Brazilian Air Force participated in the Salitre IV Multinational Exercise.

The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) participates, from October 10 to 21, in the Multinational Combined Air Exercise SALITRE IV. The air combat training, promoted by the Chilean Air Force (FACh), counts on the participation of air and human resources from the Air Forces of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, a cell of the United States Space Force, in addition to observers from Canada, Peru, Mexico and Uruguay, for joint action in the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) standard.

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  The objective of Exercise Salitre is to expand cooperation and relationships between the Air Forces involved, increasing their interoperability through common planning in a NATO format. (Picture source: FAB)

In all, six F-5M fighter jets and one FAB KC-390 Millennium participate in the Exercise. In addition, the activity will feature the participation of Chilean F- 16, F5 Tigre III, A-29 Super Tucano,A-36 Toki; Argentina's IA-63 Pampa III and A-4R Fightinghawk; in addition to combat support aircraft FACh C-130 Hercules, KC-135E Stratotanker and MH-60M Black Hawk and Bell 412 helicopters.

The objective of Exercise Salitre is to expand cooperation and relationships between the Air Forces involved, increasing their interoperability through common planning in a NATO format. The event is also an opportunity to train crews, command and control systems, as well as logistics systems and personnel in the Defense area.

According to the Head of the Brazilian delegation, Commander of the First Squadron of the Fourteenth Aviation Group (1st/14th GAV – Pampa Squadron), Aviator Lieutenant Colonel Davi de Abreu, the Salitre IV Multinational Exercise is of great doctrinal importance for the FAB, a since it provides the opportunity to exchange ideas and understandings aimed at the main function of Air Power, which are the Actions that contribute to the conquest of air superiority in a context of regular warfare.

“Military doctrine combines strategic principles, together with tactics and techniques that must always adapt to the temporal and territory in which they will be applied, which is why a large-scale exercise and the involvement of different participants, especially in an international context, is very constructive”, added Lieutenant-Colonel Davi.

The Director of the Exercise, General of Aviation Leonardo Romanini of FACh, reported that in 2004 the Chilean Air Force assumed responsibility for organizing, planning and executing the Exercise. He also highlighted that the combined training can put the acquired knowledge into practice, if there is a need. “Exercise Salitre is a very important activity. Through it, first of all, international relations between the participating countries are increased. Second, mutual knowledge is provided between the region's Air Forces”, he added.

This is the fourth time that the FAB has participated in the Exercise, the last version of which was held eight years ago, in 2014. In this edition, the Brazilian delegation is made up of 75 military personnel and has the participation of seven FAB aircraft, belonging to the First Group of Fighter Aviation (1°GAVCA) – Jambock and Pif-Paf Squadrons; to the First Squadron of the Fourteenth Aviation Group (1st/14th GAV) – Pampa Squadron; to the First Troop Transport Group (1st GTT) – Zeus Squadron; and the First Squadron of the First Transport Group (1st/1st GT) – Fat Squad.

Sergeant Davy Dayan Martins Bagetti de Lima, loadmaster of the KC-390 of the 1st GTT, is participating for the third time in an international exercise. At Salitre, he came to be an In-Flight Refueling Observer. “My participation is very valuable. It is an exercise that adds up to a lot for all the Air Units involved, both to increase our situational awareness and also the interoperability between the Squadrons”, he declared.

  The event is also an opportunity to train crews, command and control systems, as well as logistics systems and personnel in the Defense area (Picture source: FAB)