On Sunday (8), the Oceanographic Support Ship “Ary Rongel” and the Polar Ship “Almirante Maximiano” began the 42nd Antarctic Operation (OPERANTAR), one of the most complex and extensive operations carried out annually by the Brazilian Navy (MB), which seeks to support the Brazilian presence and research on the southern continent, within the scope of the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR).
The ships, which are expected to return to Brazil only in April 2024, departed from the Ilha das Cobras Naval Base in Rio de Janeiro, which received the friends and family of the crew members for a farewell.
In this edition of OPERANTAR, service members will provide logistical support to research projects, participate in the launch and collection of scientific camps, and work on hydrographic surveys, as part of the “2020-2023 Hydrography Work Plan” of the MB Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation.
Conducted during the summer, scientific research is carried out aboard MB ships, at the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station (EACF), in isolated camps, and at foreign stations, through cooperation between countries.
Agencia Brasil photo