Training includes techniques for infiltration, reconnaissance, landing and conquering objectives on land
By First Lieutenant (RM2-T) Augusto Rodrigues – Belém, PA
With around 332,000 inhabitants, Santarém is the main financial, commercial and cultural center in western Pará. Its Metropolitan Region is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state. The hydrographic network formed by the Amazonas, Tapajós, Arapiuns, Curuá-Una, Moju and Mojuí rivers plays an important role in the local economy. By river, Santarém is 880 kilometers from Belém (PA) and 756 kilometers from Manaus (AM).
The city’s port, inaugurated in 1974, is designed to handle solid bulk cargoes, mainly soybeans and corn. Soya is exported to China, the United Kingdom, Holland, France, Spain, Italy and, in smaller volumes, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Egypt and Algeria. Corn goes to countries such as Algeria, Egypt and the Dominican Republic.
Considering the strategic nature of the region, the Brazilian Navy (MB) is carrying out Operation “Ribeirex” in Santarém between November 6 and 21. The exercises involve 850 military personnel, operating on nine ships, two Marine Operational Groups, two aircraft and combat speedboats from the 4th Naval District Command, based in Belém, and the 9th Naval District Command, based in Manaus.
The operation simulates the retaking of an area along the Amazon River occupied by a paramilitary organization from a fictitious country. The military personnel involved have the mission of locating and neutralizing enemy bases and promoting the control of river traffic in the region of the conflict. “With this operation, the Brazilian Navy is reinforcing its commitment to the defense of the Amazon and caring for our people, especially the riverside communities,” says Vice Admiral Antônio Capistrano de Freitas Filho, Commander of the 4th Naval District.
Medical and dental care for riverside communities
Doctors and dental surgeons from the Navy Health Corps, involved in Operation “Ribeirex”, attended to 609 residents of riverside communities along the Amazon River, in Santarém, and in the community of Guajará, in the municipality of Óbidos. A total of 5,034 procedures were carried out and more than 11,000 medicines delivered free of charge to the population.
Naval and air forces engaged in “Ribeirex”
From the 4th Naval District Command:
Auxiliary Ship (NA) “Pará”: incorporated into the MB on January 19, 2005, the NA “Pará” is subordinate to the Command of the Northern Naval Patrol Group and operates in the rivers of the Amazon, from the Val de Cães Naval Base in Belém. The ship is equipped to provide health care – with a mammography room, a screening center, a rapid testing center, a doctor’s and dentist’s office, an imaging room and a pharmacy for the free distribution of medicines.
“Bracuí” Patrol Ship: was incorporated into MB on April 8, 1998. It is equipped with a 40mm Bofors Mk 3 cannon and two machine guns.
“Bocaina” Patrol Ship: incorporated into the Brazilian Navy on July 10, 1998, the “Bocaina” is equipped with a 40 mm cannon and two machine guns.
Patrol Ship “Pampeiro”: incorporated on June 16, 1971, it is equipped with three .50-inch (12.7mm) machine guns, in a single and a twinned mount; and an 81mm mortar, attached to the .50 mount on the bow.
UH-15 Super Cougar aircraft: multi-mission helicopter used in support of special operations, naval land operations, as well as benign activities and limited use of force, such as aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, logistics and firefighting.
From the 9th Naval District Command:
Hospital Assistance Ship “Oswaldo Cruz”: built by the Navy Arsenal in Rio de Janeiro, it was incorporated into the Force on May 29, 1984. It has two outpatient clinics, two dental offices, a laboratory, a pharmacy, an X-ray room, two wards and an operating room.
Hospital Assistance Ship “Soares de Meirelles”: has medical and dental offices, a pharmacy, vaccination room, X-ray room, operating room, infirmary and clinical analysis laboratory.
River Patrol Vessels “Roraima”, “Rondônia” and “Amapá”: the “Roraima” class patrol vessels carry out river patrols in the Amazon Basin, river operations and actions to support riverside populations, increasing the Navy’s presence on the borders and in river surveillance.
Two UH-12 Esquilo aircraft: these helicopters carry out visual enlightenment missions; air support; special operations support; personnel or cargo transfer (pick-up); vertical cargo refueling (vertrep); aeromedical evacuation; search and rescue; naval inspection; personnel and material transportation; firing range; torpedo firing observation; radar calibration; and firefighting with “bambi bucket” equipment.
Source: Agência Marinha de Notícias