On November 6, nine ships of the Brazilian Navy departed from Rio de Janeiro to Itaoca on the coast of EspÃrito Santo to participate in joint exercises. This year, Operation “Dragon XXXIX” was inserted in Operation “Atlantic V”, a joint exercise coordinated by the Ministry of Defense, which gathered 2,845 Navy personnel, as well as Army and Brazilian air force. November 9th was the “D” Day of the operation, with the landing of Marine troops on Itaoca beach. There were 1,726 officers of the Marine Corps, divided into 106 operating vehicles and 12 armored vehicles (among them 8 amphibious caterpillar cars). The focus of the amphibious operation was the evacuation of non-combatants, whose objective is to provide the necessary security for the exit of Brazilians who are in a foreign country, where instabilities may endanger physical wellbeing. Land actions simulated the sorting, evacuation, and removal of these civilians.
The Amphibious Task Force, commanded by Rear Admiral Paulo César Colmenero Lopes, Commander of the 1st Division of the Squadron (ComDiv-1), was composed of the Bahia (G40), the Admiral Saboia (G25), the Marambaia General Landing Craft (L20), the Barroso Corvette (V34), the Rademaker Frigate (F49), the Guaporé Patrol Ship (P45), and the Apa Ocean Patrol Ship (P121). The operation was also supported by the fleet’s new flagship, the Atlantic Multipurpose Helicopter Port (A140) and the Purus Oceanic Support Ship (G152), which acted as a friendly force, performing troop landing actions (150 Marines), air operations and logistical support. Aircraft involved in the operation included 9 Brazilian Navy aircraft (4 UH-15, 2 UH-12, 1 AF1, 1 AH-11A and 1 SH-16), as well as Brazilian Air Force aircraft.
On November 11, Defense Minister Joaquim Silva y Luna, Navy Commander Fleet Admiral Eduardo Bacellar Leal Ferreira, Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Admiral Squad Ademir Sobrinho, as well as other Officers, were in the area of operations in Itaoca (ES). Then, they visited the facilities of the Multipurpose Dock Ship Bahia, where they watched the simulation of an aeromedical evacuation, with the landing of an aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force, which took a patient to be attended in the Hospital Complex of the ship, which has 500 m², two operating rooms, ICU, capacity to attend up to 100 patients per day, and gathered doctors, nurses and pharmacists of the three Forces.
