1st Interceptor and Strike Fighter Squadron (Brazil)
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1st Interceptor and Strike Fighter Squadron (Portuguese: 1º Esquadrão de Aviões de Interceptação e Ataque; VF-1), known as "Falcon Squadron", is the Brazilian Naval Aviation unit created to fly McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighters on aircraft carriers of the Brazilian Navy (MB). The decommissioning of NAe São Paulo in 2017, after more than a decade inoperative, limits the squadron to taking off from land-based runways, especially its headquarters at the São Pedro da Aldeia Naval Air Base (BAeNSPA), Rio de Janeiro, where it is subordinate to the Naval Air Force Command. Its planes had the designations AF-1 (single-seater) and AF-1A (two-seater), later changed after modernization in 2015–2022 to AF-1B and AF-1C. The VF-1 operates the only fighters in Brazil outside the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). It was the last squadron in the world to fly the Skyhawk from aircraft carriers and, together with the Argentine Air Force, is the last military operator of that plane.
1st Interceptor and Strike Fighter Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 2 October 1998; 25 years ago (1998-10-02)[1] |
Country | Brazil |
Branch | Brazilian Navy |
Type | Fighter/Attack |
Part of | Brazilian Naval Aviation |
Garrison/HQ | São Pedro da Aldeia Naval Air Base |
Nickname(s) | Falcões (Falcons) |
Motto(s) | In Are Defensio Maris ("In the air, the defense of the sea")[1] |
Insignia | |
Badge | |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | A-4KU Skyhawk[1] |
The Brazilian Navy's desire for embarked fighters has existed since the 1982 Falklands War, when the importance of the navy's air defense against aircraft and anti-ship missiles, which can reach surface assets in a few minutes, became evident. The interceptor planes would be one of the elements of the embarked air wing and would be part of a "layered defense" of the ships. On land, they could provide close air support to the Marine Corps. The opportunity to acquire fighter jets arose in the 90s, when the FAB deactivated its 1st Embarked Aviation Group (GAE) aboard the aircraft carrier Minas Gerais. Since the "Castelo Branco corollary" of 1965, Naval Aviation was restricted by law to helicopters, but the navy overcame political resistance in the FAB and obtained a new presidential decree authorizing its planes. Since then, relations with the FAB have improved, and there is frequent joint training. The chosen plane was a batch of 23 Skyhawks purchased from Kuwait in 1998. The Skyhawk originates from the 1950s and was not designed as a fighter/interceptor, although it can be used in that role.
The investments required in personnel and infrastructure were heavy. Pilots, called "hunters", take almost four years to train, including periods in the United States Air Force and Navy. The squadron only started flying from Minas Gerais in 2001, but that ship was too limited for fighters and was replaced in that same year by NAe São Paulo. Shipborne operations, focused on training a critical mass of pilots, reached a peak in 2003, but both the aircraft carrier and fighters suffered serious availability issues. In addition to being difficult to maintain, the planes were outdated: there were no modern weapons such as guided bombs, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles, nor in-flight refueling planes and early aerial warning to make fighters more efficient. Only eight pilots were qualified for embarked operations in 2005.
Embraer was contracted in 2009 to modernize twelve Skyhawks; thus, half of the original fleet would already be retired. After the official decommissioning of São Paulo in 2017, the contract was reduced to just six aircraft, which were delivered from 2015 to 2022. The expected useful life is until 2030, and its successors studied by the navy are the Gripen NG, also chosen by the FAB, or the F/A-18 Hornet. However, if the squadron becomes like any other land-based fighter unit, an argument may arise for its deactivation. The modernization gave the squadron the most advanced variant of the Skyhawk ever developed, with modern sensors and digital instruments, but the purchase of weapons was only in the study phase. The Brazilian Navy still values these aircraft in maritime reconnaissance, as they can reach the limit of the country's exclusive economic zone in 30 minutes and, with their new radar, identify naval targets 160 kilometers away. The VF-1 still sends fighters to exercises across the country.