On Tuesday (25), Brazilian and French service members ended the Brazil stage of Operation “Jeanne D’Arc 2025” with an Amphibious Operation (naval operation launched from sea to land) at Praia Mansa, in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza (CE).
Carried out by the Brazilian Navy, the French National Navy, and the French Amphibious Brigade, the combined exercise involved about 1200 service members, 600 Brazilians and 600 French. In addition to increasing interoperability between the forces involved, the goal is to strengthen partnerships and intensify cooperation in the field of naval diplomacy.
The action carried out on Tuesday brought together authorities, the press and the public to watch an Amphibious Operation in the Amphibious Projection modality with a focus on the Evacuation Operation of Non-Combatants (civilians or members of the Armed Forces who are not involved in the conflict).
For the Commander of Naval Operations, Admiral Cláudio Henrique Mello de Almeida, the choice of the Multipurpose Dock Ship (NDM) “Bahia” for the operation was due to its versatility. “This type of ship has been an option for several navies around the world, as it allows use in different types of environments. It can act, as here in this exercise, in a situation of possible conflict, but it can also be used in humanitarian operations and support for Civil Defense,” he explains.
According to the Commander General of the Marine Corps, Admiral Carlos Chagas Vianna Braga, for the Brazilian Navy, especially for the Marine Corps (CFN), this type of exercise is fundamental in several aspects. “The CFN is MB’s strategic force for prompt deployment, amphibious and expeditionary in nature. This type of exercise moves troops from Rio de Janeiro, one of our main bases, to Fortaleza, embarked on a ship of our Force. That’s operational readiness, expeditionary capability, and amphibious capability. In addition, we were able to execute all this in a combined operation with an important strategic partner for us, such as France,” he says.
Regarding the strategic partnership between France and Brazil, the French Defense Attaché, Captain Matthieu Dejour, points out that this cooperation goes beyond Operation “Jeanne D’Arc”. “There is a submarine construction program in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, in addition to having an action that deals with maritime security and today we are seeing this partnership in the area of amphibious operations. This operation has mutual benefits, it is a possibility to train and learn from Brazilian amphibious troops”, he recalls.
The Operation was carried out with naval, land, air, and marine assets from both countries, with emphasis on the presence of the NDM “Bahia”, the Mistral Amphibious Helicopter Carrier (L9013), the Surcouf Frigate (F711), the ASTROS Multiple Rocket Launcher Battery (LMF) adapted with the National Surface Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP), the French Navy’s amphibious landing craft, the Amphibious Caterpillar Vehicle (CLAnf, in Portuguese), the UH-15 “Super Cougar” aircraft, as well as other vessels, light and heavy vehicles, and other military equipment from MB.
Non-combatant Evacuation Operation
Non-combatant Evacuation Operations are characterized by providing the necessary safe exit of Brazilians, or nationals of interest to the Brazilian government, from territories where natural disasters or political or social instabilities may put the physical integrity of these people at risk.
One of the highlights of the Operation was the presence of the Nationally Produced Surface Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP), along with the Marine Corps Artillery Battalion’s “ASTROS” vehicle. A versatile means that can be transported by land, sea, and air, as occurred in the unprecedented action of transporting MANSUP by the Brazilian Air Force’s KC-390 aircraft.
At the same time as the actions on land were carried out, MB Special Operations teams arrived by sea and verified that the terrain had the necessary security for the action to begin. Then, the NDM “Bahia” released the CLAnf into the water. Soon after, pneumatic landing craft arrived at the beach in order to assess the conditions and identify possible risks. These vessels, due to their versatility, are used both in hostile environments and in humanitarian operations.
It was possible to see a white smoke screen, which served to hide the displacement of the armored column formed by the CLAnf. Soon after, they landed on the beach and quickly the military of the two nationalities disembarked to evacuate the nationals in danger.