Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – About 1,200 service members from the 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade (9th Bda Inf Mtz) participated in Operation Steel Fist, which prepares the Suez Task Force as an Army Readiness Force. The brigade’s eleven subordinate military organizations participated in the exercise, which took place at the Agulhas Negras Military Academy’s Field of Instruction between July 31 and August 3.
During the exercise, the Task Force conducted a maneuver divided into three phases: march into combat, coordinated attack, and area defense. These phases included, respectively, tactical movement to establish contact with an enemy force, conquering high ground, and consolidating a position. For this, more than 100 operational vehicles were employed, including the Guarani, Lince and Cascavel vehicles.
Major Tomazini, Chief of the Operations Section, explained that the objective is to contribute to the mission of an Army Division in the isolation and conquest of a locality, in this case the city of Resende (RJ). “The mission of the 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade is to conquer the heights that dominate the location from the north, allowing the approach of the troops that must isolate and invest in the city. To this end, the aim is to take advantage of the shock action of Task Force Suez, guaranteed by the armored protection, firepower and tactical mobility of half of its four maneuver subunits. The exercise is carried out in a dual action context, where the opposing force carries out its planning and, according to the guidelines of the Exercise Directorate, has freedom of action to act. These characteristics allow us to achieve a greater degree of realism, bringing the exercise closer to real combat.”
The Suez Task Force Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Vinícius do Nascimento Monteiro, emphasized that this is another step in the work already carried out in various exercises on the ground, from small fractions, platoons, subunits, and now integrating the entire unit with combat support and logistical support elements. “This exercise crowns the integration of combat functions at the unit level and strengthens the Task Force’s esprit de corps, which keeps us even more motivated to become the 9th Army’s Readiness Force. I would like to highlight the synergy that exists in the staff work, especially in terms of coordinating the use of available resources. Certainly, after the exercise, the Task Force will be better prepared for its certification in September.”
The 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade is one of two brigades that act as the Eastern Military Command’s Readiness Force. Its commander, Brigadier General Ricardo Luiz da Cunha Rabelo, emphasized that it is essential for the brigade to train the Suez Task Force in a tactical context of external defense in order to prepare it for the Live Simulation exercise. “It is an exercise on the ground, with modern troops and resources, which is essential to develop the necessary military capabilities and, thus, to arouse the reliability of the 1st Army Division Command and the Eastern Military Command, which have a highly motivated brigade that is committed to fulfilling its mission.”
The Live Simulation phase will conclude the 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade’s certification process as a Brazilian Army Readiness Force.
Source: 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade