Gripen technology put to the test in offensive missions at Cruzex 2024
Flights over enemy territory are the most complex in the context of the training taking place at Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte.
Destroying, disrupting or limiting enemy military aviation: these are basically the objectives of Offensive Counterair (OCA), one of the air force tasks in which the Gripen E is being deployed during Cruzex 2024.
During OCA, a Gripen force is responsible for executing scanning missions, which consist of clearing the way by neutralising enemy fighters so that the attacking allied force can carry out its mission more safely; and escorting attack, reconnaissance and transport aircraft, providing even closer protection during actions over enemy territory.
“We are dealing with various types of aircraft, technologies, and training against pilots with different levels of experience who are either on our side or against us in the simulated scenario. At CRUZEX, in almost all flights, we are integrated into the context of what are known as Composite Air Operations (COMAO), where dozens of aircraft from different nationalities carry out distinct missions in the same location to saturate enemy defenses, increasing the safety of those involved,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Ramon Lincoln Santos Fórneas, commander of the 1st Air Defence Group (1º GDA).
CRUZEX 2024 follows a doctrine very similar to that applied by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), aligned with the latest lessons learned from recent conflicts. In this modern context, the participation of the F-39E Gripen is essential for training the pilots of the 1st Air Defence Group (1º GDA) and other squadrons, as the fighter represents the cutting edge in terms of onboard electronic systems, such as radar, datalink, and electronic warfare, along with the performance of a 9G-class aircraft.