Ships, submarines and aircraft were used in naval warfare exercises off the coast between Rio de Janeiro and Salvador
By Lieutenant Simone Rezende Brandão – Rio de Janeiro, RJ
On Friday (29), Operation “Tropicalex-2023” came to an end, after naval warfare exercises and maneuvers with the participation of ships, submarines and aircraft, which took place in the maritime area between Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Salvador (BA). “Tropicalex” was characterized by the greater complexity of its exercises, initiating a more advanced stage of training in relation to the operations already carried out by the Brazilian Fleet this year, with the aim of testing and reinforcing, in practice, the preparation and readiness of the Force.
Surface, air, submarine, electronic warfare and cyber warfare actions were part of the 11-day operation. The highlight was the Transit under Multiple Threats exercises, especially the anti-aircraft firing exercises with different caliber cannons and .50 caliber machine guns. On the way back to Rio de Janeiro, various unscheduled activities were carried out to test the readiness and reactions of the various teams and assess the capabilities of the ships and aircraft in the Task Group (GT), giving the operation a different dynamic.
Exercises were also carried out to qualify pilots and the ships’ operational teams, with emphasis on day and night aircraft operations, approach maneuvers (Leap Frog) and maintaining the position and distance between ships (Light Line), as well as simulating Aeromedical Evacuation with shipwreck rescue. For the benefit of “Tropicalex”, Aircraft Maneuvering Teams from the 2nd Naval District Command, the Aratu Naval Base, the “Cabloco” Corvette and the “Guaratuba” and “Gravataí” Patrol Ships were retrained after taking part in air operations with the aircraft embarked on the ships.
On the way to Salvador, on the 20th, two Brazilian Navy aircraft, an SH-16 Seahawk and a UH-12 Esquilo, flew over and landed in Abrolhos (BA), carrying out an Action of Presence and contributing to national sovereignty in that archipelago. Within the maritime area encompassed by the Blue Amazon, it represents incalculable wealth for the country, housing the largest marine biodiversity in the South Atlantic.
In addition to the military exercises, the Multipurpose Aerodrome Ship (NAM) “Atlântico” and the three frigates of the “Tropicalex” were open to the public during their docking at the Port of Salvador (BA) on the 24th, attracting more than 16,600 people who were able to get to know the ships, the shipboard routine and the activities they carry out for the country’s security.
The Commander of the 2nd Fleet Division, Rear Admiral André Luiz de Andrade Felix, who commanded the Operation’s WG, stressed the importance of the exercises carried out: “All the objectives of Operation ‘Tropicalex’ were achieved, with intense training that trained the various teams on the ships, in the sectors of armaments, machinery, damage control, maneuvers, operations [air, anti-submarine, surface actions], testing and employing weapons systems, sensors and sophisticated equipment, with advanced exercises in day and night environments.”
This edition of “Tropicalex” saw the participation of 1,537 military personnel, including the crews of the NAM “Atlântico”, the frigates “Constituição”, “Independência” and “União”, and the submarines “Tikuna” and “Riachuelo”, and the crews of five aircraft, one of which was a fixed-wing AF-1 Skyhawk and four helicopters, two of which were SH-16 Seahawk, one AH-11B Wild Lynx and one UH-12B Esquilo. A P-3AM Orion aircraft from the Brazilian Air Force also took part in the anti-submarine events.
Special participation by the “Riachuelo” Submarine and the “Julio de Noronha” Corvette
Incorporated into the Fleet in 2022, the Submarine “Riachuelo” made its debut in a military operation when it took part in the Transit with Opposition of Submarines exercise, simulating a threat to ships, with the unprecedented use of a submarine-to-surface missile instead of a torpedo, at a distance equivalent to 55 km from the ships, in order to make it difficult to detect them.
On the 28th, the “Julio de Noronha” corvette reached the expressive milestone of 1,000 days at sea in “Tropicalex”, while taking part in the Surface Threat exercise, simulating hostile attacks against the GT’s member ships, an occasion that marked its participation in the operation.
Unprecedented ARP flight with the Squadron
In order for it to be used in Squadron operations, a test flight was carried out for the first time with the RQ-1 ScanEagle Remotely Piloted Aircraft (ARP), which transmitted images in real time to the NAM “Atlântico”, directly from São Pedro da Aldeia (RJ), where the QE-1 Squadron, to which the ARP belongs, is based. “The use of the aircraft will increase the Squadron’s intelligence capacity, due to its characteristics, such as 15h of autonomy, wide range, AIS sensor and cameras for day and night use,” explained the Commander of the QE-1 Squadron, Captain Fábio Nunes.