With troops deployed in the terrain, armored vehicles, helicopters and live fire, Brazilian and North American armies perform a combined exercise in Vale do Paraíba, in cities between Rio and São Paulo, since last December 6th. Known as Vanguard 22, troops from both countries count with at about one thousand soldiers in an integrated work that will happen until December 16th.
The operational readiness, that is the concentration to the beginning of the activities has occurred last Monday 6th in the 5th Light Infantry Battalion in Lorena, São Paulo.
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The ceremony that was attended by the Southern Military Commander, General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva and the Commander of the U.S. Army South Major General William L. Thigpen has set the beginning of the activities.
On the second day of the exercise, an air assault has been carried out starting from the Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (Cptec/Inpe*) in Cachoeira Paulista (SP), with the employment of 22 aircrafts from the Brazilian Army Aviation Command.
Under the command of Itororó Task Force, the soldiers have simulated the conquer and holding of a strategic area inside enemy’s territory and the destruction of opponent forces.
On the third day, with the troops on the training field of the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras premises (AMAN*), in Resende (RJ), the soldiers performed a real defensive fire exercise. On that occasion, the troops were placed in position on a rough terrain to simulate a situation of confrontation with the opponent force.
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“Especially nowadays, a Force that intends to be a deterrent must contemplate the hypothesis of acting outside, as usual these days. The São Paulo Force, the São Paulo-based troop, is an expeditionary troop ready to act anywhere in the national territory or outside it, as in a peacekeeping mission, like the one we operated in Haiti, or in a mission in Africa, if we are required for humanitarian missions”, said General Tomás.
Bulldog Battalion Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, Lt. Col. Michael Harrison, highlighted the interoperability between the two armies and the knowledge exchange between both troops.
“It was an incredible experience for my soldiers and for me. All the US soldiers will return to the US better for having come to Brazil", he concluded.
Brazilian Army Performs Defensive Shooting at Southern Vanguard 22 Exercise.
Brazilian army performed a series of real defensive shots on December 8th, in the field training of Military Academy of Agulhas Negras. The maneuver took place in a combined exercise of the Southern Vanguard 22, that assembles Brazilian and American troops, for a training exercise in Lorena (SP), Cachoeira Paulista (SP) and Resende (RJ) until December 16th.
Approximately 130 soldiers, between Brazilian and North American ones, were deployed for this activity. For the operation, the troops were set on an area of rough terrain in order to simulate a conflict situation with the enemy troop.
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"We shoot with .50 machine guns from the recconoiter and attack aircraft section from the Army Air Force; we shoot with 105 mm artillery, that is from the Air Mobile Light Infantry Brigade; we shoot with 90 mm Cascavel cannon, a vehicle from the Mechanized Cavalry Regiment; we shoot with a .50 machine gun from the Guarani vehicle, with 81 mm mortars. We also shoot with 60 mm mortars, 7,62 mm machine guns 5,56 mm rifles”, said the Operations Officer, from the 12th Air Mobile Infantry Brigade, Major Rodrigo Magalhães.
For the Commander of Southeast Military Command, General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, the exercise allows a view of the difficulties that the enemy troop faces to attack a well-prepared troop on the terrain.
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"With real shot, we are training our troops better. Besides that, we not only progress, guide and fly with our aircrafts, but also prepare a loading, combat and tactical plan before the shooting. This troop is certified to act in any point of the national terrain”, said the Army General.
According to the Commander of Southeast Military Command, the exercise demonstrated that The Brazilian Army has the capacity of applying employment, volume and fire in adverse conditions.
