Hotlines have been established between the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and the air defense commands of Brazil’s five neighboring countries to stop drug smuggling. The bi-lateral agreement with Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay has already proved to be much more useful than mere anti-smuggling duties.
It has recently been revealed that a FAB Embraer R-99A AEW&C aircraft was responsible for pinpointing the position of and ultimately saving the lives of 71 kidnapped gas pipeline workers in the Peruvian Amazon region in 2003.
The construction workers had been kidnapped by a guerilla group, and the president of Peru called the president of Brazil asking for help. Within an hour an AEW&C P-99A took off from Annapolis Air Base, Brasilia, flew 1,030 nmi to Porto Velho FAB base where it refueled, then flew another 805 nmi to the Peruvian capital, Lima. There the crew awaited further Ministerial instructions. From there the crew launched a four-hour mission during which they pinpointed the guerillas’ radio traffic and called in Peru’s Special Operations Assault Force, who released all the hostages unharmed. —Mike Vines
