Brazilian Navy conducts landing training for Brazilian Air Force pilotsBrazilian Navy conducts landing training for Brazilian Air Force pilots

During operation “Poseidon 2024”, airmen made landings on board the Multipurpose Dock Ship “Bahia”

By First Lieutenant (RM2-T) Milena

After four days of intense exercises on the high seas, between Rio de Janeiro and Cabo Frio (RJ), the Brazilian Navy (MB) successfully concluded Operation “Poseidon 2024”, showing considerable progress in interoperability between the MB and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). On board the Multipurpose Dock Ship “Bahia” (G40), the mission’s command platform, and with the support of aircraft from both Forces, six FAB pilots took part in joint qualification and requalification training.

During the operation, more than 60 landings and take-offs were recorded, totaling 20 hours of flight time, carried out by the UH-15 Super Cougar (MB) and H-36 Caracal (FAB) helicopters.The Commander of the Task Group responsible for the operation, Rear Admiral Jorge José de Moraes Rulff, Commander of the 2nd Fleet Division, stressed the strategic relevance of this training, saying that the operation was coordinated by the Ministry of Defense and aimed to train both Forces, reinforcing their integration capacity.

“These training sessions are essential to ensure that our military personnel are ready to act in the presence, defense and protection of national sovereignty, both in Brazilian jurisdictional waters and in the airspace,” said Rear Admiral Rulff.

In a real operational scenario, the skills acquired during the training have wide application, such as in situations where victims are rescued after a shipwreck or plane crash on the high seas. In such cases, the FAB’s Caracal aircraft, used in the exercises, could be called in to carry out the rescue, transporting the victims to the Bahia Multipurpose Dock Ship, which houses the largest medical complex in the Brazilian Squadron. The aircraft has capacity for 31 people and 11 stretchers, and can also operate as an air ICU, with capacity for up to two victims in serious condition.

Brazilian Air Force Captain Arthur Fernandes Mendes dos Santos, Commander of the Logistics Group Maintenance Squadron at Santa Cruz Air Base (RJ), who took part in the requalification, emphasized the impact of this training on his military career.”This training is an exchange of techniques and tactics that strengthens the projection of air power in conjunction with naval power, enabling both Forces to be prepared to protect Brazil’s riches, such as our Blue Amazon.”

Over the course of two weeks of exercises, which also included a theoretical phase, 22 FAB military personnel took part in familiarization activities and studied procedures manuals in São Pedro da Aldeia (RJ), before being shipped out for practical training.

First Lieutenant Maria, the first female pilot to land on board an MB ship. Image: First Sergeant AT – Pinho

Manoeuvre records unprecedented event

The six airmen are from two squadrons based at the Santa Cruz (RJ) and Natal (RN) Air Bases. Among them is First Lieutenant Ianca Maria Cavalcanti Menezes, from Recife (PE), who became the first woman to land a helicopter on board an MB ship.

Graduating in 2021, Lieutenant Maria is one of only two women in the class of 124 graduates. Reflecting on the experience, she commented: “It is an honor to carry out this training and to be a pioneer in this maneuver. This is a defining moment in my career and one I’m sure I’ll never forget.”

“V-weapon launch” and other exercises

Record of the aeromedical evacuation exercise with the unprecedented participation of a Riachuelo Class submarine. Image: First Sergeant EF – Ferreira

As part of “Poseidon 2024”, the Navy also carried out an operation to test the force’s weapons systems with a view to real combat, called “V-Weapons Launch”. In an unprecedented exercise, the MK-46 combat torpedo was launched to destroy a submarine target called a “sperm whale target”, as part of a simulated operation.

The integration of naval and air forces was reinforced with the participation of the frigate União (F45), the AH-11B Super Lynx, SH-16 Seahawk and UH-12 Esquilo aircraft, and contributed to the success of the fifth edition of this type of operation this year, which included launching weapons and firing machine guns and cannons.

Another significant milestone was the participation of the Riachuelo Class submarine, the Humaitá (S41), in an aeromedical evacuation exercise, which represented an important advance in the capabilities to support search and rescue operations.

The constancy of joint operations between the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force, which included the integration of eight naval and aeronautical assets, reinforces the commitment of the Armed Forces to protecting national sovereignty, highlighting the importance of interoperability between the Forces to ensure the security and defense of the nation.

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