The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast Page - Home
Força
Aerea Brasileira / Brazilian
Air Force
Last update 20-08-22
BASES
- Santa Cruz AB - Rio de Janeiro
- Canoas AB - Porto Alegre
- Manaus AB
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By
February 2017 all Air Bases, under order of which the Tigers originally operated, were disestablished according to the new military organisation:
Dimençao 2022. This Alas (Wings) are listed below.
History of the various Grupo de Aviaçao/Grupo Defesa is shown below.
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Alas
New Alas (Wings) were formed operatings several different units; the
Tigers remained with the original units and based at
they original home bases.
They kept initially their original Squadron tail badge.
Ala 2 - obtained the Tigers of 1° GDA at Anapolis and was to be
re-equipped with Saab J-39 Gripen NG (renamed Grupo Fox). First arrival duging the year 2021.
Part of the Ala is the
2°/6° Grupo de Aviaçao flying Embraer E-99 (EMB-145) ECM aircrafts; ALA 2's Primeiro Grupo de Transporte de Tropa (1°GTT) received on 04-09-20 its first Embraer
KC-390 for air refuelling duties.
Ala 3 - (activated
16-12-16) - obtained the the Tigers of 1°/14° GAv at
Canoas together
with 5° ETA flying Bandeirante and 2°/7° with
EMB111PM Banderulhas.
Ala 8 - (activated on 02-02-17, last) - obtained the Tigers of the 1°/4° GAv at Manaus.
Is entrusted with the defence of the wide
Amazonas territories together with the Hawks helicopter of the
7°/8° GAV, the CASA-235 of 1º/9º GAV, the C-97 Brasília and Cessna 208 of
the 7° ETA.
Ala 12 - (activated
08-02-17), - obtained the
theTigers of 1°
GAvCa at Santa Cruz, together with 1°/7° GAV with Lockheed P-3AM
Orions for ASW, 3° ETA with Embraer C-95M
Bandeirante for liaison
and the 3°/8° GAV with H-36/EC 725 Caracal helicopters for SAR/CSAR
Badges: All units dealing with
the Northrop F-5, seen in front of serial 4883 at Pirassununga AB in
September 2019, plus all Alas badges
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UNITS - BADGES
1°
Grupo de Aviaçao de Caça 
1°
Esquadrao 
2°
Esquadrao 
80 years 1°
G Av Ca - 12/2023
All
aircrafts were initially assigned to a pool of the 1°
Grupo de Aviaçao de Caça (1st Fighter Group) at S Cruz AB (RJ) formerly equipped with Embraer
EMB-326;the 2°
Esquadrao named "Pif-Paf"
(2nd
Squadron)
started first conversion, followed by the 1°
Esquadrao named "Jambock". Pilot
conversion was taken
care
by 6 Brazilian and 1 USAF instructors on, Northrop F-5B, which had
initially a low in-service
rate due to lack
of spare parts. equipped with Embraer
EMB-326;the 2°
Esquadrao named "Pif-Paf"
(2nd
Squadron) started first conversion, followed by the 1°
Esquadrao named "Jambock". Pilot
conversion was taken
care
by
6 Brazilian and 1 USAF instructors on, Northrop F-5B, which had
initially a low in-service
rate due to lack of spare parts.
Available
in June 1975 were 5 Northrop F-5B and 1 Northrop F-5E, at the time they
were based at Anapolis AB three new aircrafts were delivered
directly to the base. Six pilots completed a 15 days long conversion
course before returning to S.Cruz AB where the base was upgraded by October 1975.
Aircrafts remained pooled and weared the 1°/1°GAvCa
badge on the left side and the 2°/1°GAvCa
badge on the right side of
the tail.
During 1977 the 1°GAvCa
trained in a six months log course 6 Chilean pilots on the Northrop F-5
up to operational graduation. The goal of 4'000 flight hours on F-5 was reached in December 1991 aboard an
Northrop F-5B.
Photo: via blog.naver.com
Second Northrop F-5B, serial 4802, at S. Cruz AB
Photo: Luiz Padilha
Northrop F-5E 4836 in front of the airship "Zeppelin" hangar at S. Cruz
AB
F-5E 4847 with low visibility 2°/1°GAvCa
badge and torn sticker
"100 years first flight Santos
Dumont" taking off from Anapolis AB on 12-08-04 during Cruzex
III Photo: Eric Riester/AviaPress.ch
Air-to-air refuelling of Northrop F-5E 4836
Two Northrop F-5E behind a Northrop F-5B, pilot belongng belongng to the 1°/1°GAvCa Photo: Brazilian AF
With
delivery of former USAF F-5F's to the the 1°/14°GAv
there
was limited requirement for the first generation two-seaters. The remaining 2 airworthy F-5B's (one
was
serial 4805) were struck of charge at
the end of 1995 and transferred to the Parque de Material Aeronautico
(PAMA) de
Sao Paulo for storage and resale.
Photo: Gustavo Bolson Maia
Two
Northrop F-5E from the first lot next to a second lot
one at Anapolis on 27-07-03
See
our page for
additional information about the Squadrons operation in our In-flight
refuelling,Training,Excercises and
Special colours
page.
The modernised Embraer F-5EM
started to reach the 1° GAvCa
on 20-10-06,
when serial 4826 was accepted in a ceremony at Santa Cruz AB, joining the 1°/14° GAv in the
operation of this fourth generation fighter.
Photo: Juliano
Damasio AIRFLN
1° GAvCa have no
Squadron markings on tail: here F-5EM 4848, seen on 22-04-11
Photo: Brazilian AF
Embraer F-5EM 4806 after its crash landing without pilots at S Cruz AB 05-07-21
The 2°/1°GAvCa has converted to the upgraded Embraer F-5EM,
no Squadron badges have been seen painted on its aircrafts till present.
See
page Upgrades
for information of upgrading details.
Photo: Antonio R Biasius
Rarely seen bomb armed Embraer/Northrop F-5FM, here serial 4807
The Squadron has three flights (blue, Green and Red) and takes care of air defence, attack and interdiction, aircraft equipment was varying between 12 and 14 Tigers.
Some Embraer AT-27Tucanos are also used by the Esquadrao for
liason duties. It was the first unit that received in May 2005 Mectron
Piranha third generation air-to-air missiles.
Two Embraer/Northrop F-5EM of this
unit were the first operational air-to-air refuelled aircfts from an
Embraer KC-390 on 09-08-22 in the Rio de Janeiro area, 3 Embraer/Northrop F-5F
was used by the unit.
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14° Grupo
de Aviaçao
1°
Esquadrao/14° Grupo de Aviaçao "Pampa"
1 )
2) 3) 4)
1)
Coloured badge applied on SEA camouflaged aircrafts; 2) badge painted
on air intake, left hand side, of
grey low visibility Tigers; 3) badge painted on
green/green camouflaged F-5EM. 4) New yellow/blue tail band
Having Completed training of pilots and ground technicians for S. Cruz
AB based Esquadraos manpower was now available for the third Esquadrao.
This was to be the 1°/14° Grupo de Aviaçao de
Caça based at
Canoas AB (Porto Alegre), whose Lockheed TF-33A,
armed version of the trainer, had been retired in 1975.
Some pilots and ground crew started conversion on their future equipment in May 1975 theory at S Cruz AB, flight experience at Anapolis AB. The go ahead for the actual conversion was only given in 1976. On
26-11-76 12 F-5Es arrived at Canoas AB after an 1 hour 10 minutes
non-stop flight from Santa Cruz AB. One F-5B (serial 4805) was also
taken on charge (some sources state that all Northrop F-5B remained
at S Cruz AB).
F-5E 4827 of the 1°/14°
GAv with origonal SEA camouflage, last two of serial on tail, blue tail band
with 5 white stars, May 1986
Photo:
Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
November 1988 saw the arrival of first former USAF Northrop F-5E at
Canoas AB, ferried from Nellis AFB by 1°/14° GAv pilots, re-equipment completed by January 1990. These
aircrafts had several differences
in instrumentation to those of
the
first batch and no in-flight refuelling provision. It was therefore
decided to fully re-equip the unit only with the
"new" aircrafts and change its role from multi- to an
air-defence
role, keeping their original "aggressor" camouflage till overhaul.
They entered
service with the Esquadrao only after having gone through a
revitalization process at Parque de Material Aeronautico de Sao Paulo
(PAMA-Sao Paulo), thereafter the "old" ones were returned to Santa Cruz AB.
See
our page for
additional information about the Squadron operation in our In-flight
refuelling, Training, Excercises and Special
colours
page.
On 15-07-94 the Squadron reached the mark of 100'000 flying hours since
its establishment,
having used Curtis P-40, Gloster Meteor Mk.8 and Meteor Mk.7, Lockheed TF-33,
Northrop F-5E and F-5F, Embraer
AT-27 Tucano .
"Cruzeiro do Sul" emblem painted
on top
Emblem on Embraer/Northrop
F-5EM Emblem on Embraer/Northrop F-5EM seen at Canoas ABof the tail since 08-81
on 28-05-09.
The central,
small star repainted in yellow since 15-07-94, simbolizing 100'000
hours flown by the Squadron since its formation
New emblem on Embraer/Northrop F-5FM
The
Esquadrao acted as a conversion training and Operation Conversion
Unit at the end of 1966, when the last two active Northrop F-5B were struck of charge.
F-5E 4868 still in USAF aggressor colours and with CO code. Natal
24-10-95 Photo:
Peter R. Foster Underfuselage cockpit painted on the single-seater, second series.
Photo: Brazilian AF
On tail commemoration sticker for 100
years first flight in Brazil by Santos Dumont.
The Canoas AB (CO code) on the aircraft's tails was seen in the year 2002 (when was it applied?)
Northrop F-5F 4806
taking off on
25-06-06 from
Florianopolis with comemoration
sticker Camouflaged Northrop F-5E 4839 with 2002 commemoration
sticker on tail in a diferent
Photo: Juliano
Damasio AIRFLN
tail
position
Photo: Brazilian AF
The 1°/14°
GAv was chosen to introduce the by Embraer upgraded F-5EM and received officially its first aircraft, serial 4855, on 12-09-05 at
Canoas AB starting a new and decisive stage of its, and of the
Brazilian AF,
operational life. It performs
its duties of interception, combat air patrol and air escort on the new aircraft. Foreseen Squadron strength is 16 aircrafts.
First upgraded Northrop
Embraer/Northrop F-5FM (serial 4807) was received during 2007. It was
also the first modified two-seater delivered to the Air Force.
Photo: Wilhan campos/Brazilian AF
F-5EM 4875 at Santa Cruz AB on 22-04-07, note underwing
pylons for Python 3
missiles.
Embraer F-5EM In front of Canoas AB hangar
The
1°/14° was chosen to send 4 F-5EM to Nellis AFB to represent
the Brazilian AF at Red Flag 08-03, supported by Boeing KC.707 2404,
between 21-07-08 and 02-08-08. The transfer was accomplished from
Canoas to Boa
Vista via Anapolis (Brazil) to Barranquilla (Colombia) and to Merida
(Mexico) as a last
stage point, starting on 12-07-08 and arriving on 16-07-08.
See
our Upgrades
page
for
additional information.
The unit took part to air-defence of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic
Games in August 2016 with their aircrafts flying from S Cruz AB.
The Squadron force consisted in mid-April 2022 of some 12 single, 2 doubleseaters; 7 Embraer/Northrop F-5EM and 2 Embraer/Northrop F-5EM participated to the 77° Dia da Aviaçao de Caça°(77th Fighter Aviation)
day at S Cruz AB on 22-04-22. Most probrably 2 aircrafts remained at Canoas AB for the 24hours/7days air defence.
Some
Embraer AT-27 Tucanos are also used for liason purposes.
Embraer F-5EM 4830 shortly before its accident on 31-05-22
Embraer F-5FM 4812 with new tail insignia 1°/14° GAv at
Canoas AB
Phot: Sgt Bianca/Brazilian AF
Unusual bombs armed line-up of Embraer F-5EM
as
the unit has mainly fighter duties
Air-to-air refuelling of Embraer F-5FM 4810 with special colour tail (right side) 45 years of operation Embraer/Northrop F-5E 4859 with "call 121.5 MHz" air policing inscription on tank and new
One Embraer/Northrop F-5F was operational in March 2023 with this unit. Photo: Brazilian AF/Sgt Johnson tail insigna on arrival at arrival at Brasilia on 07-09-23 Photo: collection Northrop F-5 enthusiast
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1°
Esquadrao/4° Grupo de Aviaçao "Pacau"
First
tail band Second tail band
Due to increasing tension and armament by Colombia and Venezuela and the increased activities of narcotrafic in the North of Brazil this Natal AB Esquadrao based unit, formerly part of the Centro de Treinamento
e Recumpletamento de Tripulaçoes (CATRE) with EMB-326/AT-26 (retired on 03-12-10), with Embraer/Northrop
F-5EM, becoming an operational unit reformed on 15-12-10 It was
relocated to Manaus AB.
First six Tigers, two from 1°/14° GAV and four from 1°GAVC, were delivered from Santa Cruz AB already on 13-12-10 while first operation in anger was the destruction of a clandestine airstrip
near the Colombian
border, operated by drug smugglers, by 4
Embraer/Northrop F-5EM. These were provisonally based at Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira airport. It has been reported that the Manaus AB runway was too short limiting the
take-off weight, but was later prolongued by 500 meters.
Photo: Silva Lopes/Brazilian AF
Embraer F-5EM, serial 4869 seen
03-08-11 at Pirassununga during Agata 1 operation.
The unit had four flights, for air defence and air superiority under the control of the III Air Force, maintaining a 24 hours/7 days quick reaction force. The Squadron force consisted of only 6/8 Tigers, less than the
normal equipment.
Two Embraer/Northrop F-5EM, armed with Python IV were transferred to Santa Cruz AB from 04th August (shortly before Olympic Games start) till 09th August 2016 (after end of the Games).
Photo: Brazilian AF
Embraer F-5EM 4865 flies over the Olympic area during an interception excercise in July 2016.
At the beginning of Oktober 2016 the two Pyton IV missile-armed Embraer/Northrop F-5EM were again transferred (after 09.08.16, end of the Olympic Games) to Manaus AB in order to check the increased
activity by Sukhoi
Su-30 on the Venezuela/Brazilian border. This was might due to the
impeachment procedure of the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, opposed by the Venezuelan government.
On 17-12-21 the Squadron was
disbanded. Original plan was to transfer the available aircrafts to other units
equipped with the same aircraft, particularly to the full size ones (1°/1° GAV and 1°/14°GAV),
Interception of narco-traffic aircrafts (its main duty) in the Northern
part of Brasil is now responsability of the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano.
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1° Grupo de Defesa Aerea "Jaguar" 
The Embraer/Northrop F-5EM was chosen provisonnaly to replace
the GAMD Mirage 2000 flying from Anapolis AB and retired in December 2013). Pilots received their conversion training on Embraer/Northrop
F-5FM
starting April 4th, 2016 at Anapolis. The course
lasted one year and trained interception, air-combat, instrument
navigation and on simulator.
Six Embraer/Northrop F-5EM and one Embraer/Northrop F-5EM realised their first cannon training against airtargets at Santa Cruz AB end of September 2016 for 12 days, maintenance being assured by the
1° Grupo
de Aviaçao de Caça; they returned to their
home base in flight. The
Squadron force also consisted of only 6/8 Tigers, less than the normal
strength..It will be dissolved when the new Saab F-39A will be
operationally
available.
Photo: Cpt Bellini/Brazilian AF
Embraer
F-5EM 4839 on 1° GDA preparing to land at Anapolis AB
Embraer
F-5EM 4825 of the 1° GDA used as Target Towing aircraft
The unit received its first two Saab F-39 at Anapolis on 19-11-22;
official in service cerimony was on 19-12-22. Only Saab F-39A
eequippedthe unit by beginning of 2023.
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2°
Esquadrao/14° Grupo de Aviaçao
Consideration
was given to establish a reconnaissance Esquadrao by the adaption of the frist 12 F-5E to RF-5E standards with
six (some sources state four) noses, similar as those used on the
Northrop RF-5A,
originally bought in 1976, used for a short
time. An USAF instructor gave reconnaissance training in March 1976, but the noses kept in storage in order to maintain the fighter force, and the plan
had no follow-up.
The reconnaissance nose was used only once in a course in April 1976 andwere sold as scrap in 1974.
Photo: Brazilian AF
This is the only known photo of Brazilian F-5Es (serial
4830) with a reconnaissance nose.
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Parque de Material Aeronautico de Sao Paulo / PAMA - SP 
Based at Campo Grande AB this is a maintainance unit. It takes care of all major overhauls of Brazilian F-5s and prepares the airframes for upgrade to F-5EM/F by Embraer.
Northrop F-5E, unknown serial, seen at PAMA Sao Paulo on 06-10-08 in
primer at PAMA, Sao Paulo Hectic activity at PAMA, Sao Paulo to overhaul Embraer F-5EM on 25-10-09
Photo: unknown
Photo: Fernando Nunão /Poder Aereo
One Embraer/Northrop F-5FM an d seven Northrop F-5EM were at PAMA-SP by March 2023.
1°
Esquadrao