Brasília - Brazilian Air Force (FAB) combat aircraft will travel to Chile to participate in 12 days of combat training with American, Argentinean, and Chilean planes. Six Brazilian F5-E fighters will take off from the Santa Cruz airbase in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (26) and head for the city of Iquique, in northern Chile, where the combat exercises will be staged. The "Saltpeter" operation in Chile is the second in which Brazil has participated outside its own territory. The first was in the United States, in 2000, when FAB AMX planes took part in maneuvers as part of the "Red Flag" operation.
According to Lieutenant General José Carlos Pereira, Commander of the FAB's General Air Command, the proposal originated with Chile. The idea is to hold combat exercises with a coalition force composed ot aircraft from the United States, Brazil, and Argentina, as if they were acting under the orders of the United Nations Security Council. The exercise is a simulation to prepare for the possibility of a real need in the future.
Pereira explained that training exercises are essential to enhance the mutual confidence that is being established among the countries of the continent. "During these exercises, the commanders get to know one another, as do the pilots, and this is very important for improving the relationship. For a relatively low cost, our pilots get to participate in an operation outside the country and train in a complex environment that involves different languages and weapons in a setting that is different as well," he remarked.
The "Saltpeter" Operation, which begins Monday (27) and ends on October 9, will include a FAB force made up of 6 F5-E fighter planes and a KC-135 in-flight refueling craft, which will transport 66 military personnel. According to Commander Pereira, the Brazilian combat unit will be joined by American F-16's and Chilean and Argentinean Mirages.
Pereira informed that Brazil has already held exercises in Brazilian territory similar to the one in Chile, such as the Cruzex operations that took place in the South in 2003, with the participation of Chile, Argentina, and France. "We also participated in binational operations, with Venezuela and Peru," he said.
Agência Brasil
Reporter: Nelson Motta
Translator: David Silberstein
09/24/2004
