After several days of intense activity, the Argentine Navy and Brazilian Navy completed the series of combined exercises Passex and Fraterna in August. Activities carried out in late August involved a significant deployment of assets and personnel from both naval forces.
In mid-August, media representatives and Brazilian Navy personnel arrived at the Mar del Plata Naval Base as part of joint activities planned by the two countries. First was the submarine Tikuna, which was followed by the Niteroi-class frigates “Unio” and “Independência”. The aim of the exercises conducted between the navies is to create a high degree of interoperability and mutual trust when conducting joint operations.
“(…) that the effective implementation of the activities each year ensures an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of this combined action; At the same time, however, constant realization of the commitment to implementation is required in subsequent years, as professional changes and changes in responsibilities and positions mean that the actors involved differ from year to year.‘ uttered by the Argentine Navy.
After carrying out the initial coordination activities and preliminary preparations, the Argentine and Brazilian navies left the Mar del Plata Naval Base for the designated locations where the Passex exercise and later the Fraterno exercise would take place in Brazilian territorial waters. On behalf of Argentina, the destroyer MEKO 360 ARA Sarand and the patrol boat ARA Contraalmirante Cordero participated in the passage, accompanied by an S-2T Tracker aircraft from the Naval Anti-Submarine Squadron.
“As soon as they arrived in Brazilian territorial waters, intensive action began as part of Exercise Fraterno XXXVI. The main actors of the exercises were the commanders of the task forces of both navies, who switched directions of the exercise to order and carry out the respective procedures, focusing on incidents in different conflict scenarios, such as combating water surfaces and submarines, air defense, and electronics, said the Argentine Navy in its official statement.
In addition, the presence of various aircraft from the Naval Aviation Command of the Brazilian Navy was recognized at these activities. More specifically, AF-C1 Skywak fighter-bombers of the 1st Interception and Attack Aircraft Squadron, such as the AH-11B Wild Lynx and UH-12 Esquilo helicopters
Added: “All this in addition to the parallel execution of the roles, which allows a surface unit depending on the eventuality, such as: B. in combat, must take over; Task; man to water; fight against fire; error control; ungoverned ship; and aircraft launch and recovery“.
After the activities of the fraternal joint exercise, the naval authorities of both countries held the last critical meeting of the activities in the city of Itaja.
The staff officers of both navies took part in this: commanders and second-in-commands of the intervening units; the commander of the Corvette Division of the Argentine Navy, Captain Nicolás Waldo Pérez; and the commander of the Brazilian Navy’s First Squad Division, Rear Admiral Nelson de Oliveira Leite.
