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The MANSUP anti-ship missile, capable of hitting targets 70 km away, was transported from Rio de Janeiro to Fortaleza by a KC-390 Millennium aircraft. The exercise took place in an isolated area on the coast of Ceará, integrating the FAB and the Navy and reinforcing Brazil's defense power and operational capacity.
In an unprecedented and strategic operation carried out on March 21, 2025, the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force transported the MANSUP (National Surface Anti-Ship Missile) anti-ship missile, with a total weight of 24 tons, from Rio de Janeiro to Fortaleza. The operation involved the use of the KC-390 Millennium military cargo plane, a strategic aircraft of the FAB, which took off from Galeão Air Base and landed in the capital of Ceará after a brief technical stopover in Salvador (BA), according to information released by the Diário do Nordeste portal and confirmed by the official FAB press office.
The missile was transported together with the ASTROS II launch system, used by the Marine Artillery Battalion. After arriving in Fortaleza, the system was quickly moved to an isolated area on the coast of Ceará, where it was the launch was successfully completed of the missile, in an integrated operation that involved several units of the Brazilian Armed Forces.
Operation “Jeanne d'Arc 2025” and international cooperation
The transportation of the MANSUP missile was part of Operation “Jeanne d'Arc 2025”, a joint military exercise carried out by the Brazilian Navy and the French National Navy (MNF). According to information released by the FAB and reproduced by the Diário do Nordeste portal, the operation will take place until the beginning of April on the northeastern coast, with the objective of strengthening interoperability between the forces, expanding strategic and tactical cooperation with international allies.
The exercise featured complex simulations involving ships, aircraft and specialized troops, demonstrating high operational capacity and logistics of Brazilian forces to act quickly in any region of the country, especially in strategic areas of maritime defense.
MANSUP missile characteristics and strategic potential
The MANSUP missile is a national strategic project developed by the Brazilian Navy in partnership with Brazilian defense companies. It is designed to hit targets at distances of over 70 kilometers, reaching speeds of up to 1.000 km/h, according to data provided by the FAB. Its anti-ship capability guarantees Brazil a strategic maritime defense position, allowing effective deterrence against threats in territorial waters.
MANSUP can also be used both by ships of the Brazilian Fleet and from mobile land platforms, significantly expanding the operational flexibility of the Armed Forces in situations of conflict or territorial defense.
FAB's KC-390 Millennium: Brazilian strategic aircraft
The KC-390 Millennium aircraft, used to transport the missile, is one of the FAB's main assets. Manufactured by Embraer Defense & Security, the KC-390 is a military cargo plane capable of transporting up to 26 tons of payload, standing out for its versatility and ability to operate in different scenarios, such as military operations, humanitarian operations, logistics transport and aerial refueling, as announced by the Brazilian Air Force itself.
The successful use of the KC-390 in this operation reinforces its strategic importance as an effective means of quickly repositioning military resources anywhere in the national territory, strengthening Brazil's logistical and operational capabilities.
