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132-664: NAe São Paulo (pennant number A12 ) was a Clemenceau -class aircraft carrier in service with the Brazilian Navy . São Paulo was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil , where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. IHS Jane's reported that during her career with the Brazilian Navy, São Paulo suffered from serviceability issues and never managed to operate for more than three months at

264-590: A MAGE system ( ESM ), flight deck inspection, repair, and painting; upgrade of the Optical Landing System processing unit; and revision of the aircraft catapults . The upgrade was completed in July 2009, and the São Paulo was initially due to be fully operational by August 2010. Twelve Brazilian Navy A-4 Skyhawks were also scheduled to be upgraded by Embraer at a cost of $ 140 million. The upgrade

396-462: A NAe, vectored by Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft and supported by airborne refueling aircraft, can defend a naval force from attack by aircraft and missiles and deny freedom of action to opposing air reconnaissance. Together with the missiles and cannons installed on ships, they form the aerospace defense of the naval force. This discussion is theoretical; the Navy has no real combat experience with

528-544: A US$ 500 million carrier for Brazil, about the acquisition of a carrier. The government had already purchased a squadron of 23 used A-4 Skyhawk fighter planes from Kuwait for $ 70 million; these planes, along with existing helicopters already in the national defense inventory, were to compose the São Paulo fighter-bomber group. These A-4s (designated AF-1) are capable of carrying armament including rockets, free-fall bombs, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The Clemenceau -class aircraft carriers, of which São Paulo

660-439: A complete support structure at sea. The 2008 National Defense Strategy also categorized the neologism "Multipurpose Ship" ( Navio de Propósitos Múltiplos , NPM), which serves as a helicopter carrier, but only operates fixed-wing aircraft if they are STOVL vertical landing. Abroad, they are known by acronyms such as LHD , LHA and LPA. Landing on ships is a complex and risky task for planes and helicopters. The main mission of

792-409: A component that proved indispensable for conducting war operations at sea, as the history of that conflict demonstrated. The navies of Germany and Italy, with powerful surface ships, could not operate regularly due to lack of air support. The Pacific War was essentially an air, sea, and amphibious war. The Second World War enshrined aircraft and aircraft carriers as the preponderant means, mainly due to

924-420: A fleet of two aircraft carriers, replacing São Paulo by 2028, and four LHD-type helicopter carriers. The 2013 Brazilian Navy Articulation and Equipment Plan (PAEMB) provided for a future fleet of 72 aircraft (48 for intercept and attack and 24 for AEW, COD, REVO and maritime surveillance) and 206 helicopters. However, budgetary reality fell far short of these ambitions. Plans to acquire a new aircraft carrier and

1056-466: A high rate of failures in the 2010s. The estimated fleet was 19 UH-12s and 8 UH-12s in 2020. To renew it, three Eurocopter H-135 (UH-17) were ordered in 2019, and 15 new Esquilos in 2022. The Naval Aviation Museum was created in 2000 to concentrate representative elements of all five phases of the development of Naval Aviation in Brazil, including a collection of aircraft, in addition to memorials to

1188-450: A land-based patrol aviation, was not politically viable, as it could already be organized by the FAB, with the argument of saving resources in its favor. The Barroso-class cruisers, acquired in 1951–1952, had the capacity to operate helicopters, but attempts to get aviation through that route were unsuccessful. The justification found was the acquisition of NAeL Minas Gerais (A-11) in 1956. For

1320-695: A naval version of the Saab Gripen were unlikely to materialize at the time of decommissioning the São Paulo , given the country's economic crisis . For the Navy, fixed-wing aviation is of lower priority than the nuclear submarine and corvettes. São Paulo was compensated in part by the helicopter carrier Atlântico , purchased from the British Royal Navy in 2018. The EC725 Caracal, S-70B Seahawk and AS350 Esquilo helicopters continue to operate from its deck, with capacity for six aircraft, and hangar, with capacity for eighteen. In 2020 Atlântico

1452-488: A new decree, prohibiting the Navy from operating fixed-wing aircraft (airplanes), but authorizing rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters). Thus began a third phase, with the FAB embarking its planes in Minas Gerais , and the Navy developing its operations with helicopters. Embarked even on small ships, rotary wing aircraft remain the main element of Naval Aviation, even in the following phases. The focus of air-naval operations

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1584-466: A package of engines and support equipment were scheduled for delivery in 2009. At the end of 2010, sea trials began, and as of 2011 São Paulo had been evaluated by the CIASA (Inspection Commission and Training Advisory). São Paulo was expected to rejoin the fleet in late 2013, but suffered another major fire in 2012. In 2017, the Navy announced the ship would be demobilized and decommissioned , citing

1716-470: A popular fund that tried to raise the necessary money to finance the battleship Riachuelo . As the target sum was not achieved, the resulting money was used to purchase these planes. There were three Curtiss F model 1914 seaplane purchased in the United States. Previously the Navy targeted France's Farman Aviation Works , but it was focused on World War I. Three months after the creation of

1848-634: A port in Suape , Pernambuco , where she was again not allowed to anchor, and had thus been waiting in the waters for a pending cleanup by the Navy. On 20 January 2023, the ship was seized and put out to sea by the Brazilian Navy, who declared it would scuttle the São Paulo into the Atlantic Ocean in February 2023, following the rejections of injunctions from Ministry of the Environment and

1980-468: A reserve admiral. The two branches remained distant, and later the Navy would resume its ambition to operate airplanes. Decree No. 55,627, of 26 January 1965, was the landmark of the third phase of Brazilian Naval Aviation, ending the uproar with the Air Force. The command of Minas Gerais and its helicopters was under the Navy, while the planes would be commanded in tune with the Navy, but operated by

2112-414: A result of the agreement, Naval Aviation delivered 27 aircraft to the FAB, most of which saw little use, and received the six helicopters from the 1st GAE. The outcome was not fully satisfactory to the FAB, much less to the Navy. Bilateral rivalry continued. Navy Minister Ernesto de Melo Batista asked for his resignation and no active-duty admiral accepted to take his place; his successor was Paulo Bosísio,

2244-686: A series of milestones in the interwar period , starting in 1919, when the Navy's Air Mail was established, which would be transformed into Naval Air Mail in 1934. In the 1920s, the Air Force Directorate was established. Navy (1923) and the Naval Air Reserve (1926). The development was evidenced by air raids, the first of which was carried out in 1923, reaching Aracaju , Sergipe . In the same period, preparations for future bases in Santos and Santa Catarina and aerial surveys of

2376-521: A time without the need for repairs and maintenance. On 14 February 2017, the navy announced the ship's demobilisation and subsequent decommissioning. On 12 March 2021 the carrier was sold to be scrapped. After Turkey rejected permission to dock, the Brazilian Navy scuttled the ship in the Atlantic Ocean on 3 February 2023, some 350 kilometres (220 mi) off the Brazilian coast in 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) of water. The aircraft carrier São Paulo

2508-510: Is limited. Even with the sharing of personnel between the forces, the differences between naval and air force doctrine are evident, as the doctrine of the latter hinders the mobility, flexibility and permanence vital for the proper use of naval power. For this reason, the NAe, due to its versatility of functions, becomes the main means for obtaining air superiority and fulfilling the trinity "control, mobility and presence". Interception aircraft aboard

2640-414: Is necessary for the Navy to have air resources on board a Navio-Aeródromo (NAe), because, when the Navy has it, it is endowed with greater mobility, flexibility , versatility and permanence, allowing the Navy to fulfill missions in a wide spectrum, that is, both humanitarian and peaceful as well as those of crisis or war. By having a wide range of air assets, in addition to command and control systems and

2772-472: Is not maintained, fixed-wing aircraft will lose their naval character, jeopardizing their very existence. The Navy keeps the jets after the loss of São Paulo , waiting for better days. In 2020, they were expected to serve until 2030. The fate of this sector of Naval Aviation was one of the arguments used by FAB brigadiers against the acquisition of fixed-wing aircraft by the Army in 2020. There were plans for

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2904-570: Is robust and has a long history on aircraft carriers, but is not ideal for its intended air defense role as it is subsonic and designed for air support; interceptors and AEW aircraft could have been a better fit for the mission. Navy Minister Mauro César Rodrigues Pereira managed to overcome resistance from the FAB, the Army and the economic area of the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government, in addition to Argentina's suspicions. With presidential Decree No. 2,538, of 8 April 1998,

3036-453: Is to port on the bow, the aft catapult is on the angled landing deck. The hangar deck dimensions are 152 m (499 ft) by 22–24 m (72–79 ft) with 7 m (23 ft) overhead. Designed from the outset as multi-role fleet carriers, the two Clemenceau -class ships initially in 1961 had an air group with ten aircraft each of the IVM attack version and IVP reconnaissance version of

3168-420: The 1991 Gulf War as part of Operation Salamandre (the air component of Operation Daguet ), Clemenceau ferried 30 Aérospatiale Gazelles and 12 Aérospatiale SA 330 Pumas to Saudi Arabia . The planned size of the total air wing was originally 60, but the increasing size of carrier-based aircraft in the late 1950s reduced that number to approximately 40. The more capable, missile-armed Vought F-8 Crusader

3300-559: The AC electrical generator ; purchase of spare parts; maintenance of pumps, valves, and structural items; addition of two API oil-water separators ; installation of two water cooling units; upgrade of the chemical oxygen generator ; repair and treatment of oil tanks; substitution of the Naval Tactical Data System , installation of a closed-circuit television system; installation of an IFF transponder; installation of

3432-531: The Audacious -class carriers, which were withdrawn in 1972 and 1978. The Clemenceau -class aircraft carriers are of conventional CATOBAR design. The flight deck is 165.5 m (543 ft) long by 29.5 m (97 ft) wide; the landing area is angled at 8 degrees off of the ship's axis. The forward aircraft elevator is to starboard, and the rear elevator is positioned on the deck edge to save hangar space. The forward of two 170 ft (52 m) catapults

3564-476: The Dassault Étendard IV strike fighter, a squadron of up to eight Breguet Alizé aircraft were embarked for the antisubmarine warfare mission, and in the air-defense role a squadron of Sud Aviation Aquilon (license-built de Havilland Sea Venom ) fighters. They were also used for French amphibious assault operations with up to 30–40 helicopters (normal helicopter wing is 4 helicopters) deployed; just prior to

3696-541: The Federal Public Ministry by a federal judge. The Navy stated that the São Paulo's deteriorating condition and the "inevitability of uncontrolled sinking" gave the navy no other option, even with an offer of R$ 30 million (US$ 6 million) from Sela Saudi Arabian Jeddah group to buy her for three times more than the Turkish company paid. Plans to scuttle her approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) off

3828-588: The French Navy from 1961 until 2000. From 2000 to 2017, one ship served with the Brazilian Navy as the São Paulo . The Clemenceau class was France's first successful aircraft carrier design after World War II . It was the backbone of the French fleet for the duration of its forty years of service. By the early 1950s, the French Navy had in service a number of aircraft carriers, the most modern of which

3960-690: The Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force ), the United States (two officers and one non-commissioned officer for the Naval Air Service of the U.S. Navy) and Italy. In the U.K. and U.S., they gained experience flying anti-submarine patrols. The force's first casualties occurred in training accidents in the United Kingdom. At the end of the war, in 1918, the purchase of aircraft became easier. There

4092-488: The Washington Luís government (1926–1930) to protect itself against rebel movements. With the arrival of the 1930s and the administration of admiral Protógenes Guimarães, there was a growing impulse in the Brazilian Navy for the use of airplanes as a war force, something practically non-existent at that time. This decade was marked by several experiments such as the release of smoke with a tactical-naval effect and

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4224-482: The air group ). In her first three years of service as São Paulo , the ship completed several missions, some in foreign waters, particularly Operations ARAEX , PASSEX , and TEMPEREX , which is used annually to qualify and train the Argentine Navy 's Super Étendards and S-2T Turbo Trackers . Toward the end of her commissioned life, São Paulo mainly served to train pilots to fly carrier operations. She

4356-567: The 1st GAE participated in the " Lobster War " from land bases. In 1958 the Navy already had a small body of pilots and qualified maintenance personnel, training them at the CIAAN (whose activities were transferred to a helipad at kilometer 11 of Avenida Brasil the previous year) and also sending officers to study abroad. Staff training followed the acquisition of air resources. In 1958 several helicopters were purchased: two Bell-Kawasaki HTL-6 (model 47G, nicknamed "Sakura"), practically organic from

4488-470: The 1st General Employment Helicopter Squadron (EsqdHU-1), in addition to land establishments. HI-1 remained under the CIAAN. The helipad on Avenida Brasil no longer hosted units. The EsqdHS-1 used the six SH-34J anti-submarine helicopters received from the FAB. Nicknamed "Whales", their more complex electronic equipment represented a technological advance, but sonar was still considered weak. The Navy acquired new helicopters, but they were second hand and of

4620-544: The 1st Intercept and Attack Aircraft Squadron (VF-1). Large investments in supporting infrastructure were also required. The VF-1 squadron even operated from Minas Gerais , but its deck was too limited for the Skyhawks and they would have difficulties in landing, forcing the aircraft carrier to operate close to the coast. Shortly after its last modernization, Minas Gerais was replaced by the French aircraft carrier Foch , acquired in 2000 and designated NAe São Paulo . It

4752-483: The 1st and 2nd F5L Squadrons, two HS-2L and two Curtiss MF were transferred to Santos in July, from where they flew missions to support the Navy and reconnaissance of the coast between Itanhaém and Bertioga . One of them was lost in an accident while chasing a revolutionary aircraft that dropped leaflets on the Navy. In August two Curtiss MF participated in the Northern Division, the naval force sent against

4884-515: The 2010s and 2020, with new UH-12 Esquilo , small, but the most numerous in the air fleet, and the larger Super Cougar , SH-16 Seahawk and Super Lynx . Plans for a 1st Transport and Early Warning Airplane Squadron (VEC-1), crucial to supporting the VF-1, were abandoned. The activation of the 1st Squadron of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (QE-1) in 2022, allowing for greater development in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, inaugurated

5016-530: The 21st century. When Brazil acquired its first aircraft carrier, in the context of the Cold War , its hypothesis of employment was anti-submarine warfare to defend, allied to the United States, maritime trade lines during a possible war. This function still exists, but has lost priority with the development of autonomous strategic thinking and the idea, since the 1990s, of a "balanced squadron", with its own air coverage. The desire of power projection defended by

5148-567: The AF-1 Skyhawks, and three were for AEW. The rest were purchased for spares or for cargo duties. The AEW radar requirement was to have a range of 250 miles (400 km) at 25,000 feet (7,600 m). The operational lifespan for the airframes was to be 10 years. They were expected to be ready in 2011 and 2012. São Paulo ' s SH-3 helicopter fleet was to be replaced by six S-70B Seahawk helicopters. They were purchased in 2008, upgraded, and refurbished for delivery. The helicopters and

5280-527: The AF-1 fighter group marked the realization of Brazil's long-held goal of being able to conduct aerial defense of its naval forces with fixed-wing aircraft. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso noted during the transfer ceremony that: The transfer of the aircraft carrier São Paulo to the Operative Sector of the Navy adds to our naval power an important magnification in its ability of defense of

5412-534: The Air Force's P-16 Trackers opened up an opportunity. The FAB still defended its monopoly on fixed wings, but it was going through a serious crisis and was busy with other projects. Pilots from the Brazilian Navy went to Argentina and Uruguay to train on planes in 1994, and Kuwait 's A-4 Skyhawk aircraft were chosen to proceed with the purchase. It was an "opportunity purchase": the Kuwaiti Skyhawks had few hours of use and good condition. The model

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5544-672: The AvSAt-1. Despite the silence, the news leaked and Naval Aviation received criminal accusations, some well founded and some not, from the press and the FAB. The climate of debate was hot, and the FAB and Navy disputed public opinion. On 12 June of the same year, the journal Tribuna da Imprensa reported that a FAB plane was almost machine-gunned by the Navy when flying over the naval air base in São Pedro da Aldeia. This and other incidents between aircraft from both branches led president João Goulart to suspend all Navy flights. In September,

5676-660: The Brazilian Aviation School, founded in 1914, but the school went bankrupt in less than five months. The first steps in the country's aviation were difficult, and it lacked an aeronautical industry. The Navy was a pioneer in this field; on 23 August 1916, Decree No. 12,167, promulgated by president Venceslau Brás , created the Naval Aviation School, and thus the Brazilian Naval Aviation. The first planes were bought with

5808-578: The Brazilian Naval Aviation is, in the official definition, "to provide air support to the Operational Commands, in order to contribute to the various uses of the Naval Power". In this way, ships are more than landing sites for aircraft, and both operate symbiotically; one can shoot at a target identified by the other, for example. The aircraft expand the squadron's weapons and sensors, providing greater detection capacity and contact with

5940-568: The Brazilian interests at sea. A country as ours, possessing an extensive coast, with more than 7,000 kilometers of coast, requires a naval power compatible with its stature in the international scene. Today, as before, Brazil is concerned about implementing concrete measures that offer the nation the guarantee of respect to its sovereignty. We are and we will always be a nation that fights for peace, however, that does not mean being able to do without modern Armed Forces, enabled and endowed with adequate dissuasive potential. Few countries, even today, have

6072-401: The CIAAN, and the 1st Anti-submarine Aircraft Squadron (AvS-1), soon renamed the 1st Mixed Anti-submarine and Attack Aircraft Squadron (AvSAt-1). Later in 1961, the 1st General Purpose Helicopter Squadron (HU-1) and the 1st Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron (HS-1) were created. The following year, the purchase of six 269A, thirteen 269A1 and one 269B helicopters, the "Fleas" by Hughes , enabled

6204-559: The FAB, competition with a new Naval Aviation would worsen its budget difficulties. It reacted by creating the 1st Group of Embarked Aviation (1st GAE) the following year, with Grumman S-2 Tracker planes (P-16, in the FAB) and Sikorsky HSS-1N Seabat helicopters, but the Navy did not allow them to operate aboard Minas Gerais . Consequently, Minas Gerais operated against the Legality Campaign in 1961 without embarked planes, and

6336-583: The FAB. During 1965, the Naval Air Force had its name changed from Força Aérea Naval to Força Aeronaval (FORAERNAV), subordinated to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. In 1966, the fiftieth anniversary of Naval Aviation, the São Pedro da Aldeia Naval Air Base (BAeNSPA) was officially created. FORAERNAV was composed of Minas Gerais , the 1st Anti-submarine Helicopter Group (GP HS-1), 1st Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron (EsqdHS-1) and

6468-689: The HI-1 to be activated. The HU-1 was activated in May 1962, after two Whirlwinds seriously crashed in one day. The repair was feasible, however, not on board Minas Gerais , and it was necessary to take the aircraft to São Pedro da Aldeia. However, the two Widgeons that operated there also needed constant repairs. The squadron, headquartered in the old CIAAN hangars on Avenida Brasil and made up of three Whirlwinds from Minas Gerais and two Widgeons from CIAAN, rationalized maintenance. The risks posed by flights close to Galeão Airport continued to generate controversy in

6600-629: The MH-16 Seahawk, with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors. The HU-2 began receiving the EC-725 Super Cougar in 2011. They are a step towards interoperability with the FAB and the Brazilian Army Aviation, which use the same aircraft, and represent the best anti-surface warfare capability of Naval Aviation. The UH-12 and UH-13 Esquilo, with constant shipments and long service histories, already suffered from

6732-577: The Manaus Commune. In October, airman sergeant Bráulio Gouveia joined the revolt on the battleship São Paulo and managed to reach the ship, but was wounded and had his seaplane destroyed by cannons from the loyalist coastal artillery. In 1930, Naval Aviation still had precarious organization and equipment, with few planes available. The most recent were three Martin PM seaplanes, for patrol, and six Vought O2U-2A Corsair , for bombardment, acquired by

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6864-607: The Mediterranean Sea through Gibraltar, when the Turkish government suddenly withdrew permission for the ship to dock in Turkey. This decision was made after officials at the Turkish Ministry of the Environment determined that the report submitted by Brazilian authorities significantly underestimated the amount of hazardous material aboard the ship when compared to ships of the same class and period. For example,

6996-649: The Minister of the Navy Sílvio Mota visited the base and was received with the " Revoada ", a protest by naval aviators, who took off en masse; the interdiction had come to an end. The crisis reached the top echelon of the Castelo Branco government after the "Tramandaí incident" in December 1964: FAB soldiers fired at a HU-1 helicopter to prevent its takeoff, triggering a military police inquiry and

7128-577: The NAeL Minas Gerais Air Detachment, and the Bell 47s with the CIAAN. The helipad on Avenida Brasil was dangerous for air traffic due to its proximity to Galeão Airport , and a FAB plane had already collided with a commercial Viscount in 1959, requiring the decongestion of the area. In 1961 the CIAAN was transferred to São Pedro da Aldeia , a strategic location chosen for an air base, but whose works were still incomplete. This

7260-405: The Naval Aviation School, lieutenants Augusto Schorcht, Vianna Bandeira and Carvalho e Silva were named the first three naval aviators. Some pioneers of the Brazilian Army Aviation (which would take longer to create its Aviation School) were also formed in the school. In 1917–1918 Naval Aviation was already structured enough to send volunteers for air training in the United Kingdom (eight officers for

7392-822: The Naval Aviation Workshops were created in Galeão, in 1933, and the Naval Aviation Warehouse, in 1936, which would later be called the Airplane Factory. Its pavilions housed a war industry: the assembly of planes by the German company Focke-Wulf , which supplied the equipment and trained the workforce. From 1936 Naval Aviation gained 41 Focke-Wulf FW 44J training aircraft, 16 Focke-Wulf FW 58 B bomber aircraft and 12 North American NA-46 training aircraft. In its first phase,

7524-592: The Naval, Army and Civil Aviation were independent, respectively under the authorities of the Ministries of the Navy, War and Transport and Public Works. The two military aviations coexisted for 22 years without ties, with different developments in all areas. However, since the end of World War I this arrangement was questioned in the armed forces of other countries, with the creation of air forces independent of armies and navies. The position of aircraft for maritime use

7656-400: The Navy and Army were increasingly distinct from the rest of their corps and similar to each other, developing an air ethos of their own. In retrospect, naval officers considered the creation of the Navy's Air Corps a mistake. According to vice-admiral Fernando Almeida da Silva, naval aviators before 1941 did not live with ships and "considered themselves much more as aviators than as officers of

7788-543: The Navy created the specialty of Naval Air Observer (OAN), who would be trained at the Naval Air Training and Instruction Center (CIAAN), organized in May 1955. The role of observers would be to work on FAB aircraft, but the Navy's real purpose was to train new naval aviators. In the same year, six officers went to the United States, where they trained as helicopter pilots. The function of the new Naval Aviation would be anti-submarine warfare. The simplest option,

7920-541: The Navy recreated its Directorate of Aeronautics in 1952, acquired the Navio-Aeródromo Ligeiro (NAeL, that is, aircraft carrier) Minas Gerais in 1956 and invested heavily in a fleet of helicopters and planes and in a new cadre of aviators. In this second phase, the embarked aviation issue generated a serious conflict between the Brazilian Navy and the FAB, as the latter wanted a monopoly on military aviation. In 1965, president Castelo Branco issued

8052-557: The Navy regained the right to operate its own fixed-wing aircraft from its vessels. In this way, the president tried to appease the concerns of the Navy, whose political influence within the Armed Forces was smaller. The purchase proceeded, despite the heavy investment required and the risks posed by other strategic Navy projects. In 1999, twenty A-4KU Skyhawks were purchased, for one crew member, and three TA-4KU training aircraft, for two crew members, for US$ 70 million. They formed

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8184-468: The Navy to have a Naval Aviation with helicopters, but reserving the monopoly of fixed wing aircraft to the FAB. The decision reflected the direction of the Army within the Armed Forces and the need for the military dictatorship to avoid intermilitary conflict. The planes remained with the FAB due to the technological superiority of its P-16 Trackers to the Navy's incipient fixed-wing aviation. As

8316-602: The Navy to the population in remote regions of the Amazon and Pantanal . Its operations are simpler, due to the balance of ships and proximity to land, but helicopters can spend weeks away from the base or any other support structure. Smaller helicopters for general use are also required by the Grupamento de Navios Hidroceanográficos and the Brazilian Antarctic Program . Larger helicopters, such as

8448-671: The Navy was even more ambitious where they asked for a six aircraft carrier fleet. On 15 July 1952, the French Navy still wanted between two and five for the French Union (not available to the NATO). According to RCM 12, the final document of the Lisbon Conference of 1952, France should make available to NATO an aircraft carrier on D-day, two on day 30, three on day 180. However, by 1953, the Navy had to be satisfied with two aircraft carriers. The PA 54 Clemenceau , budgeted in 1953,

8580-469: The Navy". The two military aviations shared problems such as indiscipline, accidents and administrative irregularities. A civilian and military movement defended the unification of all aviation into a single "Ministry of the Air", considering their separate existences inefficient. Supporting and supported by Getúlio Vargas, they put pressure on the government and campaigned in the press. It succeeded in 1941, with

8712-464: The Navy's Directorate of Aeronautics (DAerM) was created. Although sometimes cited as a moment of recreation for Naval Aviation, the Navy was still far from having pilots and aircraft. According to the military doctrine defined in the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMFA), air support would depend on the FAB, but the Navy considered the cooperation received unsatisfactory. On 3 December 1954,

8844-461: The Navy. Another political aspect was the creation of a new weight in the rivalry between the Army and the Navy. On the other hand, according to naval aviator Francisco Teixeira, the majority of aviator officers, both in the Army and Navy, supported the measure. With the extinction of Naval Aviation in 1941, the Brazilian Navy participated in World War II without its organic air component,

8976-466: The October 2010 issue of Air Forces Monthly, it was confirmed that Brazil had purchased ex-Australian and ex-Uruguayan C-1 Trader airframes, for conversion into AEW planes and tanker aircraft. The Brazilian Navy planned upgrades of the airframes to S-2T Turbo Tracker configuration with Honeywell TPE 331-14GR engines. The purchase included nine airframes, of which two were for tanker conversion to refuel

9108-607: The Super Cougar and SH-16 Seahawk, require more deck space to serve on board. In the Brazilian Navy's means in 2020, this was only available in Atlântico , on the Multipurpose Dock Ship ( Navio-Doca Multipropósito , NDM) Bahia and on three Combat Vehicle Landing Ships ( Navios de Desembarque de Carros de Combate , NDCC). Frigates and corvettes can supply them in flight, but only smaller helicopters such as

9240-477: The Super Lynx, Esquilo and Jet Ranger can land. Ocean patrol ships also have space, but without their own hangar. Although considered essential for air defense on the high seas, the NAe can be replaced in anti-submarine and surface warfare by other naval personnel equipped with air assets on board. In an amphibious helicopter operation, an amphibious assault ship relieves the NAe's work. The Marine Corps ( Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais , CFN), which would be leading

9372-447: The aircraft carrier, at the time the oldest in service in the world, in 2017, leaving only two navies in the world (American and French) with CATOBAR launch aircraft carriers. The Skyhawks, which had been undergoing a significant modernization program since 2009, were stuck on land bases, and their future was in limbo. The only way to train pilots on aircraft carriers is to collaborate with the American or French navies. If this proficiency

9504-586: The aircraft on board, and in 2016 the anti-air defense of its ships was limited and the air defense was inoperative. Brazil does not have interceptor aircraft on board a NAe; since the deactivation of São Paulo in 2017, the small air fleet of this category has been in limbo. Helicopters are the most developed branch of Brazilian Naval Aviation. Its squadrons are instruction, anti-submarine, light and attack, and general purpose. The "general duty" helicopters have functions such as liaison and observation, hydrographic services, aircraft transport and guarding, but even

9636-478: The amphibious operation, would make extensive use of helicopters for infantry transport and fire support with machine guns and missiles. Its doctrine has been studying the role of helicopters for decades, and there is the idea of an organic CFN aviation, as it already exists among the marine corps of other countries. The partnership between the marines and Naval Aviation is old, but helicopters currently have to divide their attention to several other tasks. Recognizing

9768-460: The capacity to operate with efficiency in the high seas. It is important that Brazil continues to be one of them." Since her construction, São Paulo received multiple upgrades, leaving her with a diverse range of technologies. The carrier arrived in Rio de Janeiro on 17 February 2001. São Paulo ' s complement was 1,920 (the ship's company was 64 officers and 1274 sailors, with an additional 582 in

9900-407: The carrier into a museum ship . Previous plans to make a museum ship of her predecessor, Minas Gerais , had been aborted. ISP was responsible for the judicial order to tow the ship back to Brazil. Concerns over the potential risk of "massive ecological damage" were made by several national and international environmentalist organizations. A lawyer instrumental in the ship's return characterized

10032-432: The central objective of its existence is the denial of the use of the sea to the enemy, having the capacity to keep the maritime areas and inland waters with political, strategic, economic and military importance under control. To accomplish this, the squadron must be able to defend itself against any threats, especially aerial ones. In the midst of all the essential naval resources for an effective and balanced naval power, it

10164-797: The civilian and military demand verified at that time. The progressive expansion of Naval Aviation outside Rio de Janeiro, where BAeNSPA was located, the only authorized base, began with the Embarked Air Detachment of the Amazon Flotilla, in 1979. During this period, Naval Aviation participated in the UNITAS international military exercises, and the HU-1 participated in the Brazilian Antarctic Program from 1982 onwards. The UH-14 Super Puma , acquired due to

10296-409: The coast of Brazil in international waters , 5,000 m deep, just within the outer limit of Brazil's exclusive economic zone were announced. The Public Ministry appealed against the judicial decision, but the appeal was rejected. The Navy spent R$ 37.2 million to sink the decommissioned aircraft carrier São Paulo , which had been sold for R$ 10 million. The former Turkish owners of the ship criticized

10428-414: The coast were already under way. In politics, the emergence of tenentism had among its first episodes the discovery of a plan by young naval aviators to bomb president Epitácio Pessoa 's entourage in 1922. Months later, two Naval Aviation aircraft bombed the rebels at Copacabana Fort during its revolt . The bombs fell into the water or did not cause material damage. In the 1924 São Paulo Revolt ,

10560-483: The creation of the 1st Attack Helicopter Squadron (HA-1) in 1978. For general use, the small Esquilo helicopters began to be received in 1979. Successive acquisitions made it one of the most numerous aircraft of the Brazilian Navy, which uses two models, the UH-12 (single engine) and UH-13 (twin engine). Esquilos are manufactured in Brazil under French license, thanks to the expansion of the country's helicopter industry and

10692-519: The creation of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) by presidential decree, putting an end to the separate existence of military aviation. Naval Aviation bequeathed 97 aircraft, 156 officers and 267 non-commissioned officers and privates to the new corporation. Its contribution was smaller than Army Aviation, with 331 planes, but both had an obsolete and heterogeneous fleet. After the first Minister of Aeronautics, civilian Salgado Filho , five of

10824-453: The decision as showing indifference and attempts to evade responsibility by the Brazilian authorities. The Brazilian Navy said that her hull already had three holes in it and sinking would have been inevitable before the end of the month. São Paulo was scuttled on 3 February 2023. Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier The Clemenceau -class aircraft carriers are a pair of aircraft carriers , Clemenceau and Foch , which served in

10956-723: The earlier Étendard IV (equipped with free-fall nuclear bombs only). Clemenceau and Foch were modernized during September 1977 – November 1978 and July 1980 – August 1981 ( Foch ). This mid-life upgrade cleared them for the new Super Étendard (along with several other upgrades, like the SENIT C3 system). Then they had up to 40 aircraft: 10 F-8FN, 15–16 Super Étendard and 3–4 Étendard IVP, 7 Alizé, 2 Super Frelon and 2 Alouette III. Their hangar measured 152 × 24 × 7 meters (3,648 square meters). Clemenceau ' s fuel depots were 1,200 mc (JP5) and 400 mc (AVGAS). Foch increased this amount up to 1,800 and 109 respectively. The Dassault Rafale

11088-527: The end of this phase, in 2022, Naval Aviation remained consisting mostly of helicopters. The HA-1 had its Lynx upgraded to the Super Lynx version from 1996 onwards, and consequently changed its name to 1st Squadron of Clarification and Attack Helicopters. In 2012, the HS-1 retired its SH-3A/B Sea King, which had already served for over forty years, and incorporated the first four helicopters of its successor,

11220-421: The enemy at greater altitudes and distances, being able to launch ammunition beyond the visual horizon. Thus, they contribute to maritime area control, sea command, and land power projection in amphibious operations. Since World War II (1939–1945) aviation has been indispensable to fleets, and the aircraft carrier its backbone, although there is already controversy about the obsolescence of large surface ships in

11352-426: The fifth phase. Naval Aviation can be classified into embarked air wings; organic aircraft from warships; marine corps aviation and land-based naval aviation. Even smaller classes of ships, such as those for river patrols, can operate helicopters, but only the aircraft carrier class or Navio-Aeródromo (NAe), in the Brazilian Navy terminology, also operates airplanes, having aircraft as its raison d'être and offers

11484-692: The first delivery was in 2021, but the schedule was not met and that year the Turbo Traders were still undergoing modernization in the Marsh Aviation hangars, in the United States. The program was canceled in 2023. Old and difficult to replace parts, Skyhawk jets suffered from high unavailability and were gradually lost. Of the 23 originally acquired, only three to four were operated daily in 2017. They only took off about six hundred times from São Paulo , which spent long periods undergoing refurbishment and repairs. The Navy decided to decommission

11616-573: The following decades and created a common identity with Army aviators . This period ended in 1941, when president Getúlio Vargas , going against the Ministry of the Navy , transferred all military aviation in the country to the newly created Brazilian Air Force (FAB). During the Second World War , the FAB was in charge of important patrol aviation along the coast, but the need for a body of embarked aircraft became evident abroad. Therefore,

11748-406: The following year, detached from DAerM. CIANN and HI-1 ceased to have a hierarchical relationship and were both subordinate to FORAERNAV; thus, the CIAAN was left with only the academic part of the training of the personnel. Minas Gerais ceased to be part of FORAERNAV, becoming subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The anti-submarine helicopters were of relative quality, maintained by

11880-418: The hydrographic ships Sirius (H-21) and Canopus (H-22), and, for the CIAAN, three Bell HUL-1 (mod. 47J) and two Westland Widgeon (HUW). Minas Gerais arrived in Brazil in February 1961, bringing on board three Grumman TBF Avenger planes (used to train maneuvers on deck, not for flying) and three Westland Whirlwind S-55 Srs.1 helicopters and six Bell HTL-5 (mod. 47D) disassembled. The S-55s stayed with

12012-470: The injured crew later died in the hospital from their injuries. The cause of the explosion was a rupture in a steam pipeline. After this accident, the Navy decided to undertake an extensive overhaul to repair and modernize the ship. During 2005–10, São Paulo underwent extensive modernization. The upgrade included repair of the steam turbines ; maintenance of the surface condensers ; retubing of boilers ; repair of two high-pressure compressors ; revision of

12144-612: The introduction of aircraft formations in air shows. However, this time was also marked by social upheavals, more specifically the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, in which the Navy joined the legalist forces, carrying out several operations with the fleet. The highlights of this decade were the installation of the Aviation Centers in Rio de Janeiro, in 1931, Santa Catarina, in 1932 and Santos, in 1933;

12276-536: The latest ideas in aircraft carrier design, including angled flight deck, steam catapults and mirror landing aid, and would operate a brand new generation of French-designed, carrier-based aircraft. The draft statute prepared by the Naval General Staff in 1949 asked for four aircraft carriers of 20,000 tons to be available in two phases. At its meeting of 22 August 1949, the Supreme Council of

12408-613: The limited load capacity of the UH-12 Esquilo, were used to organize the 2nd General Purpose Helicopter Squadron (HU-2) in 1986. In the 1980s, the Navy began to have more ships capable of operating helicopters, integrating them more into the fleet. Even so, the Falklands War , in 1982, left the Armed Forces, including the Navy, in a feeling of impotence for a war in the South Atlantic. In the years immediately after

12540-468: The next ten ministers came from Naval Aviation. Since before the creation of the FAB, there was already an expectation of prominence for patrol aviation on the coast from the northeastern salient. The Army did not want this to overly strengthen the Navy's political power. Thus, the creation of the Ministry of Aeronautics was supported by the Ministries of War and of Transport and Public Works, but not by

12672-1157: The organization of the Coastal Air Defense and the Navy Aviation Corps, in 1933, the creation of the Porto Alegre Naval Aviation Base, in the same year, and the Division of Aviation Medicine, in 1936. A squadron was deployed to the river border with Bolivia and Paraguay in 1934, when the two countries were fighting the Chaco War . The Air Corps had as units the 1st Bombardment and Clarification Flotilla (eighteen Fairey Gordon ), 1st Observation Flotilla (twelve Vought Corsairs), 1st Bombardment and Patrol Flotilla (two Martin PM and five Savoia Marchetti), Combat Aircraft Division (eight Boeing 256s ) and Trainer Aircraft Division (eight Waco CSOs ). However, out of 143 planes imported from 1927 to 1935, sixty were grounded due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. To keep them working,

12804-551: The other squadrons have diverse missions. A helicopter spares the ship of needlessly revving its engines or returning to port. At the base in São Pedro da Aldeia there is always an alert helicopter for service ships and another for an urgent aeromedical evacuation, even for a merchant ship, or an unscheduled delivery of cargo. General employment district squadrons fly in inland waters and on the coast with operational missions (patrol, inspection of ships and combating smuggling and other illegal activities) and social missions, representing

12936-409: The overall handling of the matter as severely rushed and negligent, with authorities bypassing proper evaluation and selling the ship for a fraction of the real value. The foundation was also barred from the auction as Brazilian authorities were only interested in companies seeking to dismantle the ship. The Brazilian Navy refused to allow the ship to anchor again in Rio de Janeiro, and sent the convoy to

13068-479: The penultimate generation, such as the Westland UH-2 Wasp , five turbine UH-5 Whirlwind Series 2 and six Fairchild-Hiller UH-4 ( FH-1100 ), all destined for the HU-1 between 1965 and 1970. There were attempts, with no results, to get an Embraer helicopter together with the FAB. The development of Naval Aviation followed the international scenario, the government's economic and strategic situation and

13200-550: The potential of air power right from the start, in 1908 the Brazilian Navy was already studying the acquisition of airships and airplanes. Just five years after Santos Dumont 's pioneering flight, in 1911, lieutenant Jorge Henrique Moller, the first Brazilian military pilot, received his license on 29 April, in France, and was also the founder of the Aeroclube Brasileiro. The Brazilian Army and Navy enrolled officers at

13332-493: The press. The air traffic control of the Department of Civil Aviation, administered by the Ministry of Aeronautics, did not recognize Naval Aviation aircraft. The FAB insisted that the legislation guaranteed it a monopoly on aviation. The "Wings for the Navy" campaign received a Taylorcraft BC-12D , a Fairchild PT-26 and a Neiva P-56 Paulistinha donated in 1962 as aircraft, but they saw only limited use in instruction. There

13464-482: The purchase of six Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings for the HS-1 in 1970, but their numbers were limited. Ten more SH-3s would be purchased in the future, while the older SH-34Js were retired in 1975. The HI-1 "Fleas" were retired in 1974 and replaced by the Bell IH-6 Jet Ranger. Another anti-submarine acquisition was nine Westland Lynx helicopters to accompany the new Niterói-class frigates , allowing for

13596-428: The report estimated the presence of only 9.6 tons of asbestos when Clemenceau — São Paulo ' s sister ship — contained at least 600 tons of this carcinogenic material. The convoy reversed course and headed back to Rio de Janeiro. After the decommissioning was announced, a private foundation called Instituto São Paulo/Foch  [ pt ] (ISP) formed by former crew and enthusiasts attempted to transform

13728-458: The resignation of the Minister of Aeronautics Nelson Lavanére-Wanderley. Soon after, Minas Gerais entered Guanabara Bay with the T-28s on deck for the first time. When the Navy refused to withdraw the planes, the next Air Force Minister, Márcio de Sousa Melo , also resigned. For the government, the need for a solution was already clear. The solution was the "Castelo Branco corollary", allowing

13860-470: The retirement of the FAB's 1st Group of Embarked Aviation (GAE) culminated in a fourth phase: in 1998, a new decree allowed the Navy to operate fixed-wing aircraft, authorizing its purchase of A-4 Skyhawk jets to organize the 1st Interceptor and Strike Fighter Squadron (VF-1). Faced with the imminent retirement of Minas Gerais , a new aircraft carrier was purchased, the NAe São Paulo . The VF-1

13992-450: The second catapult is farther back on the angled landing deck. The hangar deck dimensions are 152 metres (499 ft) by 22 to 24 metres (72 to 79 ft) with 7 metres (23 ft) overhead. In September 2000, São Paulo was purchased while still operational, an unusual process for such a large ship. She was received by the Brazilian Navy and was incorporated into the Brazilian Navy on 15 November 2000. The incorporation of São Paulo and

14124-630: The secondary position of the Navy within the Armed Forces. The aeronautical sector was better integrated into the administrative scheme of the Ministry of the Navy in the DAerM regulation of 1970. This directorate was subordinated to the Director General of Material of the Navy and gradually became responsible only for material, flight safety and political affairs. The CIAAN was linked to the Navy Education Directorate and, in

14256-457: The soldiers killed while carrying out missions across the country. The purpose of this museum is "to rescue and preserve the memory of aviation in the Navy, as well as to reach civil society, in order to spread the history of Naval Aviation to future generations." A shortcoming in São Paulo 's air defense was the lack of early warning aircraft to complement the AF-1 jets, reducing their reaction time as interceptors by up to four times. This made

14388-585: The squadron vulnerable to anti-ship missiles launched by low-flying enemy planes and helicopters, such as the Exocet that hit British ships in the Falklands War. To complete the on-board aviation, the idea was to create the 1st Squadron of Transport Planes and Early Air Warning (VEC-1, or even, VR-1). The acquisition of four Grumman S-2 Tracker cells in Australia , the same old FAB model in Minas Gerais ,

14520-420: The support infrastructure for air operations, aviation embarked on an NAe becomes capable of projecting its force, controlling certain maritime areas, assisting in denying the use of the sea and in non-nuclear deterrence, thus fulfilling the four basic objectives of Brazilian naval power. It is especially important for air superiority, especially away from Brazilian coasts, where the reach of the Brazilian Air Force

14652-554: The uneconomical cost of further repairs. The Brazilian Navy formally decommissioned São Paulo on 22 November 2018. Scheduled to arrive at Aliağa , Turkey on 7 September 2022 for scrapping , the ship was towed from Rio de Janeiro on 4 August 2022 by the Dutch tugboat Alp Centre , after being bought for R$ 10,550,000.00 or US$ 1,919,857.35 from Sök. The ship and her tugboat arrived off the Moroccan coast on 26 August, preparing to enter

14784-667: The unprecedented use of aircraft by Germany in blitzkrieg , putting battleships and cruisers in the background. On the other hand, on land, the Air Force proved essential, with specific functions, means and missions. The success of aviation embarked on aircraft carriers revived the Brazilian Navy officers interested in recreating Naval Aviation. In the Cold War the "Single Air Force" model was already considered outdated in Europe. On 4 August 1952, after intense negotiation with president Getúlio Vargas and Minister of Aeronautics Nero Moura,

14916-673: The war, the number of articles on Naval Aviation declined in the Revista Marítima Brasileira . The Falklands War showed the importance of on-board aviation for the fleet's air defense. Consequently, in 1983 the Minister of the Navy Maximiano Eduardo da Silva Fonseca presented an explanatory statement for the purchase of twelve aircraft to president João Figueiredo , and a naval version of the AMX A-1 , developed by Alenia , Aermacchi and Embraer, it

15048-412: The writers of the Revista Marítima Brasileira magazine began to materialize at the beginning of the 21st century, when the Brazilian Navy was able to board jets at NAe São Paulo . The first guideline of the 2008 National Defense Strategy refers, in the context of the " Blue Amazon ", to the deterrence of possible hostile forces within Brazilian jurisdiction. Therefore, for the Brazilian naval doctrine,

15180-561: Was Arromanches . However, all of them were small and increasingly incapable of operating modern aircraft, which were steadily increasing in size. To ensure French independence in defence matters, a new class of two modern fleet carriers was envisaged. Displacing just under 35,000 tons each, the new ships would be slightly smaller than the Royal Navy 's newly commissioned 43,000 ton Audacious -class ships, but they would be capable ships for their size built from scratch to take advantage of

15312-498: Was actively used for the carrier qualification and re-qualification of rotary and fixed-wing pilots, and also to practice carrier-based attack missions. On 17 May 2005, an explosion took place in a steam pipeline in the engine room. The explosion initially killed one crew member and injured ten others. All casualties were airlifted by helicopter to the Marcilio Dias Naval Hospital in Rio de Janeiro . Two of

15444-455: Was also a political maneuver for fear that the new president Jânio Quadros would deactivate or transfer the CIAAN to the FAB. In the same year, the Navy organized the Naval Air Force, headquartered in Minas Gerais and commanded by the Commander-in-Chief of the Squadron, and the first squadrons, not yet activated: the 1st Squadron of Instruction Helicopters (HI-1), initially subordinated to

15576-503: Was also the design of the Niess 7-250 Frigate trainer plane, which already had a prototype almost ready in 1965. But to obtain operational planes, the Brazilian Navy had to buy, transport and assemble the aircraft in secrecy, circumventing opposition from the federal government and the FAB. Throughout 1963 the Navy received six Pilatus P.3s for the newly created 1st Instruction Air Squadron (AvI-1) and six North American T-28 Trojans for

15708-514: Was announced, but canceled in 1985. The next decade brought new arguments for the return of fixed-wing aircraft to the Navy: the performance of naval forces in exercises, the participation of Marines in operations abroad, the end of the Cold War and the fear of submarines in the Soviet Navy called into question the anti-submarine focus hitherto adopted for the aircraft carrier. The retirement of

15840-471: Was anti-submarine warfare, but several of the helicopters also received anti-ship missiles, and their versatility for reconnaissance and transport is put to good use. The Marine Corps values them for amphibious operations. Squadrons of instruction (HI-1), attack (HA-1), anti-submarine (HS-1) and general purpose (HU-1 and 2) helicopters were organized. From 1979, the district means expanded Naval Aviation beyond Rio de Janeiro . The Navy's change of priorities and

15972-400: Was built in France between 1957 and 1960, and served in the French Navy as Foch . In September 2000, she was purchased by Brazil for US$ 12 million – no aircraft were included in the price – to replace the aged World War II -era carrier Minas Gerais , which had been in commission for over 40 years. Brazil had previously approached other countries, such as Spain, who wanted to construct

16104-474: Was celebrated as an achievement in air defense for the Brazilian Navy, national power projection and the evolution to a blue water navy , but both the jets and the new aircraft carrier suffered from serious unavailability issues. São Paulo was retired in 2017, locking the Skyhawks on land bases, with service forecast until 2030. However, the demand for a helicopter platform was met by the purchase of NAM Atlântico in 2020. Investments in helicopters continued in

16236-679: Was composed of the Warplanes Flotilla, subordinated to the Navy, but operated by the Naval Aviation School, which, in turn, was subordinated to the General Staff of the Navy. The Naval Aviation School was headquartered in Rio de Janeiro , originally in the old Navy Arsenal, at Mauá Square, then in Enxadas Island and finally, after 1924, in Ponta do Galeão , in Governador Island . The development of Naval Aviation had

16368-671: Was delayed until November 1955, the PA 55 Foch , budgeted for 1955, was delayed until February 1957. Between 1980 and 1981, she underwent a study to certify the platform before catapulting aircraft carrying missiles, bombs, AM-39 Exocet and tactical nuclear bombs. Both Clemenceau and Foch underwent a modernization and refit, replacing 4 of their 8 100mm guns with 2 Crotale air-defense systems. In 1997, Foch also received 2 Sadral launchers (for 6 Mistral missiles each); those launchers were purchased by France in 1994. They would also have longer careers (until 1998 and 2000) when compared with

16500-458: Was even more complex: while in Italy the entirety of military and civil aviation was unified in the Ministry of Air in 1929, in France, the United States (after World War II) and the United Kingdom (after 1937) there was both an organic navy aviation, operating mainly from aircraft carriers, and a maritime aviation belonging to the air force. The debate intensified in Brazil in the 1930s. Airmen in

16632-582: Was foreseen, but did not reach a contract; they would have been modernized to serve in early air warning. Another S-2 from Uruguay would be used as a parts source. Four C-1 Traders , another version of the Tracker, would be upgraded to the KC-2 Turbo Trader standard, refueling the AF-1s in flight and transporting material and equipment between the land base and the aircraft carrier. The forecast for

16764-508: Was instruction for land operating apparatus, but hydroplanes were more important, as the objective was to identify or attack opposing forces and thus provide support for the Navy. The predominant origin was in the United States, as the Navy was under the influence of an American training mission. In 1923, the first three squadrons were formed, respectively for bombing and patrol (fourteen Curtiss F 5L), reconnaissance (eighteen SVA-10) and fighter (twelve Sopwith 7F-1 Spite). The Naval Aviation corps

16896-804: Was similar to the ones done for the AMX and F-5EM aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force . The program included restoring the aircraft and their current systems, as well as implementing new avionics, radar (specifically the Elta 2032 radar system), power production, and autonomous oxygen generating systems. Possible weapons to be included in the upgrade were MAA-1B , Python 4 , and Derby AAMS . The Brazilian Navy contracted Marsh Aviation to convert four S-2T Turbo Trackers to an airborne early warning (AEW) configuration, and four more for tanking and Carrier Onboard Delivery duties. According to an article in

17028-557: Was soon deployed, with a squadron of eight aircraft embarked, starting 2 years later from 1963. The Crusader served with both carriers until Foch was decommissioned in 2000. The Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard entered service on both ships in 1978. The Super Étendard could carry both the Exocet missile and the Air-Sol Moyenne Portee (ASMP) nuclear missile, giving these ships a stand-off nuclear strike ability lacking in

17160-482: Was still a used ship, but more recent and with a better capacity for launching and landing fighters than Minas Gerais . The new aircraft carrier and the VF-1 were celebrated as the evolution to a blue-water navy. In the new phase of Naval Aviation, the old rotorcraft sector remained the most historically consolidated, with its broad administrative and operational structure and less dependence on imported technology. Helicopter acquisitions and upgrades continued, and at

17292-566: Was test flown from Foch after deck modifications in 1992 and operated from this carrier after further 1995–1996 deck modifications. Brazilian Naval Aviation The first phase of Naval Aviation in Brazil began in 1916, with the creation of the Naval Aviation School. Brazilian naval aviators were sent abroad in World War I , participating in real patrol operations, and the Naval Aviation, focused on seaplanes, developed rapidly in

17424-414: Was the last surviving member, are of conventional CATOBAR design. The flight deck is 265.5 metres (871 ft) long by 29.5 metres (97 ft) wide; the landing area is angled at 8 degrees off of the ship's axis. The forward aircraft elevator is to starboard, and the rear elevator is positioned on the deck edge to save hangar space. The forward of two 52-metre (171 ft) catapults is on the bow to port;

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