Brazilian Navy takes part in the BVR Technical Exercise in ALA 2

20 September 2018 by

One of the novelties of the Technical Exercise BVR (EXTEC BVR) 2018, that is being held at Ala 2, in Anápolis - GO, is the participation of the First Squadron of Interception and Attack Aircraft (VF-1 Squadron) of the Brazilian Navy. During the exercise, which ends on Thursday (06SEPT), the VF-1 Squadron, in its 20 years of existence, performed the first flight in a COMAO (Composite Air Operations), commonly called "voo de pacote" with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

The participation of the Brazilian Navy in the EXTEC BVR was an invitation from the Preparation Command (COMPREP), aiming at the training of the VF-1 Squadron for CRUZEX 2018, an exercise for which they will also take part for the first time and that will take place at Ala 10, in Natal - RN, from 18 to 30 November. "It is important to carry out the doctrinal exchange, so that they know how we operate and for us to know how they operate", points out COMPREP’s Doctrine Division Assistant and Coordinator of the BVR Exercise air activities, Major Av. Nicolas Silva Mendes.

The VF-1 began its participation in the EXTEC BVR with simpler flights, called FIT (Forces Integration Training) and, on August 28th, it performed its first flight in COMAO. Major Nicolas explains the operational gain of interoperability with the Navy. "In the EXTEC BVR packages, we use the air defense aircraft to make protection and the Striker aircraft to carry out the attack. In this scenario, we are taking advantage of the capabilities that the Navy has in its modernized aircraft, such as radar, for example, and the Navy is taking advantage of our planes’ capabilities. It is certainly an operational and doctrinal gain for the two Forces", he emphasizes.

For the Commander of the VF-1 Squadron, Commander (Marines) Anderson de Brito Coelho, it is a challenge to be in this Exercise, for being the first time we participate in such training, but it is also an opportunity to test the capabilities of the aircraft that the Navy has modernized. "We always aim at the interoperability between the Forces, we learn from the FAB and it learns from us, as well. In the end, we have a complete Aerospace Defense, because we have been able to bring all the learning acquired here to strengthen the Space Defense of the Naval Force", he says.

Translation: Marcia Lucas Leal Mello – DAS 3 (Cenipa)