Brazilian Navy reclassifies Atlantico amphibious ship as aircraft carrier

According to an article shared by Defesa Aérea&Naval, the Brazilian Navy completed the modernization of amphibious assault ship Atlantico on 12th November. After the modernization, the ship will be able to operate with fixed-wing medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles as well as crewed tiltrotor VTOL aircraft.

After the modernization, the Brazilian Navy decided to reclassify the helicopter carrier “Atlantico” as an aircraft carrier.

The Atlantico was procured in 2018 for a value of £84 million from the United Kingdom, where it has operated since 1995. With 203 meters in length and 21,600 tons of displacement, the vessel was used as a platform for helicopters on amphibious assault missions. Despite the new name, the ship has no characteristics to be considered an aircraft carrier, such as catapult or ski-jump takeoff systems.

The Brazilian Navy, however, has among its goals of the strategic plan for the year 2040 to count on a new aircraft carrier in addition to modern fighters. Currently, the small detachment of A-4 (A-1F) jets is based on land after Sao Paulo’s retirement.

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