Image: Brazilian Air Force
On its first mission to transport military personnel to participate in operational activities, the new KC30, the largest aircraft in the history of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), mobilized 59 passengers and 18 tons of cargo from Rio de Janeiro (RJ) to Cerro Moreno Air Base in Antofagasta, northern Chile, where the fourth edition of the Combined Multinational Air Exercise Salitre will take place from October 1021.
In adverse weather and strong winds, the naming flight lasted four hours and took place on the morning of last Saturday, October 8th, crossing part of the vast Andean chain into the Atacama region, the driest desert in the world. .
Despite its debut in troop transport, the commander of 2nd Squadron, 2nd Transport Group (2nd/2nd GT) Corsair Squadron, Aviator Lieutenant Colonel Marcos Fassarella Olivieri comments that the KC30 has performed international missions since its incorporation to the FAB in July of this year .
“We have already operated flights to cities such as Washington, Madrid and Lisbon, but this was the first operational mission demonstrating the resumption of strategic transport in the Brazilian Air Force,” he pointed out.
Captain Lucas Braga, pilot of the 2./2. GT, explained that the flight was specially prepared for the geographic characteristics of the region.
“The route we took requires a lot of planning, especially when it comes to the weather. The Andes are one of the largest mountain ranges in the world and the high altitude causes some turbulence due to the strong winds. So we checked that this type of wind and these conditions would not affect the safety of the flight,” he stressed.
Image: Brazilian Air Force
Inflight refueling
Shortly after the KC30 flight, six F5M fighter jets and one KC390 Millennium flew from Canoas Air Base in Rio Grande do Sul to Antofagasta.
The KC390 performed inflight refueling of fighter aircraft, carried 14 tons of fuel and allowed receiving aircraft to remain on missions longer, expanding their autonomy and range.
The KC390 can transfer up to 25 tons of fuel to other aircraft at a minimum rate of about 800 pounds per minute.
Image: Brazilian Air Force
Saltpetre Exercise IV
At Antofagasta, the FAB is participating in Exercise Salitre IV, air combat training sponsored by the Chilean Air Force (FACh) that includes the participation of air and human resources from the Air Forces of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, a cell of the Space Forces of the United States, alongside Observers from Canada, Peru, Mexico and Uruguay, for a joint approach within the framework of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
This is the fourth time the FAB has participated in the exercise, the last version of which was eight years ago in 2014. In this edition, the Brazilian delegation is composed of 75 military personnel and has the participation of seven FAB aircraft , belonging to:
First Fighter Aviation Group (1°GAVCA) Jambock and PifPaf Squadrons;
First Squadron of the Fourteenth Aviation Group (1st/14th GAV) Pampa Squadron;
First Troop Transport Group (1st GTT) Zeus Squadron; and
First Squadron of the First Transport Group (1st/1st GT) Fat Squadron.
In total, the FAB has six F5M fighter jets, one KC390 Millennium, in addition to the KC30 that has been mobilized to Chile and will demobilize the Brazilian delegation on its return to the country.
Image: Chilean Air Force
KC30 by FAB
With the acquisition of the first Airbus A330200, registered with registration FAB 2901 and converted to Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), the FAB increases its capacity for strategic actions, such as: B. Inflight refueling, logistical support and humanitarian operations, whether national or international.
During public disasters such as natural disasters, pandemics or medical emergencies, the aircraft will also be able to perform Aeromedical Evacuation Missions (EVAM) for a large number of patients.
Two Airbus A330200s were acquired in a bidding process won by Azul Linhas Aéreas company and will operate with registrations FAB 2901 and FAB 2902. The arrival of the second unit of the Airbus A330200 is scheduled for October.
The 59meter KC30 is the largest aircraft ever operated by the Brazilian Air Force, capable of carrying up to 238 passengers and 45 tons of cargo and flying a distance of 14,500 kilometers.
Thus, the incorporation of the aircraft into the Esquadrão Corsário will lead to a significant increase in the operational efficiency of the FAB in favor of the country’s defense and support of national development.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2VSKUYiJM
Brazilian Air Force information