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Agreement consolidates military presence at Lake Furnas, expands logistical capacity, and opens the way for shared use of the airport in Minas Gerais, with impact on defense operations, emergency response, and regional integration.
The Brazilian Navy took a step to consolidate its presence at Lake Furnas with the signing, on March 30, 2026, of a memorandum of understanding for the definitive donation of the old airport of Furnas, in São José da Barra, in Southern Minas.
The agreement involves the Marine Corps, Axia Energia, the Association of Municipalities of Lake Furnas, and the local city hall, and formalizes the structure that has already been used by the force as an Expeditionary Air Base since 2022.
The signing took place at the Fortress of São José, on Snake Island, in Rio de Janeiro, and reinforces the strategic role of the area for military operations, emergency response, and support to the surrounding population of the reservoir.
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In practice, the location has been employed by the Navy in exercises and interagency actions, but the new agreement expands institutional security for the continuity of these activities.
The structure available in São José da Barra is one of the central points of the operation.
The complex includes a runway, hangar, fueling, and paved access to the municipal headquarters, which facilitates the movement of troops, equipment, and aircraft in a region far from the coast but considered relevant for the Marine Corps’ expeditionary doctrine.
Furnas air base gains official backing from the Navy
Although the announcement has been treated as a milestone, the Navy’s presence at the old airport did not start now.
Since 2022, the space has been operated as an Expeditionary Air Base in support of the annual Furnas Operation training and other activities related to navigation safety, civil defense, and integration with public agencies in the region.
The formalization occurs in a broader context of expanding military use of the lake.
The Navy maintains that the reservoir offers favorable conditions for training in riverine operations, the use of amphibious armored vehicles, air operations with helicopters and planes, tactical infiltrations, and parachute jumps.
In a statement released by the force, the commander of the Marine Corps, Admiral Carlos Chagas Vianna Braga, stated that the area has “exceptional conditions” to integrate different types of operations and support activities of national defense interest.
The location also weighs into this strategy.
According to information released about the project, the base is located about 700 kilometers from Brasília, a distance considered compatible with rapid air movements.
This factor is presented by the Navy as a logistical advantage for projecting means and personnel quickly within the country.
Strategic importance of Lake Furnas grows after tragedy
The military interest in the region has intensified in recent years and gained new momentum after the tragedy in Capitólio, on January 8, 2022, when the collapse of a rock wall struck vessels on Lake Furnas and killed 10 people.
The episode exposed the need for reinforcement in support structures, monitoring, and response capacity in an area with intense tourist and nautical traffic.
Moreover, the Navy’s operations in rivers, lakes, and other waters under national jurisdiction have legal backing in the legislation governing the safety of waterway traffic.
The force is responsible for naval inspection actions aimed at navigation safety, safeguarding human life, and preventing pollution from vessels, which helps explain the emphasis placed by the institution on Lake Furnas.
The reservoir also draws attention for its dimensions.
Recent sources describe Lake Furnas as one of the largest bodies of water in the country, with an extension of approximately 5,400 kilometers and a volume equivalent to about 11 Guanabara Bays.
This scale transforms the area into a conducive environment for vessel training and combined exercises in mobility, air support, and amphibious operations.
Operation Furnas mobilizes military and partner countries
The main expression of this military use is Operation Furnas, held annually by the Navy in São José da Barra.
In the 2025 edition, which ended on October 30, the exercise mobilized about 1,800 military personnel, using vessels, helicopters, fighter planes, drones, armored vehicles, and amphibious means, in one of the largest recent military actions in Minas Gerais.
Official data also shows international participation.
Contrary to the initial information that the training involved 10 friendly nations, the Navy reported the presence of 52 military personnel from nine countries — Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, Chile, France, Italy, Mexico, Mozambique, Portugal, and the United Kingdom — in addition to a representative from the Inter-American Defense Board.
The operation focused on riverine operations, peace missions, and interagency training.
It was during this edition that the force completed flight tests of its first remotely piloted tactical aircraft, described by the Navy itself as an attack drone with autonomous navigation and military development.
The equipment was presented as part of the technological modernization effort associated with the base installed in Furnas.
Shared use and impacts for the region of São José da Barra
The protocol signed in March 2026 is not limited to strictly military use.
The documentation released by the Navy and regional media indicates the possibility of shared use of the structure, with the prospect of future concession also aimed at civil aviation activities, in coordination with the municipalities of the region.
According to a report published on April 2, the official schedule anticipated the completion of the concession process by the end of June 2026.
This point helps explain the involvement of the Association of Municipalities of Lake Furnas and the city hall of São José da Barra.
The regional expectation is that the regularization of the airport will enhance both the logistical capacity of the Navy and the possibilities for the circulation of cargo and passengers, provided that the planned administrative and operational steps are completed.
Meanwhile, the presence of the force in the region already has repercussions in other areas.
In civic-social actions carried out during Operation Furnas 2025, the Navy offered medical and dental care, vaccinations, educational activities, and demonstrations of support technologies to the population.
The program also included coordination with civil defense, firefighters, police, and other public agencies in practical disaster simulations.
The combination of military training, emergency support, and the possibility of shared use consolidates São José da Barra as a point of permanent interest for the Navy in the interior of the country.
With the formalization of the protocol, the old airport of Furnas ceases to be merely a base used for operational convenience and takes on a more stable place in the force’s strategy for the Southeast and for Brazil’s inland waters.
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