Unprecedented exercise connects Navy, Army and Air Force with data and voice in real time, strengthening national defense
The Brazilian Armed Forces have reached an unprecedented milestone by integrating, for the first time, strategic Communication, Command and Control (C4I) systems in a conflict simulation at Canoas Air Base (BACO), in Rio Grande do Sul. The multi-domain exercise, held on Friday (20/12), brought together the Brazilian Navy (MB), the Brazilian Army (EB) and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in a joint operation, Operation Iris, connecting air, land and naval platforms through data sharing and real-time communication.
The training was led by the FAB and is part of the final development of the Link-BR2 system, a modern secure communication system that will begin to equip the Brazilian fleet in 2025, starting with the country’s new fighters, the F-39 Gripen.
The Commander of BACO, Lieutenant Colonel Thiago Romanelli Rodrigues, received the Commander of the Air Force, Air Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, together with other General Officers of the Air Force High Command, the Commander of the Sixth Army Division, General of the Division Jayro Rocha Junior; the Chief of Staff of the 5th Naval District, Captain Guilherme Conti Padão; the President of AEL Sistemas, Gal Lazar, among other military and civilian guests.
During the training, systems such as Link-BR2, led by the Air Force, RDS Defesa and the Battlefield Generator (GCB), from the Army, and the Multi Data Link Processor (MDLP), from the Navy, were put to the test. The integration was coordinated by a multidomain Command and Control station, which enabled the transmission of messages, orders and voice communication between different military platforms.
The Commander of the Air Force, Air Brigadier Damasceno, commented on the exercise, highlighting in particular the importance of being at Canoas Air Base. “Today has a very important meaning because we are here, in Canoas, where, this year, we have dedicated a large part of our efforts in support of Rio Grande do Sul society, with the joint action of our three Forces, in Operation Taquari. Speaking of the three forces, another point that I consider essential is interoperability. We are putting into practice the integration of the Armed Forces in a joint operation. Today’s exercise reflects this: F-5 aircraft flying together with the helicopter, the E-99 aircraft making up the scenario, the Marruá vehicle in the land operation and the Navy ship contributing to the creation of the naval scenario, all interconnected with the air and land scenarios, which we saw here in the vicinity of the Base, during this simulated operation,” said the General Officer.


Technological demonstration
The exercise simulated fictitious combat scenarios to assess the interoperability of technologies. Among the simulations, helicopters carried out attacks to recover occupied bridges, fighter jets intercepted invading aircraft and Army armored vehicles received live images from thermal binoculars, revealing enemy troops. All these actions were monitored in real time by the Joint Command, which sent neutralization orders directly to the operational forces.
In the final episode, an E-99M aircraft detected the take-off of an enemy helicopter, leading to interception by a FAB A-29 fighter. These tests not only proved the effectiveness of the systems, but also reinforced the Armed Forces’ integrated response capacity in complex scenarios.


Featured systems
Link-BR2, developed by AEL Sistemas in partnership with Kryptus and Aeromot, is a national C4I system designed to operate in highly complex environments. It offers secure and encrypted communication, as well as supporting voice and data in adverse conditions. The technology is being integrated into the FAB’s F-39 Gripen and E-99 aircraft, expanding its use to missions such as border monitoring and combating trafficking.
“The Link-BR2 project was conceived by the Air Force as a strategic communications, command and control project. Its aim is to provide the FAB with a system that enables effective, real-time data exchange between various platforms, including air and ground assets, in order to consolidate understanding of the operational scenario. With this, the FAB will have an extremely important tool to understand the operational scenario more broadly and make the best decisions for the use of resources, ensuring that the results of actions are much more effective,” said Fernando Mauro, Operational Manager of Link-BR2 at AEL Sistemas.

Advances for national defense
According to the President of AEL Sistemas, Gal Lazar, the exercise demonstrates the evolution of technological integration promoted by the Ministry of Defense. “Seeing all the Forces operating together in the same scenario shows the advancement of our communication and command capabilities, as well as the synergy in scenarios that reflect the challenges of modern battlefields,” he said.
Projections for the future
The technology tested during the exercise has the potential to increase the efficiency of military operations in real missions, such as rescues in remote areas, maritime patrols and border defense. With the results obtained, Brazil is positioning itself as one of the regional leaders in the application of integrated C4I solutions, strengthening its sovereignty and deterrence capacity.
The Director General of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), Air Brigadier Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, spoke about the importance of the project. “The Link-BR2 project was conceived by the Brazilian Air Force with the aim of increasing interoperability between the three Armed Forces, improving the situational awareness of our pilots and improving flight control. With this project, we have managed to raise the command and control capabilities of the three Forces to a significantly higher level, in line with the demands of a modern conflict scenario. With today’s demonstration, we have completed the development of a project that began 12 years ago. This is a great achievement for the Air Force, the national industry and the defense industrial base, with the participation of AEL and several other companies. Above all, it is a victory for Brazil, which now has this capability. Link-BR2 unites the three Forces and makes it possible to communicate in real time about everything that happens in the theater of operations,” said the Director.


Photos: Sergeant Mônica / CECOMSAER