Through Twitter, the Brazilian Air Force celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Instituto de Pesquisas emsaios em Voo (IPEV), an organization of the FAB itself, dedicated to carrying out test flights, tests, certification, and receipt of military aircraft. In one of the images published by the institution, an F-5EM Tiger II fighter, registration 4825, carries a test version of the MICLA-BR (Long Range Cruise Missile).
At the top of the drift, the fighter bears the painting of a stylized jaguar, indicating that the aircraft belongs to the 1st Air Defense Group, the Jaguar Squadron, a unit based in Wing 2, in Anápolis (GO).
The IPEV Training School is one of 8 institutions, based in 6 countries, that are internationally recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP).
Congratulations to all !#FAB80Years #IPEV #RehearsalInVoo #aviation #Avgeek #AviationLovers pic.twitter.com/gYb3mGAd8F— Brazilian Air Force 🇧🇷 (@fab_official) July 23, 2021
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The MICLA-BR project is based on the AV-MTC (Tactical Cruise Missile) for the Brazilian Army. Conducted by Avibras and FAB, the project foresees the development of a cruise missile with a range of 300 km, equipped with a reaction engine and launched from an aircraft. The missile will be guided by GPS/Inertial Navigation and image correlation system. In the future, the MICLA-BR will be integrated into the Saab F-39E/F Gripen.
In September 2019, plane spotter Rafael Luiz Canossa recorded the same F-5EM 4825 approaching Wing 3 (Canoas Air Base), in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, carrying the instrument.
In addition to the MICLA-BR, mounted on the central hanger (centerline), the fighter carries cameras mounted on the pylons of the outermost part of the wing, called outboard. The cameras are used to record the movement of the test object in different phases of flight.
In November last year, FAB and Avibras signed a memorandum of understanding, formalizing the intention of the company based in São José dos Campos (SP) to develop and produce the MICLA-BR.
SMKB
One of the images published by the FAB shows a test version of a bomb equipped with the SMKB (Smart MK Britanite) guidance kit, carried by an A-1 AMX fighter-bomber. Also called Acauã, the equipment was developed by Britanite BSD, Mectron and the Brazilian Air Force, consisting of a GPS guidance kit installed in a conventional Mk.82 or 83 bomb, in the FAB called BAFG-230 and BAFG-460. The equipment is similar to the JDAM kit (t Direct Attack Munition) developed by Boeing and used by several countries.
The FAB conducted SMKB launch tests from the A-29 Super Tucano and AMX, but the bomb probably did not enter service. Currently, the A-1 of the Poker and Centauro squadrons, squadrons based in Ala 4, in Santa Maria (RS), use bombs with the Lizard kit, with laser guidance and developed by the Israeli company Elbit.
