The Brazilian Ministry of Defense intends to issue a tender on 27 September to sell the hull of former Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier NAe São Paulo (A12), for a minimum of BRL5.3 million (USD1.3 million). NAe São Paulo (pennant number A12) was a Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier in service with the Brazilian Navy. São Paulo was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. The ship was procured in place of the aircraft carrier Minas Gerais, purchased from the United Kingdom operated for Brazil between 1960 and 2001. While in service, Sao Paulo was the oldest aircraft carrier in the world. The vessel was launched in 1960 and served with the French navy under the name FS Foch between 1963-2000.
Sao Paulo spent a total of 206 days at sea, underway for 54,024.6 miles (85,334 km), performed 566 aircraft launch by catapult. The main aircraft operated on the vessel was the AF-1 naval fighter, a national designation for the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, which is being operated from ground bases now. Brazil had planned to modernise the ship as part of the project Obtenção da Capacidade Operacional Plena, with upgrades slated for communications, a search radar system, propulsion systems, power generation equipment, an aircraft catapult, and aircraft-landing systems. But the cost estimates proved too costly and technically difficult to complete.
After the procurement by the Brazilian Navy, the vessel had a short and rather troubled career, encountered some mechanical problems and accidents. Because of these incidents, the ship spent more time at shipyard rather than sea. São Paulo suffered from serviceability issues and never managed to operate for more than three months at a time without the need for repairs and maintenance. In February 2017 the naval command decided decomission Sao Paulo.The ship, which is moored at the state-controlled shipyard Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro (AMRJ), was decommissioned on 22 November 2018.
