Brazilian Naval Aviation
Brazilian Naval Aviation (; AvN) is the air arm of the Brazilian Navy operating from ships and from shore installations. History. The Brazilian Naval Aviation branch was organized in August 1916, after creation of the Brazilian naval aviation school and the Brazilian 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 sank 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. From 1961 to 1999 the Brazilian Air Force flew the S-2 Trackers 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 Skyhawks and three TA-4KU trainer aircraft from the Kuwait Air Force for US$70 million. In 1998 authority to operate carrier based fixed wing aircraft for the Navy was granted by Presidential decree No. 2538. 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. In 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 fixed wing aviator to land on a Brazilian carrier. Prior to that the fixed wing component  of the A-11 Minas Gerais aircraft carrier (the S-2 Trackers) were operated by the Brazilian Air Force. 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. 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 Étendards and  S-2T Turbo Trackers 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. Structure. The fighting forces of the Brazilian Navy under the Naval Operations Command are divided into an oceangoing component (called the National Squadron or Esquadra in Portuguese) and a territorial component (the 9 Naval Districts or "Distritos Navais"). This division is also present in the Brazilian Naval Aviation. Its main component is the Naval Air Forces Command ("Comando da Força Aeronaval"), which forms a part  of the Squadron, together with the Submarine Force Command ("Comando da Força de Submarinos"), the Surface Force Command ("Comando da Força de Superfície"), the 1st and 2nd Squadron Division Commands (or Task Forces Staffs - "Comando da 1ª Divisão da Esquadra, Comando da 2ª Divisão da Esquadra") and diverse supporting organizations. Additionally there are three general purpose helicopter squadrons based away from the São Pedro da Aldeia naval air base. These squadrons rely on the Aerial Naval Force Command for personnel training and aircraft maintenance, however they are operationally outside of it and are integral to their respective naval districts. The  air units of the Brazilian Navy have their own internal naming convention. However, in light of its US naval aviation origins (as the first pilots and maintenance personnel of the newly re-established naval aviation were sent for training to the US Navy) the squadron abbreviations do not follow their Brazilian names, but rather the typical abbreviations of their US Navy squadron counterparts (VF for the jet attack squadron, HU for the general purpose helicopter squadrons etc.) The only exception is the helicopter training squadron, which rather than HT for Helicopter Training carries the abbreviation HI for Helicópteros de Instrução . Equipment. Aircraft. As of 2014, the Brazilian Naval Aviation operates around 70 aircraft.