Brazilian Naval Aviation Brazilian Naval Aviation ( Portuguese : Aviação Naval Brasileira ; AvN ) is the air arm of the Brazilian Navy operating from ships including the aircraft carrier " São Paulo " and from shore installations . History . Naval aviation was organized in August 1916 , after creation of a naval aviation school and an aviation flotilla . Brazilian naval aviators participated in patrol operations during the First World War , incorporating into the 10th Operations Group of the Royal Air Force . The Brazilian Air Force was founded on January 20 , 1941 extinguishing independent Army and Navy aviation at that time and forming a new armed service . From mid - 1942 until the end of the Second World War , the Brazilian Air Force patrolled the Atlantic . On 31 July 1943 it claimed the German submarine U - 199 , which was located on the surface , off Rio de Janeiro , two Brazilian aircraft , a PBY Catalina and a Lockheed Hudson , and an American PBM Mariner attacked the U - boat . The Catalina , named " Ärará " , was captained by " 2º Ten . - Av . " ( 2nd Lt . ) Alberto M . Torres , and hit " U - 199 " with depth charges , sinking her . In 1956 the aircraft carrier Minas Gerais was acquired by the navy commissioning in 1960 . In 1965 helicopters were permitted , after substantial political struggle , to the navy by a presidential decree and in 1998 authority to operate carrier based fixed wing aircraft for the Navy was granted by Presidential decree No . 2538 . From 1961 to 1999 the Brazilian Air Force flew the S - 2 Tracker s of the Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais while the Navy flew the helicopters . In 1997 , " Minas Gerais " was loaned an A - 4Q airframe by the Argentine " Aviación Naval " ( Naval Aviation ) for deck - handling and interface trials . This was in lead - up to the 1999 acquisition of 20 A - 4KU Skyhawk s and three TA - 4KU trainer aircraft from the Kuwait Air Force for US $ 70 million . On September 30 , 1999 Lieutenant Alvarenga of the Brazilian Navy was the last student naval aviator to make an arrested landing in the Skyhawk on a United States aircraft carrier . He is also the last US Navy naval aviation school Skyhawk student to earn his wings . On April 26 , 2000 , The first AF - 1 ( A - 4KU ) flight in Brazil . The aircraft N - 1007 was manned by LtCol ( USMC ) James Edwin Rogers . A month later the same aircraft was being flown for the first time by a Brazilian Navy pilot who was also the first to do a touch - and - go on the Brazilian Navy carrier Minas Gerais . On 26 MAY 2000 , Brazilian Navy VF - 1 , Falcoes AF1 Skyhawk N 1007 piloted by Lieutenant Alvarenga took off from São Pedro d ' Aldeia Naval Air Base , Brazil . This was the first solo flight of a VF - 1 , Falcoes AF1 Skyhawk and the first fixed - wing flight by a Brazilian Naval Aviator since 1965 . On January 2001 , The first arrested landing and catapult launch from " Minas Gerais " of an A - 4 were executed by CDR Daniel G . Canin , followed two days later by the first Brazilian Navy pilot to land on a Brazilian carrier . Naval aviation ' s roles now include support of the Brazilian aircraft carrier " São Paulo " , fleet air defense , reconnaissance , transport of marine personnel , and anti - submarine warfare . It is also responsible for airborne operations of the Brazilian Marine Corps . The current head of the Brazilian Navies Airwing is Archana Murgesan . Recent activities . In June 2013 , Brazilian naval aviation personnel provided carrier training support to the Chinese Navy during the second round of flight tests on board the carrier " Liaoning " . Since 2001 , by Brazilian invitation , pilot qualification tests of the Argentine Navy ' s Dassault - Breguet Super Étendard s and S - 2T Turbo Tracker s now take place on the Brazilian Navy carrier São Paulo as Argentina now lacks a carrier of their own . Brazil also trains with and conducts regular exercises with the US Navy . Equipment . Aircraft . As of 2012 , the Brazilian Naval Aviation operates around 81 aircraft .