Pictures of Brazilian Air Force surveillance squadrons monitoring the country

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Thorough intelligence collection and surveillance of areas of interest are among the missions of reconnaissance aviation.

The union of technology and aviation has made airborne resources faster, more agile, and more efficient. Thorough intelligence collection and surveillance of areas of interest are some of the activities carried out by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) Reconnaissance Aviation Branch, which celebrated its 74th anniversary on June 24.

The Poker (1st/10th CLA), Horus (1st/12th CLA), Carcará (1st/6th CLA), and Guardião (2nd/6th CLA) squadrons, stationed in the South and Midwest of the country, are the eyes of the FAB, sharing from above the challenge of detecting threats and protecting and integrating the national territory.

Reconnaissance aviation is divided into two groups of actions to accomplish the FAB mission: those that help maintain airspace sovereignty by producing intelligence products that aid in decision making, whether in the short term at the tactical and operational level or in the medium and long term at the strategic and political level; and those that contribute with the imagery used in various situations, such as. e.g., border invasion monitoring and analysis, urban growth, digital surface model, river courses, fires, deforestation, clandestine airstrips, mining, etc.

Then there is aerial surveillance, which is essential for events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and other interagency operations such as Law and Order (GLO).

The modernization of equipment, software and machinery is an ongoing process, as reconnaissance aviation requires this equipment to perform its missions. The commander of Carcará Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Gleyson Márcio Tavares Cavalcanti, describes what he expects from reconnaissance aviation amid the technological evolution.

“We seek the ability to provide situational awareness to friendly forces over areas of interest, with timely, relevant, comprehensive, and accurate assessments, using current sensors and integrated with other platforms through a link structure.

“From this perspective, some specialists believe that the employment of airpower requires deep knowledge of the adversary, thus a need for intelligence. This is translated into the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance task,” the officer concluded.

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