Rio de Janiero. 07 April 2019. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) was honored by helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, during LAAD . The Aeronautics Preparation Commander (COMPREP), Air Lieutenant Antonio Carlos Egito do Amaral, received from the executive vice president of the company, Dale Bennett, commemorative plaques in recognition of the military involved in two rescue operations.
“This is an acknowledgment of the ability of the Brazilian military to carry out this kind of mission, which is a service provided to Brazilian society, fundamental to this and to the world aviation. The aircraft and their crews are only the tip of the Brazilian System of Search and Rescue, which involves the Integrated Centers for Air Defense and Air Traffic Control [CINDACTA] and its regional links, functioning thanks to the FAB’s commitment, “said Lieutenant Brigadier Egypt.
In December 2018, an H-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Harpia Squadron (7th / 8th GAV) was fired to rescue three survivors of an air accident near the city of Tabatinga (AM), on the border with Peru . The FAB military rescued the pilot and two passengers, a man and a woman, as well as a dog that accompanied them on the aircraft. There was no room for the helicopter landing and the victims were hoisted. They were taken to Tabatinga where two Brazilian Army vehicles waited to take them to the medical service.
In the same month, another H-60 Black Hawk helicopter located and rescued two crew members who were five days in the woods after a plane crash. They followed from Pimenta Bueno (RO) bound for Santo Antônio do Leverger (MT) and were found near Cáceres (MT), a town 220 km far from the capital Mato Grosso. In all, about 30 soldiers from the Pelicano Squadron (2nd / 10th GAV) were involved in the four days of searches. Panther Squadrons (5th / 8th GAV) were also part of the crew that carried out the rescue.
Sikorsky’s Regional Sales Manager for Brazil, Joseph Dasilva, underscored the importance of the two operations. “It could have ended in a very different way without the brave men and women who serve Brazil. Without the search efforts dedicated to the squadrons, these stories might very well have had a very different end, “he said.
The Commander of the Squadron Hapia (7º / 8º GAV), Lt. Col. Aviador Ivan Fernandes Faria, points out that Black Hawks aircraft are essential in the Amazon. “They bring us a lot of security. It is a combat aircraft prepared for intense combat actions that, when used for national integration missions, search and rescue, and rescue, serve us greatly, “he said.
For the Pelican Squadron Commander (2nd / 10th GAV), Lieutenant-Colonel Aviator Luciano Antônio Marchiorato Dobignies, the Black Hawk was much desired by the Force. “He always had a notorious role in the Air Force and was no different in the 2nd / 10th GAV , in December. The H-60 is a well-established aircraft on the world market. It will continue to fulfill many successful missions due to the good project that has presented in more than 40 years in the world and more than ten years in Brazil, “he said.
For the Commander of the Panther Squadron (5th / 8th GAV), Lieutenant-Colonel Ricardo Da Cas, the operation of the H-60 Black Hawk aircraft has made possible an essential support in actions of public calamity, floods, air crash and aeromedical evacuation in different scenarios . “We were happy with the delivery of the plates by the company Sirkorsky. It really is a recognition for the service and dedication of the FAB military in these rescues, “he concluded.
Source: Air Force Agency, by Ten Cristiane dos SantosEdition: Air Force Agency – Revision: Major Rocha Photos: Pelican Squadron, Panther Squadron and Sikorsky
