Brazilian Army Aviation Command
Encyclopedia
The Brazilian Army Aviation Command is a component of the Brazilian Army
containing the army's helicopter units.
lies in the War of the Triple Alliance
, with on the one side Brazil
, Argentina
and Uruguay
(the Triple Alliance) and on the other Paraguay
, when the commander-in-chief
of the Brazilian forces, Duke of Caxias, deployed observation balloons in the field to observe the enemy troops.
One of the first army aviators was Ricardo Kirk
during the Contestado War
1912-1916, using monoplanes to support ground forces. These missions were predominantly flown for reconnaissance purposes.
In 1941, upon the creation of the Aeronautics Ministry and of the Brazilian Air Force
(FAB), Military Aviation, which was the name of the army branch that operated the aircraft, ended its operations as all flying tasks brought under the aegis of the Brazilian Air Force.
In 1986, however, it was re-established under the name of Army Aviation to operate helicopters in support of the Brazilian Army.
Brazilian Army Aviation has six units at its disposal:
Army Aviation Command also operates and maintains the infrastructures of the Taubaté Military Airfield, thus guaranteeing the aeronautic activity of the units.
The 4th Army Aviation Battalion, based in Manaus, uses the aeronautic infrastructure provided by the Brazilian Air Force Manaus Air Base.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
| Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar
|
| transport helicopter
| AS 532UE
| 8
|
|-
| Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
|
| scout/liaison/attack helicopter
| AS 550A-2
| 20
| Upgrade ordered at 30 December 2010
|-
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera
|
| transport/attack helicopter
| AS 365K
| 34
| Upgrade ordered at 24 December 2009. Possibly to Gunships.
|-
| Helibras HB 350
|
| utility/attack helicopter
| HB 350-1
| 16
| Upgrade ordered at 30 December 2010
|-
| Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk
|
| transport helicopter
| S-70A
| 4
| 6 more ordered
|-
| Eurocopter EC 725
|
| transport helicopter
| EC725BR
| 1
| 16 ordered
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
| M240
machine guns
|
| machine guns
| Model H
| -
| UH-60 Black Hawk, Helibras HM-1 Pantera
|-
| M134 minigun
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| UH-60 Black Hawk
|-
| FN MAG
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| Eurocopter AS532 Cougar Eurocopter EC-725
|-
| Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
;Helibras HB 350
|-
| Skyfire 70
|
| Rocket
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
;Helibras HB 350 Rocket de 70 mm
|-
| SBAT 70
|
| Rocket
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
;Helibras HB 350 Rocket de 70 mm
|-
| Mectron
MSS-1.2
|
| missile
|
| -
| can be incorporated Helibras HM-1 Pantera;
|-
| AN/AVS-9
|
| Night vision goggles
|
| -
| All models
Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...
containing the army's helicopter units.
Tasks
The task of the Brazilian Army Aviation Command is to provide organic airmobility and support the ground forces by providing tactical air support, close air support and reconnaissance.History
The origin of the Brazilian Army AviationArmy aviation
Army Aviation refers to aviation-related units of a nation's army, often described as an air corps. These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force, and usually comprise helicopters and light support fixed-wing aircraft....
lies in the War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
, with on the one side Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
(the Triple Alliance) and on the other Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, when the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Brazilian forces, Duke of Caxias, deployed observation balloons in the field to observe the enemy troops.
One of the first army aviators was Ricardo Kirk
Ricardo Kirk
Ricardo Kirk was the first Brazilian Army Aviator.Kirk was born in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil...
during the Contestado War
Contestado War
The Contestado War , broadly speaking, was a guerrilla war for land between settlers and landowners, the latter supported by the Brazilian state's police and military forces, that lasted from October 1912 to August 1916....
1912-1916, using monoplanes to support ground forces. These missions were predominantly flown for reconnaissance purposes.
In 1941, upon the creation of the Aeronautics Ministry and of the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
(FAB), Military Aviation, which was the name of the army branch that operated the aircraft, ended its operations as all flying tasks brought under the aegis of the Brazilian Air Force.
In 1986, however, it was re-established under the name of Army Aviation to operate helicopters in support of the Brazilian Army.
Organisation
- Army Aviation Command based at TaubatéTaubatéTaubaté is a city in the State of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. Its strategic geographical location, between the two most important Brazilian cities , being crossed by Presidente Dutra Highway which connects the two megacities, and between high, cold mountains and the Atlantic Ocean has...
SPSão Paulo (state)São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
which functions as operational command - Army Aviation Directorate based BrasiliaBrasíliaBrasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
which is responsible for the logistics
Brazilian Army Aviation has six units at its disposal:
- 1st Army Aviation Battalion (1º Batalhão de Aviação do Exército (1º BAvEx)) based at Taubaté
- 2nd Army Aviation Battalion (2º Batalhão de Aviação do Exército (2º BAvEx)) based at Taubaté
- 3rd Army Aviation Battalion (3º Batalhão de Aviação do Exército (3º BAvEx)) based at Campo GrandeCampo Grande-Climate:Campo Grande has a highland tropical climate, semi-humid, hot, and notably seasonal, with a dry winter season from May through September or October. Under the Koppen climate classification Campo Grande features a tropical wet and dry climate, albeit a noticeably cooler version of the...
(MS) - 4th Army Aviation Battalion (4º Batalhão de Aviação do Exército (4º BAvEx)) based at ManausManausManaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
(AM) - Army Aviation Maintenance and Supply Battalion (Batalhão de Manutenção e Suprimento de Aviação do Exército) based at Taubaté
- Army Aviation Instruction Centre (Centro de Instrução de Aviação do Exército e a Base de Aviação) based at Taubaté
Army Aviation Command also operates and maintains the infrastructures of the Taubaté Military Airfield, thus guaranteeing the aeronautic activity of the units.
Aircraft inventory
Brazilian Army Aviation Command has the following 82 aircraft in service:! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
| Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar
Eurocopter Cougar
-See also:-External links:* *...
|
| transport helicopter
| AS 532UE
| 8
|
|-
| Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
Eurocopter Fennec
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
|
| scout/liaison/attack helicopter
| AS 550A-2
| 20
| Upgrade ordered at 30 December 2010
|-
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera
|
| transport/attack helicopter
| AS 365K
| 34
| Upgrade ordered at 24 December 2009. Possibly to Gunships.
|-
| Helibras HB 350
|
| utility/attack helicopter
| HB 350-1
| 16
| Upgrade ordered at 30 December 2010
|-
| Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk
|
| transport helicopter
| S-70A
| 4
| 6 more ordered
|-
| Eurocopter EC 725
Eurocopter EC 725
-See also:-External links:* * * *...
|
| transport helicopter
| EC725BR
| 1
| 16 ordered
Equipment
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Aircraft! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
| M240
M240
The M240, officially Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M240, is the US military designation for the FN MAG , a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns firing the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.The M240 has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the mid-1980s...
machine guns
|
| machine guns
| Model H
| -
| UH-60 Black Hawk, Helibras HM-1 Pantera
|-
| M134 minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| UH-60 Black Hawk
|-
| FN MAG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| Eurocopter AS532 Cougar Eurocopter EC-725
|-
| Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202
Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202
The Rh202 is autocannon with a calibre of 20 mm designed and produced by Rheinmetall.The cannon is used on military vehicles of German origin, like the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, the Spähpanzer Luchs and some variants of the Wiesel AWC...
|
| machine guns
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
Eurocopter Fennec
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
;Helibras HB 350
|-
| Skyfire 70
|
| Rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
Eurocopter Fennec
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
;Helibras HB 350 Rocket de 70 mm
|-
| SBAT 70
|
| Rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
|
| -
| Helibras HM-1 Pantera;Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
Eurocopter Fennec
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
;Helibras HB 350 Rocket de 70 mm
|-
| Mectron
Mectron
Mectron is a Brazilian company headquartered in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo. It is a company focused on high-tech market, especially for the defense industry....
MSS-1.2
MSS-1.2
Mectron MSS-1.2 is a Brazilian personal missile launch system with laser guidance, used in fighting at close range. It is the standard personal missile launch system of the Brazilian army and marine corps...
|
| missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
|
| -
| can be incorporated Helibras HM-1 Pantera;
|-
| AN/AVS-9
|
| Night vision goggles
Night vision goggles
A night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
|
| -
| All models