LXIII PREPLAN takes place in Salvador (BA), between June 11 and 17
Air Force Agency, by Lieutenant Marize Torres
The American Air Forces Cooperation System (SICOFAA – Spanish: Sistema de Cooperación entre las Fuerzas Aéreas Americanas) is holding, between June 11 and 17, the LXIII PREPLAN, the planning meeting that aims to bring together participants from member countries to discuss actions and agreements, as well as to analyze and evaluate the Organization’s latest exercises. The event, whose opening ceremony was chaired by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Lieutenant Brigadier João Tadeu Fiorentini, takes place at the Centro Militar de Convenções e Hospedagem da Aeronáutica (CEMCOHA), in Salvador (BA).
One of the actions of the event is to evaluate the COOPERACIÓN IX exercise, training that took place in May, in Lima, Peru, with the purpose of training the integration of air operations and multinational command and control in the face of natural disasters. In addition, the event also aims to define recommendations and agenda for the Conference of Chiefs of the American Air Forces (CONJEFAMER), a meeting that will take place in July, in Medellin, Colombia, in which the strengthening of inter-institutional relations will be discussed, as well as the planning for effective professional cooperation between countries.
Air Lieutenant Brigadier Fiorentini expressed the satisfaction that it is for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to host and coordinate, together with SICOFAA, this PREPLAN. “We are honored by the significant participation of delegates from 19 countries participating in the System. We appreciate the importance of the work that will be developed here, especially the final evaluation of the actual exercise COOPERACIÓN IX. The FAB is particularly interested in this activity, because the next actual exercise will take place here in Brazil, in the city of Campo Grande (MS), in 2026. Such joint maneuvers strengthen the participants’ capacity in humanitarian aid missions, keeping our military prepared for the necessary air support in public disaster situations,” said the Chief of Staff.
Thanking the hospitality received by FAB, SICOFAA Secretary General Colonel Michael Ingersoll (USA) said the conference is the completion of an annual cycle. “We are also discussing the recent exercise we just conducted in Lima, Peru, which was for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It was two weeks of practices with 15 South American countries in response to natural disasters. It was a very successful exercise, with missions, many people assisted and cargo transported. And in this exercise here, in Salvador, Bahia, we will be setting up the agenda for CONJEFAMER,” highlighted the USAF military.
SICOFAA
Composed by 22 Air Forces of the American continent, SICOFAA is now 62 years old. Its main mission is to promote the exchange of experiences, knowledge and training to strengthen the capabilities of the Forces, in order to support the needs of its members, as well as to build bonds of mutual cooperation and interoperability that ensure the effectiveness in responding to emergencies, meeting the diplomatic intentions between the countries of the continent.
Currently, SICOFAA has 22 nations active in its deliberations: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. In addition to these, there are also three other countries, cognominantly called “Observers”, and three organizations called “Special Guests”.
Photos: Sergeant Lucas / CECOMSAER