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An Airbus Helicopters H225M fitted with Exocet missiles performing a demo flight at the Helibras facility in Brazil on 25 October 2016. The army is receiving 16 H225Ms. Source: IHS/Gareth Jennings
The Brazilian Army has established an ambitious strategy to boost its aviation capability through planned helicopters and transport aircraft acquisition and upgrades from 2018-37, the army said on 24 July.
As part of its Strategic Program Army Aviation (Pg EE AvEx), the service will build new and upgrade exisiting helicopter facilities; upgrade AS 350 L1 Esquilo, AS 550A2 Fennec, and AS 365K Pantera helicopters; add to the Esquilo and Fennec, a helmet mounted display, EO/IR payload, .50 machine gun, missile and guided rocket, with both adopting the Fennec AvEx designation; and establish a flight simulation centreat an aviation base in Taubaté and develop a flight simulator for Super Pantera helicopters.
The army will also buy 12 medium-lift helicopters to gradually replace AS 532UE Cougar and UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters; acquire reconnaissance and attack helicopters armed with machine gun, cannon, missiles, and guided and unguided rockets for the 1st Aviation Battalion at Taubaté; and buy 12 new fixed-wing twin-engine aircraft from 2022 for operation by 4th Aviation Battalion at Manaus in command-and-control, troop transport, and logistics roles.
The army is also looking to trial second-hand fixed-wing aircraft for doctrinal experimentation from 2019.
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http://www.janes.com/article/72618/brazilian-army-announces-ambitious-aviation-modernisation-plan
