Brazil’s aircraft carrier São Paulo begins its voyage to Turkey to be dismantled

The largest ship operated by the Brazilian Navy in its history, the aircraft carrier NAe São Paulo (A12), left the Brazilian coast yesterday for Turkey to be dismantled.

The ship’s hull was purchased, in March 2021, for the sum of R$10.5 million (US$2 million) by the Turkish shipyard Sok Denizcilikve Tic, which specializes in the dismantling of out-of-service ships.

According to the shipyard, the aircraft carrier will be dismantled at facilities in the Aegean Sea region of Aliağa.

The hull raised controversy in Turkey because of the health risk it would pose or the fear of neighboring countries, such as Greece, that the former Brazilian aircraft carrier would end up being used for military purposes by the Turkish government.

The tugboat in charge of taking the ship to Turkey, the Alp Centre (Dutch flag), after the last formalities to start the displacement, left Baiá da Guanabara towing the hull of the NAe São Paulo in mid-afternoon. The deactivated ship was moored at Ilha das Cobras.

HISTORY OF THE AIRCRAFT

Weighing 32,800 tons and 265 meters long, the NAe São Paulo, a former FoCh of the French Navy, was purchased by Brazil in the early 2000s, along with 23 A4K/A4kU Skyhawk fighters, and operated until 2017, when it was decommissioned.

The A-12’s career was marked by high operational unavailability and constant mechanical problems, generating a service record with few total sea days (206) and only 54,024.01 miles sailed, about 85,000 km.

Another fact that demonstrates the low operational readiness of the ship is that, in its entire career with the Brazilian Navy, it only performed 566 complete catapult and aircraft pick-up cycles in 15 years.

With information from InfoDefensa

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