEL IA2

Assault Rifle / Carbine / DMR

Brazil | 2012

"The IMBEL IA2 Assault Rifle is intended as a replacement for a bevy of systems in use throughout the Brazilian military inventory."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/10/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from the Brazilian Ministry of Defence; Public Release.

The IMBEL IA2 is an all-modern, locally designed, developed, and produced assault rifle originating from Brazil. The series was adopted by the various services of the Brazilian Armed Forces to overtake an aging, mixed collection of the Brazilian IMBEL MD97, Belgian FN FAL, American M16A2, and German HK33 automatic rifles. The MD97 itself was a localized offshoot of the classic Cold War-era FN FAL (detailed elsewhere on this site) and taken into service in 1997 in the intermediate-power 5.56x45mm NATO chambering. The IA2 brings about more modern features as well as design flexibility, leading to a modular, robust assault weapon solution.

The IA2 is currently known in two chamberings, 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO, and these form the basis for several rifle types including the base, full-length IA2 rifle, a shortened assault carbine form, a dedicated, compact Close Quarters Battle (CQB) model, a full-length / full-power Battle Rifle model, and a dedicated Sniper / Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) variant. The rifle, carbine, and CQB models are all chambered in 5.56mm while the Battle and sniper / DMR models support the ubiquitous, full-powered 7.62mm round.

The rifle's general arrangement remains conventional as modern rifles go: At the rear is an adjustable shoulder stock. The pistol grip / trigger unit is slung under the frame in the usual way with the grip given an ergonomic slant. The trigger loop is oversized to take on a gloved hand and the magazine well is positioned just ahead. The charging handle sits to the left side of the body along with fire control functions located within reach of the primary hand's thumb. The firing controls are doubled along the right side, making them ambidextrous, to support both right- and left-handed shooters without modification. The ejection port is positioned along the right side of the frame with an M16-style deflection block being prominent here. The muzzle also has an M16-style multi-slotted appearance to aid in recoil.

Weight of the unloaded weapon is 7.1lb with an overall length reaching 39.1 inches and barrel assembly measuring 17.2 inches long.

The long-running section of Picatinny rail over the receiver and forend allows a plethora of sighting devices - including a broad array of optics, magnifiers, and aimers - to be used. Additionally, shorter sections of rail are located close to the muzzle for additional mounting points - these mounting points useful for laser sights / aimers, tactical flashlights, and even an Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) suppression component. Iron sights are retained for backup purposes.

Internally, the gun relies on the proven gas-operated, rotating-bolt arrangement seen in many other automatic rifles the world over. Rate-of- fire reaches up to 750 rounds-per-minute (model and chambering dependent) and muzzle velocity is rated at 3,000 feet-per-second (again, model and chambering dependent). The rifle feeds from a 30-round STANAG-type magazine when in 5.56mm chambering and the 20-round FN FAL style magazine when in 7.62mm.

The original project that led to the IA2 initially looked to modernize the MD97 design (as the "MD97 Mk.II") but this led to an overall extensive reworking of the entire approach - resulting in a whole new rifle better suited to modern battlefield requirements and abuses. An initial modest order for 1,500 IA2 rifles was placed in 2012 by the Brazilian Army which led to extensive evaluation by multiple Brazilian military elements. The rifle was then cleared for service - leading to the Army securing an order in December 2013 for 20,000 examples, these to be chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.

A chief operator of this rifle is Brazil's Special Operations Brigade and the system also serves with special paratrooper elements as well as jungle troops and Marines.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the IMBEL IA2. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

993 mm
39.09 in
O/A Length

440 mm
17.32 in
Barrel Length

7.05 lb
3.20 kg
Weight

Gas-Operated; Rotating Bolt; Selective-Fire
Action

5.56x45mm NATO; 7.62x51mm NATO
Caliber(s)

20- or 30-round detachable box magazine.
Feed

Over-Frame Optics, Aimers, and Magnifiers; Backup Iron.
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the IMBEL IA2. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

11,800 ft
3,596.6 m | 3,933.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

750
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

3,000 ft/sec
914 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the IMBEL IA2 Assault Rifle / Carbine / DMR family line.

IA2 - Base Series Designation; base rifle form with 17.7" barrel assembly; 5.56mm chambering.

IA2 Carbine - Shortened assault carbine form with 14.5" barrel; 5.56mm chambering.

IA2 CQB - Compact Close-Quarters Battle variant with 10.3" barrel; 5.56mm chambering.

IA2 Battle Rifle - Full-length rifle form; 7.62mm chambering.

IA2 Sniper / DMR - Designated Marksman Rifle form with 20" barrel; 7.62mm chambering.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the IMBEL IA2. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Industria de Material Belico do Brasil (IMBEL) - Brazil

[ Brazil ]

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Image from the Brazilian Ministry of Defence; Public Release.

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

AUTOMATIC FUNCTION

ASSAULT RIFLE

ACCURACY/PRECISION

SPECIAL FORCES

ASYMMETRIC WARFARE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon representing special forces

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the IMBEL IA2 Assault Rifle / Carbine / DMR.

IMBEL MD97

IMBEL MD-2

FN FAL

Going Further...
The IMBEL IA2 Assault Rifle / Carbine / DMR appears in the following collections:

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