BNS Sao Paulo (A12)

BNS Sao Paulo (A12) History

As of early 2014, Brazil remains the only South American country with an active aircraft carrier (Argentina stopped using its carriers decades ago). The BNS Sao Paulo (A12) is the flagship of the modern Brazilian Navy, originating from the French Foch (R99) Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier in 1959. When her service in the French fleet ended, she was bought by the Brazilian government to become the Sao Paulo, and was named the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.

The restructured ship officially entered service on November 15, 2000, and has since undergone several modernizations to keep pace with changing battlefield threats. Sao Paulo succeeds the decades-old Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier Minas Gerais, a former British Colossus-class aircraft carrier built in 1942 as HMS Vengeance (R71).

Sao Paulo shows a typical Western aircraft carrier profile, with a flat, unobstructed flight deck and starboard side, with islands set amidships. Her deck allows simultaneous launches of two fixed-wing aircraft (one on the bow and one on the port side), while recovery is via a sloping deck from starboard stern to port. Two hangar lifts (one starboard forward and the other along the edge of the deck) allow the necessary management of the aircraft from below deck to flight deck and vice versa. Her dimensions include an overall length of 869 feet, a beam of 104 feet, and a draft of 28 feet. She displaces 36,160 tonnes under load and is powered by a system of six boilers that power four steam turbines driving twin shafts rated at 126,000 hp.

This enables the vessel to sail at 32 knots and reach a range of nearly 7,500 nautical miles. Her crew consists of 1,920 personnel, including 1,274 seamen and 64 officers. Their air force numbered 582.

Like all naval aircraft carriers, St. Paul is primarily an offensive ship, and her defenses come primarily from the support fleet that makes up her entourage at sea. However, it does have a last line of defense which consists of 4 x 100mm turrets (originating in France), 2 x SACP "Crotale" EDIR ("Ecartometrie Differentialielle InfraRouge") short-range surface-to-air missile systems (France) and 4 dual launchers The SIMBAD ("Mistral") surface-to-air missile installation.

In addition to its stated weapons, the airline relies on a variety of avionics to protect its crew and track, target and engage enemy systems and forces. The array includes the DRBV-23B air search radar, DRBV-15 low-altitude air-to-ground search radar (formerly DRBV-50 series), NRBA-50 scanning radar, DRBI-10 series three-dimensional radar and DRBC-32C fire radar system (formerly DRBC-31 ). The installed DRBN-34 system provides navigation services.

The value of Sao Paulo is complemented by its Air Force, which has about 39 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Brazil received an order for US-origin ex-Kuwait Douglas A-4 fighter-bombers in 1998 (before the acquisition of the aircraft carrier), 22 of which made up the airborne fixed-wing family.

Up to 17 helicopters will be transported, including a range of American and French models, including Aerospatiale AS532 Cougar and Sikorsky Sh-3 Sea King models. The St. Paul's deck is in a traditional CATOBAR ("Catapult Assisted Takeoff, Obstacle Intercept Recovery") configuration.

Before becoming Saint Paul, the ship was modernized between 1980 and 1981 (as the French Navy "Foch") to support the French Navy fighter Dassault Super Ensign. In 1985 the entire Clemenceau class (No.

2) was refitted again and fitted with the Crotale missile system, replacing some of the original 100mm turrets. In her early days, now renamed Sao Paulo, participated in several global exercises, helping the ship and crew through its paces. Her deck also serves as a training ground for Argentine Navy pilots, who operate under the guidance of a former French Dassault flag fighter and a former American Grumman S-2 tracking platform.

For the Brazilian Navy, Sao Paulo is also an active training ship, engaged in fixed-wing and rotary-wing training.

Sao Paulo was modernized in the second half of the 2000s, as did some Air Forces. For now, the Brazilian Navy will continue to support Sao Paulo, and its air force will continue to modernize with the arrival of the new U.S. Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk Navy helicopter, significantly expanding the ship's anti-ship and anti-ship capabilities. Submarine capabilities for the foreseeable future.

The Sao Paulo remains a key cog in Brazil's navy's operations in the region, both for stability and to project power in the Atlantic-facing waters of South and Latin America. For any modern naval power, the aircraft carrier is the heart and soul of the fleet, and the British Navy is no exception.

December 2017 - The Brazilian Navy announced that the Sao Paulo would be decommissioned rather than undergo costly repairs to her design. She was stripped of her usefulness before being scrapped, costing the Brazilian Navy her flagship carrier.

Its air wing is expected to operate from a land base for the foreseeable future.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing