Current Title:	Força Aeronaval de Marinha do Brasil
Title in English:	Brazilian Naval Air Force
Abbreviation:

Narrative Summary:
Naval Aviation started on 23.8.1916, when the Escola de Aviação Naval was formed at Arsenal de Marinha in Guanabara Bay at Rio de Janeiro with three Curtiss Model F 1914. In 1917 the school moved to Ilha das Enxadas in Guanabara Bay at Rio de Janeiro. During 1918 the unit received fourteen new flying-boats from the United States and the United Kingdom and it got also some new aircraft from Italy, France and the United States in 1919. In 1920 the school got the first land-based aircraft, the Avro 504K, and so its was deceided to build an new air base at Centro de Aviação Naval do Rio de Janeiro at Galeão at Rio de Janeiro, the present day Rio International Airport. The new base was opened on 10.5.1923. While this facility was under construction, the first Avro 504K operated from Afonsos.

During the same year the service expanded and received Ansaldo S.V.A. 10 observation aircraft, Curtiss F-5L patrol/bomber aircraft and Sopwith Snipe 7F.1 figher aircraft. A year earlier, on 5.7.1922, Naval Aviation carried out its first real operational missions with two Curtiss HS-2L. They attacked the garrison at Fort Copacabana, in the mouth of Guanabara Bay, which had rebelled against the federal government. The fort was also attacked by the warships Minas Gerais and São Paulo and the rebellion only lasted one day. In 1924 the Naval Aviation consisted of the Defesa Aérea do Litoral, which was formed on 18,11,1923, with nine Esquadrilhas, part of three Flotilhas, and the Escola de Aviação Naval.

During the 1920s more airbases, Centro de Aviação Naval, were built at Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Ladário, near Bolivia and at Alto Solimões, in the Amazonas Region.

During 1924 another rebellion started in São Paulo and the Bomber Flotilla with Curtiss F-5L was called to support the fleet, while two Curtiss MF of the Escola de Aviação Naval supported government operations in the Amanzonas and bombed rebel postions at Fort de Óbidos. In 1927 the service received new training aircraft, Consolidated NY-1, Consolidated PT-5 from the United States and Avro 504N from the United Kongdom.

A reorganisation took place on 3.10.1931, when the Defesa Aérea do Litoral, Força Aerea da Esquadra, Flotilha Mista Independente de Aviões de Patrulha with S.M. 55A, PM-1B and the 1ª Divisão de Observação with O2U Corsair were formed. During the same year the Escola de Aviação Naval received new training aircraft, the de Havilland D.H. 60 Moth, while the service got new bomber aircraft, the Fairey Gordon Mk. III and some fighter aircraft, the Boeing 256.

Another rebellion started on 9.7.1932 in São Paulo State. S.M. 55A, PM-1B and O2U Corsair from 1ª Divisão de Observação were deployed to Ilhabela on the small island of São Sebastião, off the coast of São Paulo State. From there these aircraft made some recce and bombing missions. In September they bombarded Fort Itaipu twice and the rebell forces surrendered on 2.10.1932.  From 1933 the service got many additional aircraft, such as de Havilland D.H. 82A Tiger Moth and Waco CSO, Waco CJC and Waco CPF. From 1937 the Naval Aviation received licence-built Focke-Wulf Fw-58B Weihe and Focke-Wulf Fw-44J Stieglitz from the Navy owned Fábrica do Galeão. The last new aircraft of the Naval Aviation were received in 1939, the North American NA-46 trainers and in 1940, the Beech D17A transporters.

On 20.1.1941 the Naval Aviation and the Army Aviation merged and the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) was formed.

Modern Naval Aviation started in 1950, when the Centro de Adestramento Marques de Leão was formed. Two year later, on 4.8.1952, the Diretoria de Aeronáutica da Marinha, at Rua do Acre Nº 21, 12º Andar at Rio de Janeiro was established. The next step was the creation of the Centro de Instrução e Adestramento Aeronaval (CIAAN) on 27.5.1955 with three Bell 47J (HU-3) and two Westland-Sikorsky WS.51 Widgeon (UH-1). Naval aviation was further expanded in 1960, when the Brazil Navy received the Light Aerodrome Ship (Navio-Aeródromo Ligeiro) NAeL A-11 Minas Gerais - built as HMS Vengeance 1944 and commissioned on 14.1.1945, the carrier was sold in 1952 to the RAN as HMAS Vengeance and 1955 to the Brazil Navy, but was overhauled in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and was taken on duty as flagship of the Brazil Navy on 12.12.1960. The ship was decommissioned on 30.3.2001. FAB created an aircraft carrier unit, the 1° Grupo de Aviação Embarcada, formed on 6.2.1957 at BA de Santa Cruz and composed of 1º Esquadrão with Grumman S-2A/E Tracker (P-16) and 2º Esquadrão with Sikorsky SH-34J Sea Horse (SH-1).

An operational headquater was formed on 5.6.1961, when the Comando da Força Aeronaval was established at Base Aérea Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia. The CIAAN moved to Base Aérea Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia on 29.11.1961. The first operational unit, 1° Esquadrão de Helicópteros de Emprego Geral "Águia" (HU-1), was formed on 5.6.1961 and activated on 17.4.1962 with two Westland-Sikorsky WS.51 Widgeon and three Westland-Sikorsky WS.55 Whirlwind (UH-5), as part of Centro de Instrução e Adestramento Aeronaval (CIAAN), at Rio de Janeiro. The unit moved to Base Aérea Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia in 1965.

The Naval Aviation became an independent institution again only on 17.4.1962 operating aircraft (Pilatus P.3-04, CAP-4 Paulistinha, Fairchild PT-26A Cornell and North American T-28R-1 Trojan) and helicopters (Bell 47, Hughes 269) until 13.4.1965, when the FAB got the responsibility to operate the aircraft and the Navy the responsability of operating helicopters on all navy platforms. Fixed wing aircraft remaind under Air Force control until 8.4.1998, when the Naval Air Force got the right to buy 23 McDonnell-Douglas A-4MB/TA-4MB Skyhawk (AF-1) aircraft from the Kuwait Air Force for its aircraft carrier. 

From 1965 the Navy expanded their helicopter force and formed more units with Sikorsky SH-34J Sea Horse (SH-1), Westland HAS.1 Wasp (UH-2) and during the 1970s Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King (SH-3), Bell 206B Jet Ranger II (IH-6A), Westland Lynx Mk.21 (SAH-11) and Helibras HB.350B Esquilo (UH-12).

In 1996 the FAB retired its Trackers of 1° Grupo de Aviação Embarcada, leaving the NAeL A-11 Minas Gerais without any fixed wing aircraft. This led to the purchase of the McDonnell-Douglas A-4MB/TA-4MB Skyhawk (AF-1) and the formation of the 1° Esquadrão de Aviões de Interceptação e Ataque "Falcão" on 2.10.1998.

When the NAeL A-11 Minas Gerais was retired on 30.3.2001 the NAe A-12 São Paulo, former French FNS Foch (R-99), which was built in 1963, was commissioned in the Brazil Navy on 28.4.2001. In 2010 the service received the first of sixteen Eurocopter EC.725 Cougar (UH-15).

Today the Naval Aviation consists of one aircraft fighter squadron and eight helicopter squadrons.

Key Dates:
23 August 1916		Escola de Aviação Naval was formed at Arsenal de Marinha in Guanabara Bay at Rio de Janeiro.
10 May 1923		Centro de Aviação Naval do Rio de Janeiro at Galeão at Rio de Janeiro was formed.
1931		A reorganisation took place in 1931, when the Flotilha Mista Independente de Aviões de Patrulha with S.M. 55A, PM-1B and the 1ª Divisão de Observação with O2U Corsair were formed.
20 January 1941		The Naval Aviation and the Army Aviation merged and the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) was formed.
1950		Centro de Adestramento Marques de Leão was formed.
4 August 1952		Diretoria de Aeronáutica da Marinha was established.
27 May 1955		Centro de Instrução e Adestramento Aeronaval (CIAAN) was formed.
12 December 1960		NAeL A-11 Minas Gerais was commissioned.
5 June 1961		Comando da Força Aeronaval was established.
17 April 1962		The Naval Aviation became an independent institution again.
28 April 2001		NAe A-12 São Paulo was commissioned.

 

Current Status:
Units of the Naval Aviation are fully operational.

Future Plans:
No information available.

National Insignia:
Current --- Historical

Aircraft Serial Numbering System(s):
The Naval Aviation uses the prefix N with four digits, ranging from

1000 for Fighter aircraft

3000 for ASW helicopters

5000 for Training helicopters to

7000 for Transport & support helicopters

Unit/Base Aircraft Code System(s):
Coding system not used.

Aircraft Designation System(s):
The Brazilian Navy uses their own designation system for the operational helicopters.

Current Aircraft Inventory:
Table of Current Service Aircraft

All-Time Aircraft Used List:
Alphabetical Order --- Chronological Order

Main Headquarters:
Base Aérea Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia, São Pedro da Aldeia, Rio de Janeiro

Current Organisational Structure:
Today the Naval Aviation consists of one aircraft fighter squadron and eight helicopter squadrons.

Current Order of Battle:
Table of Current Order of Battle

Historical Orders of Battle:

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1924)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1931)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1932)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1933)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1936)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1939)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1963)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1965)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1969)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1979)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1989)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 1999)

Historical Order of Battle (as at 2009)

All-Time Flying Units List: (only units, which are not included in the Orders of Battle)

None.

Current Air Bases:
The Brazilian Naval Aviation currently operates one mayor airbases and three secondary airfields.

Military Air Bases Listing

All-Time Air Bases Used List:
Military Air Bases Listing

Books:

None.
 

Magazines: