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Exercise in the Paraíba Valley gathered airmobile troops, aircraft, vehicles, and specialized units in a decisive stage of operational evaluation conducted by the Army, with confrontation simulation, helicopter movements, and preparation for live fire in Resende.
Between June 15 and 21, the Airmobile Infantry Brigade conducted Operation Aratu XI in the Paraíba Valley, São Paulo, an exercise that mobilized over 1,100 military personnel, more than 100 vehicles, and Army Aviation aircraft.
The activity is part of one of the decisive phases of the troop’s certification as a Readiness Employment Force, a condition that assesses the brigade’s ability to operate in combat or humanitarian aid missions in different regions of the national territory.
In the region of Caçapava (SP), the training was conducted within a process coordinated by the Land Operations Command, COTER, initiated in February 2026 to verify the operational readiness of the airmobile troop.
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According to the Army’s Social Communication Center, the field stage was classified as “Live Simulation”, a phase in which the military execute missions in a fictional scenario of confrontation between two forces with freedom of maneuver.
Still within the certification cycle, a tactical live fire exercise is scheduled at the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, in Resende (RJ), on June 27, with the same troop employed during the operation.
Operation Aratu XI tests airmobile readiness in the Paraíba Valley
Planned to assess operational capabilities, integration of military means, and tactical procedures, Operation Aratu XI put into practice typical actions of a troop specialized in rapid deployment with support from Army Aviation helicopters.
During the simulation, the military performed airmobile embarkation and disembarkation, terrain infiltration, area conquest and defense, as well as activities related to the informational environment foreseen for the fictional mission.
Elements from the entire brigade also participated, including two Army Aviation battalions and aggregated capabilities from other military organizations, in a structure aimed at testing coordination, command, and operational sustainment.
Among the reinforcements employed were an anti-drone team from the 1st Electronic Warfare Battalion, based in Brasília, and an anti-tank section from the 1st Anti-Tank Company, a unit located in Osasco.
With the presence of these means, the simulation increased the level of demand of the exercise and allowed observation of the integration between ground troops, aviation, specialized support, electronic warfare, and command systems.
Certification of the Airborne Infantry Brigade began in February 2026
Since February 2026, the Airborne Infantry Brigade has been undergoing preparation stages aimed at certification, with activities involving small troop fractions, staff, and finally, the field phase conducted in June.
This process seeks to confirm if the unit is ready to be deployed quickly in military operations or in support actions for the population, within the concept of Readiness Employment Force adopted by the Brazilian Army.
The commander of the Airborne Infantry Brigade, General Pedro Aires Pereira Júnior, stated that the operation allowed the integration of brigade systems, from combat functions, movement, and maneuver to intelligence and strategic communication areas.
According to the general, the exercise also enabled the application of knowledge accumulated by the troops and the evaluation of procedures adopted during the operation, in an environment designed to replicate the demands of a real mission.
Throughout the evaluation, ground troops, air assets, and specialized units needed to act in a synchronized manner, especially in actions of movement, area occupation, position maintenance, and sustaining operational capability.
Simulation with helicopters required coordination between troops
In the scenario proposed for Operation Aratu XI, two opposing forces contested positions on the ground, while one had the mission to conquer and maintain a strategic area located in the adversary’s rear.
To achieve this objective, combatants were transported by helicopters in an action that required a high level of coordination between planning, boarding, air movement, disembarking, and occupation of the positions defined in the exercise.
Among the activities highlighted by the Army were the infiltration of a precursor detachment, night attacks, and air movement to strategic points, always within the simulated environment monitored by the evaluation teams.
In addition to the combatants employed in airborne actions, the exercise involved military personnel from different areas, such as artillery and health support, a segment in which women participated during the execution of activities.
According to the Army, Sergeant Abdalla assessed that the operation allowed the application of field techniques and the transmission of knowledge to soldiers directly on the ground, during a large-scale activity.
A member of the artillery support, Corporal Lemos reported putting into practice the learnings accumulated since initial training, while Sergeant Tainá, a nurse, associated participation in the exercise with daily learning.
Brigade maintains strategic employment profile of the Army
With the stage carried out in the Paraíba Valley, the Airborne Infantry Brigade reinforced its role as a force focused on rapid deployments and missions that depend on integration between ground troops, aviation, health, intelligence, and strategic communication.
However, Operation Aratu XI does not conclude the entire process scheduled for June, as the live-fire tactical exercise in Resende still complements the certification of the troop evaluated by the Land Operations Command.
At the end of this simulation stage, the Army states that it keeps the brigade ready to act with speed, precision, and efficiency in different regions of the country, according to the parameters defined for a strategic employment force.
