The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will carry out between the 18th and 30th of November, in Natal (RN), the 8th edition of the Cruzeiro do Sul Exercise (CRUZEX).
This edition brings together around one hundred aircraft from 14 countries. Brazil, Canada, Chile, , Peru, Uruguay and the United States will participate with soldiers and planes. Bolivia, India, Sweden, United Kingdom and Venezuela participate as observers.
Portugal will bring special forces soldiers and, alongside and , will give lectures at the seminar on the use of air power in United Nations Organization missions.
The exercise organized by the Brazilian Air Force allows crew to train air combat in combined operations, that is, different nations acting in conflict scenarios in an integrated and cooperative manner, promoting the exchange of experiences among of the participating air forces.
“CRUZEX allows for the exchange of operational skills. In addition to strengthening ties between countries, it makes it possible to add knowledge from other nations that have experience in t action scenarios”, says CRUZEX director Brigadier Luiz Guilherme Silveira de Medeiros.
CRUZEX is the largest multinational and t air combat exercise – as it also brings together the Army and Navy – carried out by the FAB.
Unconventional warfare scenarios
One of the novelties in this edition of CRUZEX is the addition of training in unconventional warfare scenarios, in English UW scenario– acronym for Unconventional Warfare, where the combat is against insurgent or paramilitary forces and not between two constituted states. These are situations found in missions where the United Nations (UN) operates.
According to the director of the exercise, the importance for the FAB to train this unconventional scenario lies in the possibility of Brazil sending aircraft to integrate UN missions.
“If it happens, we need to be prepared”, said Brigadier Medeiros. CRUZEX will allow Brazilians to train alongside foreign soldiers who already carry out this type of mission in the context of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The scenarios prepared for training involve conventional and unconventional warfare. In the conventional war scenario, the so-called “COMAOs” will be carried out, an acronym in English for Composite Air Operations, a 'package' with about 40 to 50 aircraft of different natures. Aircraft take off in sequence to – in limited time and space – carry out missions with common or complementary objectives.
Aircraft and Delegations
Participating countries will deploy fighter aircraft, such as the US and Chilean F-16s; freighters and tankers, such as the Canadian CC-130J.
The US participates with approximately 130 military personnel, a KC-135 tanker and six F-16 fighters. The Chilean Air Force participates with a very similar effort: there are five F-16 fighters and a KC-135 tanker. The delegation, between pilots and maintenance teams, will have around 90 soldiers. This is the fourth time that Chile participates in CRUZEX.
Peru will bring four A-37 fighters and four Mirage 2000 fighters, with a delegation of around one hundred soldiers. participates with a C-235 freighter; Canada with two CC-130J freighters; and Uruguay with four A-37 fighters.
The Brazilian Air Force will move around 10 multi-aviation aircraft to Wing 70, in addition to the Brazilian Navy's AF-1 fighters, which will participate in the exercise for the first time.
