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The discovery of major deepwater oil finds off of Brazil’s coast changed its military priorities. The military’s mission has always been influenced by the land’s vastness, but until recently, that meant keeping a careful watch over the Amazon basin. The Marinha do Brazil had its own role policing the wide swathes of ocean around its long coast, but the air force’s construction was oriented toward supporting the army. Recent years have seen significant changes, as the Navy works to expand its surface fleet and field advanced submarines, and the FAB begins to revitalize its maritime patrol aircraft fleet.
A 2005 contract to buy modernized P-3 Orion long-range sea control planes has created the biggest shift in Brazilian capabilities. The planes began entering service in 2011, and more changes are on the way…
Brazil’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft
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The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) signed a 2005 contract to have EADS-CASA (Airbus Defence) modernize and upgrade 8 stored P-3A Orion long-range Sea Control planes from the USA into P-3AMs, with upgraded T56-A-14 engines; the FITS combat system; upgraded sensors that include a modern EO/IR surveillance turret, magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), an acoustic system, and electronic support measures (ESM); a new weapon management system; and a Thales flight deck that includes a modern GPS-capable navigation system and flight management system, and a new autopilot.
The P-3AM Orions began entering service in September 2011, and can reach from Deputado Luis Eduardo Magelhaes AB near Salvador on Brazil’s central coast to cover Brazil’s entire maritime territory, or fly as far as Guinea in Africa. The P-3AM’s extended range and 16-hour mission capability, more sophisticated sensors, ability to conduct electronic surveillance and eavesdropping, and ability to be armed with advanced sonobuoys, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, bombs, etc. are what set them apart. Their exceptional range will be especially useful for surveying Brazil’s new deepwater drilling and fishing grounds in the EEZ.
The Orions are joining much shorter-range EMB-110/ P-95B Bandierante twin-turboprop maritime surveillance planes that operate from Belem in the country’s far north (Neptune Sqn) and Florianopolis in the far south (Phoenix Sqn). Another 3 Airbus C295s have been ordered in Search And Rescue configuration, and their 10+ hour endurance and built-in surveillance capabilities will offer welcome assistance along Brazil’s near shores.
Contracts & Key Events
July 29/14: P-3AMs done. Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the last of 9 modernized P-3AM Orion sea control aircraft, as it’s ferried from Seville, Spain to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The add that:
“Under the terms of the contract, Brazil is benefitting from a comprehensive package of offsets including a range of industrial projects as well as training and research in the aerospace sector.”
Sources: Airbus DS, “Airbus Defence and Space completes P-3 Orion modernisation programme for Brazilian Air Force”.
P-3 modernization done
July 28/14: C295 SAR. Airbus Defence and Space receives a contract from Brazil for 3 Airbus C295 light transports, outfitted for search and rescue (SAR) duties. Deliveries will begin by the end of 2014, and the aircraft are being purchased with a 5-year Full In Service Support (FISS) contract.
Brazil already has 12 C295 light transports, and the new planes will leverage the C295 Full Flight Simulator at the Air Base of Manaus-Brasil. They aren’t being described as full Maritime Patrol planes, the way Chile’s C295 MPAs are, but it’s safe to say that they’re likely to carry a day/night optical turret, a maritime radar, and the FITS system on the back end. This will allow them to help with surveillance roles, and also take some of the flight hours pressure off of the P-3AMs. Sources: Airbus DS, “Brazil orders Airbus C295 search and rescue aircraft”.
3 C295 SAR planes
May 6/14: Weapons. The US DSCA announces Brazil’s formal export request for AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles. Specifically, they want an initial order of 16 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles, 4 CATM-84L Harpoon Block II Captive Air Training Missiles, containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $169 million, but the exact price will depend on contract negotiations.
Adding AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles would give Brazil’s P-3AMs a long-range weapon to extend their reach over sea and land, and proportionately reduce their response time to high-level threats. This is only enough for an initial buy, but it will get the FAB started and allow their crews to become fully proficient with the new weapon.
The principal contractors will be Boeing in St. Louis, MO and Delex Systems Inc. in Vienna, VA. Implementation of this proposed sale won’t require any more US government or contractor representatives in Brazil. Sources: DSCA 14-09, “Brazil – AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles”.
DSCA request: Harpoon II missiles
Jan 30/14: Wear & Tear. Brazil’s new fleet may need more in-depth maintenance soon. This should have been predictable, but:
“The wings of the aircraft are also showing unexpected fatigue, and the Brazilian Air Force may end up replacing them and the horizontal stabilizer also. If done, the service life of the P-3C with the Brazilian AF should be greatly increased. With Brazil’s development of off-shore oil facilities and a very large coastline, the nation greatly needs a capable maritime patrol aircraft. In the P-3C they have just that.”
Sources: Global Aviation Report, “Brazilian AF upgrading its fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3AM “Orion” maritime patrol aircraft”
2005 – 2013
Initial contract with CASA (Airbus); Delivery; Missions demonstrateb new capabilities.
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Aug 20/13: A P-3AM performs a mission to the farthest reaches of Brazil’s nearby Exclusive Economic Zone, undertaking a night-time mission patrolling the Brazilian archipelago of Trindade and Martim Vaz, located about 1,200 km east of Vitoria (ES). Illegal fishing and national sovereignty are the core of this mission, which also demonstrates both the P-3’s reach and Brazil’s need for it.
Trindade has a Navy garrison on it, making it the most remote inhabited location in Brazil, and the easternmost Brazilian territory. Sources: FAB, “P-3AM realiza vigilancia noturna no oceano Atlantico”.
May 22/12: The Orungan Squadron at Salvador celebrates Brazil’s “Dia da Aviacao de Patrulha.” It commemorates a 1942 submarine bombing mission by a FAB B-25 medium bomber against the Italian Marcello Class submarine Barbarigo, who had attacked a merchant ship. Brazil was technically neutral at the time, but submarine attacks against Brazilian ships between February – August 1942 killed over 1,000 people. Brazil’s Aug 22/42 declaration of war against Germany and Italy was partly motivated by those attacks.
The Orungans’ Orions have joined much shorter-range EMB-110/ P-95B Bandierante twin turboprops that operate from Belem in the country’s far north (Neptune Sqn) and Florianopolis in the far south (Phoenix Sqn). The P-95s are locally-designed aircraft that were built by Embraer until 1990, and the maritime patrol P-95Bs are slated to receive an avionics modernization similar to the Elbit AEL-led refurbishment of other Brazilian P-95s. Sources: Brazilian FAB, “P-3 e destaque da modernizacao da Forca Aerea Brasileira”.
Sept 30/11: In service. The Brazilian FAB officially places the P-3AM Orion into service, operating from Deputado Luis Eduardo Magelhaes AB near Salvador.
brazil received 12 from long-term storage in the USA. Airbus Military is delivering the upgraded aircraft, with 3 already delivered, and 5 more expected by the end of 2012. An unmodified P-3A to be used for flight crew training, and 3 more P-3As will be used as spares. Sources: Flightglobal, “PICTURES: Brazilian air force fields first P-3AM Orion”.
In service
2005: P-3AM contract. Original contract with EADS-CASA to modernize 8 of the 12 P-3As obtained from the USA, where they had been in inactive storage. Those 8 will become P-3AMs, while the 4 unmodified P-3As will be used for spares and ground training.
P-3AM contract
Additional Readings
* US Navy – P-3C Orion Long Range ASW Aircraft.
* GlobalSecurity – P-3 Orion.
* Airbus Defence & Space – Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS).
* DID – Ships Ahoy! The Harpoon Missile Family.
* Boeing – Harpoon (Block II).
* Airbus Defence and Space – C295: The Tactical Workhorse.
* Wikipedia – Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante. Civil aircraft that is the base for the P-95.
* Flight Global (Dec 15/10) – PICTURES: Brazil flies first upgraded EMB-110 Bandeirante. Avionics modernization done by Elbit Systems’ Brazilian subsidiary, AEL.
Brazil’s Naval Expansion
* DID – Brazil & France in Deal for SSKs, SSN.
* DID – Brazil Buying & Building BAE’s 90m Patrol Vessels. Note the bit about contractors positioning for a significant follow-on naval buy.
