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| Brazilian Navy | |
|---|---|
| Marinha do Brasil | |
 Emblem of the Brazilian Navy | |
| Founded | 1822; 203 years ago (1822) |
| Country | Brazil |
| Allegiance | Ministry of Defense |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | 80,507 personnel (incl. 16,000 marines)[1] |
| Part of | Brazilian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Brasília, Brazil |
| Patron | Marquess of Tamandaré |
| Mottos | Protegendo nossas riquezas, cuidando da nossa gente ("Protecting our riches, taking care of our people") |
| Colors | Blue white |
| March | Cisne Branco ("White Swan")Playⓘ |
| Fleet | See list |
| Engagements | List
|
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-chief |  Lula da Silva |
| Minister of Defense |  José Múcio |
| Navy Commander |  Marcos Olsen |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign |  |
| Jack |  |
| Flag |  |
| Roundel |  |
| Racing stripe |  |
| Logo |  |
TheBrazilian Navy (Portuguese:Marinha do Brasil) is thenaval service branch of theBrazilian Armed Forces. It is responsible for conductingnaval operations, providingmaritime security, and enforcing laws and regulations both at sea and within the country's extensiveriverine andlittoral zones. The Brazilian Navy is one of the world's fewblue-water naval forces, capable of regional power projection beyond the country's territorial water and deep into the Atlantic Ocean.
The navy was involved in theBrazilian war of independence and subsequently received most ofPortugal's naval forces and bases in South America. The government maintained a sizeable naval force in the initial decades following independence. The navy was later involved in theCisplatine War, theRiver Plate conflicts, theParaguayan War as well as other sporadicrebellions that marked Brazilian history.
By the 1880s, the Brazilian Imperial Navy was the most powerful in South America. After the1893–1894 naval rebellion, there was a hiatus in developing the navy until 1905, when Brazil acquiredtwo of the most powerful and advanceddreadnoughts of the day which sparked adreadnought race with neighboring Argentina and Chile. The Brazilian Navy participated in bothWorld War I andWorld War II, engaging in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic.
The modern Brazilian Navy includes British-built guided missilefrigates (FFG), locally builtcorvettes (FFL), coastal diesel-electricsubmarines (SSK), and many other river and coastal patrol craft. The navy is embarking on modernization efforts to both broaden and enhance its technical and strategic capabilities, such as acquiringamphibious transport docks,[2] procuring logistical support ships, and domestically producing both conventional and nuclear submarines.[3][4]
In addition to the roles of a traditionalnavy, the Brazilian Navy also carries out the role of organizing themerchant navy and other operational safety missions traditionally conducted by acoast guard. Other roles include:
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| Brazilian Navy of theBrazilian Armed Forces |
|---|
| History and future |
| Commands and components |
| Air and space command |
| Fleet |
The origins of the Brazilian Navy date back to thePortuguese naval forces based in Brazil. The transfer of thePortuguese monarchy to Brazil in 1808 during the Napoleonic wars also resulted in the transfer of a large part of the structure, personnel and ships of the Po
rtuguese Navy. These became the core of the Navy of Brazil.
The Brazilian Navy came into being with theindependence of the country. Some of its members were native-born Brazilians, who under Portuguese rule had been forbidden to serve, while other members were Portuguese born who adhered to the cause of independence and foreign mercenaries. A number of establishments previously created by KingJoão VI of Portugal were incorporated into the navy such as the Department of Navy, Headquarters of the Navy, the Intendancy and Accounting Department, the Arsenal (Shipyard) of the Navy, the Academy of Navy Guards, the Naval Hospital, the Auditorship, the Supreme Military Council, the powder plant, and others. The Brazilian-born CaptainLuís da Cunha Moreira was chosen as the first minister of the Navy on 28 October 1822.[6][7]
British naval officerLord Thomas Alexander Cochrane was made the commander of the Brazilian Navy and received the rank of "First Admiral".[8][9] At that time, the fleet was composed of oneship of the line (Pedro I), fourfrigates, and smaller ships for a total of 38warships. The Secretary of TreasuryMartim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada created a national subscription to generate capital in order to increase the size of the fleet. Contributions were sent from all over Brazil. EvenEmperor Pedro I acquired a merchantbrig at his own expense (renamedCaboclo) and donated it to the Navy.[9][10] The navy fought in the north and also south of Brazil where it had a decisive role in the independence of the country.[11] After the suppression of therevolt in Pernambuco in 1824 and prior to theCisplatine War, the navy increased significantly in size and strength. Starting with 38 ships in 1822, eventually the navy had 96 modern warships of various types with over 690 cannon.
The Navy blocked the estuary of theRío de la Plata hindering the contact of the United Provinces (as Argentina was then called) with the Cisplatine rebels who wanted Uruguay to join Argentina again or become an independent country, and the outside world. Several battles had occurred between Brazilian and Argentine ships, with Irish-born Argentine admiralWilliam Brown temporarily leading a successful campaign, which had included a significant victory atJuncal. Eventually however, a Brazilian fleet led by English admiralJames Norton scored a decisive victorynear the island of Santiago in mid 1827, rendering the United Provinces navy combat ineffective and ensuring that the blockade would proceed uncontested. The war came to a stalemate and in 1828, Brazil accepted the resolution guaranteeing the independence of Uruguay. When Pedro I abdicated in 1831, he left a powerful navy made up of two ships of the line and tenfrigates in addition to corvettes,steamships, and other ships for a total of at least 80 warships in peacetime.[12][13] During the 58-year reign ofPedro II the Brazilian Navy achieved its greatest strength in relation to navies around the world.[14] The Arsenal, Navy department, and the Naval Jail were improved, and the Imperial Marine Corps was created. Steam navigation was adopted. Brazil quickly modernized its fleet acquiring ships from foreign sources while also constructing ships locally. Brazil's Navy substituted the oldsmoothbore cannon for new ones with rifled barrels, which were more accurate and had longer ranges. Improvements were also made in the Arsenals (shipyards) and naval bases, which were equipped with new workshops.[13] Ships were constructed in the Naval Arsenal of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, Santos, Niterói and Pelotas. The Navy also successfully fought against all revolts that occurred during the Regency where it conducted blockades and transported the Army troops; including Cabanagem,Ragamuffin War,Sabinada,Balaiada, amongst others.[13][15]
When Emperor Pedro II was declared of legal age and assumed his constitutional prerogatives in 1840, the Armada had over 90 warships: six frigates, seven corvettes, two barque-schooners, six brigs, eight brig-schooners, 16gunboats, 12 schooners, seven armed brigantine-schooners, six steambarques, three transport ships, two armedluggers, twocutters and thirteen largerboats.[16]
During the 1850s the State Secretary, the Accounting Department of the Navy, the Headquarters of the Navy and the Naval Academy were reorganized and improved. New ships were purchased, and the ports administrations were better equipped. The Imperial Mariner Corps was definitively regularized, and the Marine Corps was created, taking the place of the Naval Artillery. The Service of Assistance for Invalids was also established, along with several schools for sailors and craftsmen.[17]
The conflicts in the Platine region did not cease after the war of 1825. The anarchy caused by the despotic Rosas and his desire to subdue Bolívia, Uruguay and Paraguayforced Brazil to intercede. The Brazilian Government sent a naval force of 17 warships (a ship of the line, 10 corvettes and six steamships) commanded by the veteran John Pascoe Grenfell.[18] The Brazilian fleetsucceeded in passing through the Argentine line of defence at the Tonelero Pass under heavy attack and transported the troops to the theater of operations. The Brazilian Armada had a total of 59 vessels of various types in 1851: 36-armed sailing ships, 10 armed steamships, seven unarmed sailing ships and six sailing transports.[19] More than a decade later the Armada was once again modernized, and its fleet of old sailing ships was converted to a fleet of 40 steamships armed with more than 250 cannons.[20] In 1864 the navy fought in theUruguayan War and immediately afterwards in theParaguayan War where it annihilated the Paraguayan navy in theBattle of Riachuelo. The navy was further augmented with the acquisition of 20ironclads and six fluvialmonitors. At least 9,177 navy personnel fought in the five years' conflict.[21] Brazilian naval constructors such as Napoleão Level, Trajano de Carvalho and João Cândido Brasil planned new concepts for warships that allowed the country's Arsenals to retain their competitiveness with other nations.[22] All damage suffered by ships was repaired and various improvements were made to them.[23] In 1870, Brazil had 94 modern warships[24] and had the fifth most powerful navy in the world.[25]
During the 1870s, the Brazilian Government strengthened the navy as the possibility of a war against Argentina over Paraguay's future became quite real. Thus, it acquired agunboat and a corvette in 1873; an ironclad and a monitor in 1874; and immediately afterwards twocruisers and another monitor.[11][26] The improvement of the Armada continued during the 1880s. The Arsenals of the Navy in the provinces of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, Pará and Mato Grosso continued to build dozens of warships. Also, four torpedo boats were purchased.[27]On November 30, 1883, the Practical School of Torpedoes was created along with a workshop devoted to constructing and repairing torpedoes and electric devices in the Arsenal of Navy of Rio de Janeiro.[28] This Arsenal constructed four steam gunboats and one schooner, all with iron and steel hulls (the first of these categories constructed in the country).[27] The Imperial Armada reached its apex with the incorporation of the ironcladbattleshipsRiachuelo andAquidabã (both equipped with torpedo launchers) in 1884 and 1885, respectively. Both ships (considered state-of-the-art by experts from Europe) allowed the Brazilian Armada to retain its position as one of the most powerful naval forces.[29] By 1889, the navy had 60 warships[23] and was the fifth or sixth most powerful navy in the world.[30]
In the last cabinet of the monarchic regime, the Minister of the Navy, AdmiralJosé da Costa Azevedo (the Baron of Ladário), left the reorganization and modernization of the navy unfinished.[23] The coup that ended the monarchy in Brazil in 1889 was not well accepted by the Armada. Imperial Mariners were attacked when they tried to support the imprisoned Emperor in the City Palace. The Marquis of Tamandaré begged Pedro II to allow him to fight back the coup; however, the Emperor refused to allow any bloodshed.[31] Tamandaré would later be imprisoned by order of the dictatorFloriano Peixoto under the accusation of financing the monarchist military in the Federalist Revolution.[32]
The Baron of Ladário remained in contact with the exiled Imperial Family, hoping to restore the monarchy, but ended up ostracized by the republican government. Admiral Saldanha da Gama led theRevolt of the Armada with the objective of restoring the Empire and allied himself with other monarchists who were fighting in the Federalist Revolution. However, all the attempts at restoration were violently crushed. High-ranking Monarchist officers were imprisoned, banished or executed by firing squad without due process of law and their subordinates also suffered harsh punishments.[33]
The military coup that led to theproclamation of the Brazilian Republic (1889), accentuated the decline of shipbuilding in the country. For four decades, between 1890 and 1930 no new ships were built in Brazil. The focus of republican governments was to equip the army to fight internal uprisings in the new regime's early years. The Navy was perceived as a threat to the new republican regime, as it had been more loyal to the Monarchy.
The situation became precarious in just over a decade as the Naval Battalion was reduced to 295 soldiers and Imperial Marines to 1,904 men. The equipment and vessels acquired were considered outdated by Navy officials, who criticized the abandonment of repair shops. Naval officers participated in two riots, known asNaval Riots. The second, avowedly monarchist, cost the officers their careers and their lives, without entering the military justice process. The sailors who obeyed orders and took part in the attempt to restore monarchy suffered cruelly.[34][page needed]
Brazil's navy fell into disrepair and obsolescence in the aftermath of the1889 revolution, which deposedEmperorPedro II, after naval officers led arevolt in 1893–94.[35] Meanwhile, the Argentine and Chilean navies were flush with modern warships after the conclusion of anaval arms race between the two.[36] As a result, at the turn of the 20th century the Brazilian Navy lagged far behind its Argentine and Chilean counterparts in quality and total tonnage.[37]
Rising demand for coffee andrubber brought Brazil an influx of revenue in the early 1900s.[38] Simultaneously, there was a drive on the part of prominent Brazilians, most notablyPinheiro Machado and theBaron of Rio Branco, to have the country recognized as an international power. A strong navy was seen as crucial to this goal.[39] TheNational Congress of Brazil drew up and passed a large naval acquisition program in late 1904, but it was two years the Minister of the Navy, AdmiralJúlio César de Noronha, signed a contract with Armstrong Whitworth for three small battleships.[40]
After construction began, a new presidential administration took office, and the new government reconsidered their chosen battleship design. This was wrought by the debut of the United Kingdom's newdreadnought concept, especially its "all-big-gun" armament that utilized many more heavy-caliber weapons than previous battleships. This warship type would have rendered the Brazilian ships obsolete before they were completed.[41]
As a result, the Brazilian government redirected its naval funds towards three dreadnoughts, of which only two would be built immediately.[42] This move was made with the large-scale support of Brazilian politicians, including Pinheiro Machado and a nearly unanimous vote in the Senate; the navy, now with the large-ship advocate Rear AdmiralAlexandrino Faria de Alencar in the influential post of minister of the navy; and the Brazilian press.[43] It made Brazil was the third country to have a dreadnought under construction, behind the United Kingdom and the United States, and beforeFrance, theGerman Empire, theRussian Empire, and theEmpire of Japan.[44] As dreadnoughts were quickly equated with international status, somewhat similar tonuclear weapons today—that is, regardless of a state's need for such equipment, simply ordering and possessing a dreadnought increased the owner's prestige—the order causeda stir in international relations.[45]
This order led toa naval arms race between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, which was ended only by the advent of the First World War. Brazil's first two dreadnoughts,Minas Geraes andSão Paulo, would be delivered in 1910. The third dreadnought was redesigned multiple times in response to advancing naval technology and financial concerns; it would eventually be sold to theOttoman Empire and serve with the British asHMSAgincourt. A larger super-dreadnought was ordered shortly before the war, but little was accomplished prior to the beginning of the conflict.[46]
In late 1910, a major rebellion known as the Revolt of the Lash, orRevolta da Chibata, broke out on four of the newest ships in the Brazilian Navy. The initial spark was provided on 21 November whenAfro-Brazilian sailorMarcelino Rodrigues Menezes was brutally flogged 250 times for insubordination. Many Afro-Brazilian sailors were sons of former slaves, or were former slaves freed under theLei Áurea (abolition) but forced to enter the navy. They had been planning a revolt for some time, and Menezes became the catalyst. Further preparations were needed, so the rebellion was delayed until 22 November. The crewmen ofMinas Geraes,São Paulo, the twelve-year-oldDeodoro, and the newBahia quickly took their vessels with only a minimum of bloodshed: two officers onMinas Geraes and one each onSão Paulo andBahia were killed.[47]
The ships were well-supplied with foodstuffs, ammunition, and coal, and the only demand of mutineers—led byJoão Cândido—was the abolition of "slavery as practiced by the Brazilian Navy". They objected to low pay, long hours, inadequate training for incompetent sailors, and punishments includingbôlo (being struck on the hand with aferrule) and the use of whips or lashes (chibata), which eventually became a symbol of the revolt. By 23 November, the National Congress had begun discussing the possibility of a generalamnesty for the sailors. SenatorRuy Barbosa, long an opponent of slavery, lent a large amount of support, and the measure unanimously passed theFederal Senate on 24 November. The measure was then sent to theChamber of Deputies.[48]
Humiliated by the revolt, naval officers and the president of Brazil were staunchly opposed to amnesty, so they quickly began planning to assault the rebel ships. The former believed such an action was necessary to restore the service's honor. Late on 24 November, the President ordered the naval officers to attack the mutineers. Officers crewed some smaller warships and the cruiserRio Grande do Sul,Bahia'ssister ship with ten 4.7-inch (119 mm) guns. They planned to attack on the morning of 25 November, when the government expected that the mutineers would return toGuanabara Bay. When they did not return and the amnesty measure neared passage in the Chamber of Deputies, the order was rescinded. After the bill passed 125–23 and the president signed it into law, the mutineers stood down on 26 November.[49]
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After the declaration of war on theCentral Powers in October 1917 the Brazilian Navy participated in the war. On 21 December 1917 the British government requested that a Brazilian naval force of light cruisers be placed under Royal Navy control and a squadron comprising the cruisersRio Grande do Sul andBahia, the destroyersParaíba,Rio Grande do Norte,Piauí, andSanta Catarina, and the support shipBelmonte and the ocean-goingtugboatLaurindo Pitta was formed, designated theDivisão Naval em Operações de Guerra ("Naval Division inWar Operations"). The DNOG sailed on 31 July 1918 fromFernando de Noronha forSierra Leone, arriving atFreetown on 9 August, and sailing onwards to its new base of operations,Dakar, on 23 August. On the night of 25 August, the division believed it had been attacked by aU-boat when theauxiliary cruiserBelmonte sighted a torpedo track. The purported submarine wasdepth-charged, fired on, and reportedly sunk byRio Grande do Norte, but the sinking was never confirmed.
The DNOG patrolled the Dakar–Cape Verde–Gibraltar triangle, which was suspected to be used by U-boats waiting on convoys, until 3 November 1918 when it sailed for Gibraltar to begin operations in theMediterranean Sea, with the exception ofRio Grande do Sul,Rio Grande do Norte, andBelmonte. The Division arrived at Gibraltar on 10 November; while passing through theStraits of Gibraltar, they mistook threeUnited States Navysubchasers for U-boats but no damage was caused.[50]
In 1922, at the request of the Brazilian government, the United States established a naval mission in Brazil to advise and improve the Brazilian Navy.[51] The initial staff of 16 officers and 19 petty officers counseled the Brazilians on such topics asgunnery,naval aviation, destroyer operations, and supply and medicine. The agreement lapsed during theBrazilian Revolution of 1930, but was reestablished in 1932.[52]
Initiating the armed uprising in the State of São Paulo in July 1932, one of the first actions of the legalist forces was the blockade of thePort of Santos, the objective being to prevent the São Paulo state insurgents from obtaining supplies and weapons from abroad. The Brazilian Navy formed a fleet of ships led by the cruiserRio Grande Do Sul, including destroyersMato Grosso,Pará andSergipe.
During the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, the cruiser Rio Grande do Sul became the first Brazilian Navy ship to shoot down an aircraft, in this case a ConstitutionalistCurtiss Falcon on September 24, 1932. Throughout the conflict, the port of Santos was blocked by the Brazilian Navy, making it impossible for the rebels to receive reinforcements there, the naval ships also carried out naval bombardment of the rebel troops stationed there.[53]
The Brazilian Navy at the time of start of World War 2 in 1939 operated 3 submarines; 2 dreadnaught battleships; 10 destroyers (some incomplete); 2 light cruisers; 12 corvettes; as well as 10 auxiliary, and other vessels. After start of hostilities in the Atlantic, indiscriminate Axis attacks began as early as March, 1941, but they increased sharply after Brazil severed ties with Axis powers postPearl Harbor attack. At the start of war, Brazil was patrolling over 4,000 miles of its coast; but by January 1943, the navy was patrolling uptoTrinidad.[55] Despite U-boat operations in the region (centred in the Atlantic Narrows betweenBrazil andWest Africa) beginning autumn 1940, only in the following year did this start to raise serious concern in Washington.[56] This perceived threat caused the US to decide that the introduction of US forces along Brazil's coast would be valuable. After negotiations with BrazilianForeign MinisterOsvaldo Aranha (on behalf of dictatorGetúlio Vargas), these were introduced in second half of 1941.[57] Germany and Italy subsequently extended their submarine attacks to include Brazilian ships wherever they were, and from April 1942 were found in Brazilian waters.[58] On 22 May 1942, the first Brazilian attack (although unsuccessful) was carried out byBrazilian Air Force aircraft on theItalian submarine Barbarigo.[57] After a series of attacks on merchant vessels off the Brazilian coast byU-507,[57] Brazil officially entered the war on 22 August 1942, offering an important addition to the Allied strategic position in the South Atlantic.[59]In World War II, Brazil's navy was obsolete. In early 1942, German submarines aimed to interdict supplies from reaching Britain and the Soviet Union. Between 1942 and 1944, Brazil's navy was supported by the United States Navy. During this period several naval bases were established in the North and Northeast of Brazil, becoming the headquarters of the Allied Command Atlantic South.
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Within their limitations and with the refitting and reorganization promoted with American resources, the Brazilian Navy participated actively in the fightagainst U-boats in theSouth, Central Atlantic and also theCaribbean. They guardedAlliedconvoys bound forNorth Africa and the Mediterranean. Between 1942 and 1945 the navy was responsible for conducting 574 convoy operations protecting 3,164 merchant ships of various nationalities. Enemy submarines managed to sink only three vessels. According to German documentation the Brazilian Navy made over sixty-six attacks against German submarines.
A total of nine U-boats known German submarines were destroyed along the Brazilian coast. Those were:U-164,U-128,U-590,U-513,U-662,U-598,U-199,U-591, andU-161
About 1,100 Brazilians died during the Battle of the Atlantic as a result of the sinking of 32 Brazilian merchant vessels and a naval warship. Among the 972 dead from the merchant vessels, 470 were crew and 502 were civilian passengers.[60] Besides these, 99 sailors died in the sinking ofVital de Oliveira when she was attacked by German submarines, in addition to some 350 deaths in accidents that resulted in the sinking of the corvetteCamaquã on 21 July 1944. The cruiserBahia was sunk by an explosion on 4 July 1945 which resulted in the deaths of over 300 men.
| Class | Boat | Displacement | Type | Origin | Note | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minas Geraes-class battleship | Minas Geraes São Paulo | 20,900 tons | BattleshipDreadnought |  United Kingdom |  | |
| Bahia-class cruiser | Bahia Rio Grande do Sul | 3,100 tonnes | Scout cruiser | United Kingdom | Built 1907-1910 Bahia exploded July 1945Rio Grande do Sul scrapped 1948 |  |
| Marcílio Dias-class destroyer | M1Marcílio Dias M2Mariz e Barros M3Greenhalgh | 1,900 tonnes | Destroyer |  United States | .jpg) | |
| Acasta-class destroyer | Maranhão | 950 tonnes | Destroyer | United Kingdom | .jpg) | |
| Pará-class destroyer | Piauí Mato Grosso Rio Grande do Norte Paraíba Santa Catarina Sergipe | 570 tonnes | Destroyer | United Kingdom | .jpg) | |
| Cannon-class destroyer | Babitonga Baependi Benevente Beberibe Bocaina Bauru Bertioga Bracui | 1,500 tonnes | Destroyer escort | United States | _underway%2c_circa_in_the_1940s.jpg) | |
| Carioca-class Corvette | C1Carioca C2Cananéia C3Camocim C4Cabedelo C5Caravelas C6Camaquã | 818 tonnes | Corvette |  Brazil | .jpg) | |
| Parnaíba-class Monitor | Parnaíba | 720 tonnes | Monitor/Gunboat | Brazil |  | |
| Pernambuco-class Monitor | Pernambuco Paraguassú | 650 tonnes | Monitor/Gunboat | Brazil | .jpg) | |
| PC461-class submarine chaser | G1Guaporé G2Gurupi G3Guaíba G4Guarupá G5Guajará G6Goiânia G7Grajaú G8Graúna | 450 tonnes | Submarine chaser/Patrol Boat | United States |  | |
| Tupy class submarine | S11Tupy S12Tymbira S13Tamoyo | 1,450 tonnes | Submarine |  Italy | ||
| Humayta-class submarine | Humaytá | 1,900 tonnes | Submarine | Italy | .jpg) |
_underway_with_destroyers_during_the_1961_Lobster_War.jpg)
In 1961, some groups of French fishermen who were operating very profitably off the coast of Mauritania extended their search to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, settling on a spot off the coast of Brazil where lobsters are found on submerged ledges at depths of 250–650 ft (76–198 m). Local fishermen complained that large boats were coming from France to catch lobster off the state of Pernambuco, so the Brazilian Admiral Arnoldo Toscano ordered two corvettes to sail to the area where the French fishing boats were located. Seeing that the fishermen's claim was justifiable, the captain of the Brazilian vessel then demanded that the French boats retreat to deeper water, leaving the continental shelf to smaller Brazilian vessels. The situation became very tense once the French rejected this demand and radioed a message asking for the French government to send a destroyer to accompany the lobster boats, which prompted the Brazilian government to put fleet in a state of alert.
The French Government dispatched aT 53-class destroyer on 21 February to watch over the French fishing boats. The French vessel withdrew after the arrival of a Brazilian warship and the aircraft carrierMinas Gerais.
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Although corporal punishment was officially abolished after the Revolt of the Lash, or Revolta da Chibata, at the end of 1910, improvement in working conditions and career plans were still contentious in early 1960. The dissatisfaction with officialdom and conservative politicians, coupled with the lack of vision and inability of the general policy of then presidentJoão Goulart, led the sailors, encouraged by leaders such as Corporal Anselmo, to the military coup of 1964.
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The purges carried out later (not just the navy but for all the armed forces), and the establishment of certain criteria for selection of its new members were a military term in the Brazilian tradition among its members openly harboring various currents of political thought.
TheColossus-class aircraft carrierMinas Gerais served the Navy until its decommissioning in 2001.
The carrier was commissioned as NAeLMinas Gerais (named for Kubitschek's home state) on 6 December 1960. She departedRotterdam for Rio de Janeiro on 13 January 1961. The duration of the refit meant that while the carrier was the first purchased by a Latin American nation, she was the second to enter service, after anotherColossus-class carrier entered service with theArgentine Navy asARA Independencia in July 1959.
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Flight 447 was due to pass from Brazilian airspace intoSenegalese airspace at approximately 02:20 (UTC) on 1 June, and then intoCape Verdean airspace at approximately 03:45. Shortly after 04:00, when the flight had failed to contact air traffic control in either Senegal or Cape Verde, the controller in Senegal attempted to contact the aircraft. When he received no response, he asked the crew of another Air France flight (AF459) to try to contact AF447; this also met with no success.[61]
The Brazilian Navy also moved three vessels initially, being the patrol vesselGrajaú, the frigateConstituição and the corvetteCaboclo to aid in the searches. Subsequently, thetankerAlmirante Gastão Motta and the frigateBosisio were sent, increasing the search force of the navy to five boats.
During the search period, 51 bodies were recovered, more than 600 pieces of the aircraft, as well as passengers' luggage. A total of 1,344 officers of the Brazilian Navy and eleven vessels, 35,000 miles, were directly involved in the search, rescue and support.[62]
On 15 November 2017, the submarineSan Juan in service with theArgentine Navy, stopped communicating during a routine patrol in the South Atlantic off the coast of Argentina. A multi-nation search operation was mounted to try to locate the submarine, which was believed to have suffered an electrical malfunction. Within hours ofSan Juan's last transmission, reports describe an explosive noise, detected in the vicinity of the vessel's last known location.
The frigateRademaker, the submarine relief shipNSSFelinto Perry and the polar ship NPoAlmirante Maximiano of the Brazilian Navy participated in the multinational search for the lost submarine.[63]
On 28 May 2004 four Brazilian Navy ships (Mattoso Maia,Rio de Janeiro,Almirante Gastão Motta,Bosísio) departed from Rio de Janeiro bound forHaiti on a peace mission coordinated by theUnited Nations (UN). The ships transported part of the military contingent involved in Haitian reconstruction. In addition to 150 Marines and Army troops, the ships carried most of the material for the Brazilian stabilization force — approximately 120 vehicles, 26 trailers of various types, and 81 containers loaded with equipment and supplies.[64] On 28 February 2010, the Brazilian Navy shipGarcia D'Avila sailed from Rio de Janeiro with 900 tons of cargo, including humanitarian aid supplies toearthquake victims in Haiti as well as equipment for the Brazilian military that operates in that country.
Ammunition was brought for Brazilian soldiers in addition to 14 power generators and 30 vehicles, including trucks, ambulances, and armored vehicles. The ship's crew consisted of 350 mariners.[65]
On 15 February 2011, Brazil assumed command of the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of theUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).[66]On 4 October, the Brazilian Ministries of Defence and Foreign Relations informed authorities that Brazil was sending a Navy vessel with up to 300 crew members equipped with an aircraft to join the fleet inLebanon, and the National Congress authorized the ship.[67] On 25 November 2011 the frigateUnião with 239 officers and sailors aboard joined the task force, bringing to nine the number of vessels assisting the Lebanese Navy in monitoring Lebanese territorial waters. The frigate served as the flagship for Rear Admiral Luiz Henrique Caroli of Brazil, who had been Commander of UNIFIL-MTF since February.[68]
On 10 April 2012, the frigateLiberal left Rio de Janeiro bound for Lebanon to join the force.[69] It was relieved in January 2013 by the frigateConstituição which joined a multinational group comprising nine ships; three from Germany, two from Bangladesh, one from Greece, one from Indonesia and one from Turkey. The crew comprised 250 military officials. The return to Rio was scheduled for August 2013.[70]
On 8 August 2015, the corvetteBarroso left Rio de Janeiro to replaceUnião and later that month carried out maritime interdiction operations and provided training to theLebanese Navy.[71] On 4 September 2015 it rescued 220 Syrian migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, as reported by the Ministry of Defense in a statement released on its website. The Brazilian ship was sailing towards Beirut in Lebanon when it received an alert from the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) about a sinking vessel taking immigrants to Europe.[71]
On June 9, 2021, the Brazilian Navy assumed command of theCombined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational task force to combat piracy and which protects the global maritime trade in an area covering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Somali coast and southern Red Sea.[72]
In September 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a new twenty-year strategic plan.[73]
As of 2020, the Brazilian Navy has a reported strength of 80,500 active personnel, of which approximately 16,000 are naval infantry. The current Navy Commander is AdmiralMarcos Sampaio Olsen.
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As of 2012, the Brazilian Navy had about 100commissioned ships,[74] with others undergoing construction, acquisition and modernization. Between 1996 and 2005 the Navy retired 21 ships.[75] The Brazilian Navy operated oneClemenceau-class aircraft carrier,São Paulo, formerly theFrench Navy'sFoch. It was retired in 2017.[76] Its possible replacements are presently in the early stage of planning and are not expected to be in service until at least 2025.[77]
FourTupi-class and oneTikuna-classType 209 submarines are in the fleet. TheTupi-class submarines will be upgraded byLockheed Martin at a cost of $35 million.[78] The modernization includes the replacement of existingtorpedoes with newMK 48 units.[79] On 14 March 2008, the Navy purchased fourScorpène-class submarines fromFrance.[80] The Navy is currently developing its firstnuclear submarine.[81] The Navy planned to have the Scorpène-class submarines in service in 2017, and their first nuclear-powered submarine commissioned in 2023.[82]
In August 2008 the Navy incorporated thecorvetteBarroso, which was designed and built in Brazil[83] at a cost of $263 million.[84] In August 2012 the Navy requested four new ships based on theBarroso class but using a stealth design.
The PROSUPER program plans to acquire, firstly, five new 6,000-ton frigates, five newoffshore patrol vessels and one Logistics Support Vessel.
In January 2012BAE Systems contracted to supply three patrol vessels that werePort of Spain-class corvettes. The contract is worth £133m. The offshore patrol vessels are already built, originally ordered by the government ofTrinidad and Tobago in a contract which was terminated in 2010.[85][86] The first vessel was commissioned at the end of June 2012, the second was scheduled for December 2012 and the last for April 2013.[87]In March 2014, the Brazilian Navy announced plans to domestically build an aircraft carrier, to enter service around 2029. Originally,São Paulo was to be modernized until its introduction, but escalating repair costs forced its retirement in February 2017. The carrier will likely be based on an existing project and be built with a foreign partner. French companyDCNS has a strong presence in Brazil and is already engaged in building five submarines and a naval base in the country. The company has been showcasing their DEAC Aircraft Carrier project based on the carrierCharles de Gaulle's design and aviation systems including launching conventional take-off aircraft,unmanned aerial vehicle integration, advanced conventional propulsion, and platform stabilization systems. American companyGeneral Atomics is marketing theirElectromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) to Brazil. Possible aircraft to be operated by the carrier may include theSaab Sea Gripen, given that the Air Force has chosen the land-based version as their new jet fighter.[88]
The Brazilian Navy stated in 2018 that they had purchased thehelicopter carrier shipHMS Ocean from their British counterparts. Rechristened as PHMAtlântico, this multi-purpose helicopter carrier is presently the flagship of Brazilian Navy.[89][90]
The Brazilian Naval Aviation (Portuguese: Aviação Naval Brasileira) is the air component of the Brazilian Navy, currently called Força Aeronaval. Most of it is part to the Naval Air Force Command (Comando da Força Aeronaval, ComForAerNav), the military organization responsible for operational air support from Navy vessels. 4 squadrons are subordinated to the Naval Districts, responsible for inland and coastal waters. ComForAerNav is headquartered at the Naval Air Base of São Pedro da Aldeia, where all aircraft fleet-level maintenance is carried out. Aeronaval Instruction and Training Center (Centro de Instrução e Adestramento Aeronaval, CIAAN) is also located here. Its pilots, all officers with one to three years of prior naval experience, fly its helicopters, airplanes and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (Aeronaves Remotamente Pilotadas; ARPs, or drones) as extensions of the ships' weaponry and sensors. The naval air arm operates mostly helicopters after the phasing out ofaircraft carriers and only a few fighter jets that are also being phased out.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Aircraft | ||||||
| Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | United States | Attack | A-4KU | 5[91] | Second-hand aircraft purchased from Kuwait in 1998.[92] | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2 | France | Utility | HB-555[92] | 8[91] | ||
| Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France Brazil | Utility | HB-350B Esquilo | 17[91] | Locally assembled as the HB-350B Esquilo.[92] | |
| Airbus Helicopters H135 | France Germany | Utility | 3[91] | |||
| Airbus Helicopters H225M | France Brazil | Transport/Attack | 13[91] | 3 on order as of December 2022.[91] Produced under License.[92] | ||
| Westland Lynx | United Kingdom | Utility | Lynx-21A | 4[91] | ||
| Sikorsky S-70 | United States | Utility | 6[91] | |||
| Trainer Aircraft | ||||||
| Bell 206 | United States | Helicopter trainer | 10[91] | |||
| Airbus Helicopters H125 | France Brazil | Helicopter trainer | 15 on order as of December 2022.[91] Produced under license.[92] | |||
| Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | United States | Jet trainer | TA-4KU | 3[91] | ||
TheBrazilian Marine Corps (Portuguese:Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais;CFN)[93] is the land combat branch of the Brazilian Navy. The Brazilian Marine Corps (Brazilian Portuguese: Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais, CFN; lit. 'Corps of Naval Fusiliers' or 'Corps of Naval Riflemen') relies on the fleet and Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, special operations forces and other support elements. Its operational components are the Fleet Marine Force (Força de Fuzileiros da Esquadra, FFE), under the Naval Operations Command, inRio de Janeiro, and Marine Groups and Riverine Operations Battalions, under the Naval Districts in the coast and the Amazon and Platine basins. The FFE, with a core of three infantry battalions, is its seagoing component.The marine corps traces its origins to the Portuguese Navy's Royal Brigade of the Navy, it served across the 19th century aboard and landed from the Imperial Navy's ships. In 20th century, they were relegated to guard duty. Only after 1950 did the CFN acquire true amphibious warfare capabilities, under long-lasting inspiration from theUnited States Marine Corps.
The Navy has a large number of active and planned projects, under the modernization plans of theBrazilian Armed Forces, defined in theNational Defense White Paper.[94] that outline the major defense programs in Brazil from 2008 until 2040.[95]
The main branches of the Brazilian Navy are:[96]
On top of the naval chain of command stands the Commander of the Navy (Comandante da Marinha -CM) with his directly subordinated administrative units. He also relies on the expertise of the Admiralty (Almirantado), which is a collective board without operational functions, but advises the Commander on day to day matters and planning of the service. The Naval Staff (Estado-Maior da Armada -EMA) is the administrative oversight body of the service. The operational forces of the Brazilian Navy are organized in the Naval Operations Command (Comando de Operações Navais - ComOpNav). The structure of theMarinha do Brasil completes with five General Directorates and the Marines General Command. These are support organizations in charge of personnel, supply, navigation infrastructure and other tasks not directly connected to naval combat operations.
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High Command:
COMMANDER OF THE NAVY (Comandante da Marinha -CM)[97]
Naval Operations Command (Comando de Operações Navais - ComOpNav)
1st Naval District Command (Comando do 1º Distrito Naval - Com1ºDN) (Rio de Janeiro-RJ)
2nd Naval District Command (Comando do 2º Distrito Naval - Com2ºDN) (Salvador-BA)
3rd Naval District Command (Comando do 3º Distrito Naval - Com3ºDN) (Natal-RN)
4th Naval District Command (Comando do 4º Distrito Naval - Com4ºDN) (Belém-PA)
5th Naval District Command (Comando do 5º Distrito Naval - Com5ºDN) (Rio Grande-RS)
6th Naval District Command (Comando do 6º Distrito Naval - Com6ºDN) (Ladário-MS)
7th Naval District Command (Comando do 7º Distrito Naval - Com7ºDN) (Brasilia-DF)
8th Naval District Command (Comando do 8º Distrito Naval - Com8ºDN) (São Paulo-SP)
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9th Naval District Command (Comando do 9º Distrito Naval - Com9ºDN) (Manaus-AM)
Naval Electronic Warfare Center (Centro de Guerra Eletrônica da Marinha - CGEM)
Naval Control Center for Maritime Traffic (Comando do Controle Naval do Tráfego Marítimo - COMCONTRAM)
Office of the Secretariat General of the Navy (Secretaria-Geral da Marinha - SGM)
General Directorate for Material (Diretoria-Geral do Material da Marinha - DGMM)
General Directorate for Personnel (Diretoria-Geral do Pessoal da Marinha - DGPM)
General Directorate for Navigation (Diretoria Geral de Navegação - DGN)
General Directorate for Nuclear and Technological Development of the Navy (Diretoria-Geral de Desenvolvimento Nuclear e Tecnológico da Marinha - DGDNTM)
Marine Corps General Command (Comando-Geral do Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais - CGCFN)[98] - the service support formation of the Brazilian Marines
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As of 2009, the main naval bases in use are:[102]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
| Leadership | |
|---|---|
| History and traditions | |
| General staff | |
| Commands | |
| Military regions | |
| List of equipment | |
| Future | |
