The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) received on Wednesday the third and final SC-105 Persuader, Search and Rescue aircraft manufactured by Airbus and which is based on the CASA C-295MP turboprop. Designated FAB 6552, the plane took off from Spain on Friday to the Campo Grande air base, where it will be part of the Pelican Squadron.
The squadron already has the other two SC-105s delivered in June 2017 and November last year, in addition to two H-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
“The Brazilian Air Force receives a strategic vector that ensures the ability to carry out search and rescue in an area of 22 million square kilometers under the responsibility of the Brazilian State, or even carrying out air medical evacuation missions, in-flight relief, and other humanitarian missions in all national territory and in South America”, said the Director-General of DECEA, Lieutenant-Brigadier of the Air Heraldo Luiz Rodrigues.
The Persuader aircraft has some equipment specialized in SAR (Search And Rescue), such as the EL/M-2022A radar located on the nose of the plane and which can scan up to 360 km on land or sea. There are also optical and infrared sensors located on a radome at the bottom of the fuselage that help locate objects and people in more enclosed places or on the high seas. In addition, there are four bubble windows (two on each side of the fuselage) intended for observing crew members, who visually monitor the perimeter.
In addition to the three SC-105s, the FAB also uses the P-3 Orion and KC-390 aircraft for search and rescue missions throughout the entire Brazilian territory.
The Air Force has been operating the Spanish turboprop for some time. In 2005, Brazil ordered 12 units of the transport version that was named C-105 Amazonas. They replaced the veteran C-115 Buffalo planes, made in Canada.
