MISSION RECOMMENDATION ON BRAZIL'S ABD PROGRAM: SITE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 002073

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958
TAGS: PRELBR
SUBJECT: MISSION RECOMMENDATION ON BRAZIL'S ABD PROGRAM: SITE
VISITS TO ATC CENTERS

REFS: A. STATE 139897 B. BRASILIA 2002


1. (SBU) Per refs, herewith is report of Embassy Brasilia's Air
Attache's visit to Brazilian air traffic control centers. This
information is provided in response to reftel a, and completes ref b
Mission recommendation for annual renewal of Presidential
Determination supporting USG support for Brazil's Air Bridge Denial
Program.


2. (SBU) Begin text.

AIR ATTACHE VISITS TO CINDACTAS I AND III

Part I - Visit to CINDACTA I, Brasilia, Brazil
--------------

Date: 26 September 2006
Time: 0930
Place: Center for Air Defense and Air Traffic Control I (CINDACTA
I)
SHIS QI 05 - Area Especial 12 - Lago Sul
Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil 71615-600
Visitor: Col Kevin P. Karol, Air Attach, U.S. Defense Attach
Office, Brasilia, Brazil
Brazilian Officials:
Col Serva, Commander, CINDACTA I
Col Aquino, Chief of Staff, Brazilian Air Defense Command
(COMDABRA)
Maj Dellamore, Center for Social Communications, Brazilian Air
Force
Maj Sena, Chief of Controllers, CINDACTA I (Interviewee)
Subofficer Cesar, Assistant Chief of Controllers, CINDACTA I
(Interviewee)


1. Visit was in response to request by Air Attach to visit two
CINDACTAs to answer specific questions in regard to Brazil's Air
Bridge Denial program. Officials from COMDABRA and CINDACTA were
extremely helpful and courteous during the interview. The interview
took place in the air traffic controller training room, which is a
replica of the operational air traffic control and air defense
facility, located in the same building and adjacent to the training
room.


2. Following are the questions as provided by U.S. State Department
and responses;

Q1. Are you aware of the shootdown program? If so, how did you
become aware of the program?
R1. The shootdown program is a significant part of air traffic
controller (ATC) training. We learn about it in initial training
and then we constantly train in it as part of our recurring
training. All our training is documented. In this room we practice
the sequence of events and procedures on simulators. Additionally,
when the program was first announced, there was a public media
blitz, as well as NOTAMs. You can find all information needed by
pilots and air crew members in the Aeronautic Information Package
(AIP),on the Air Force web site, in many other publications, and it
is a part of the Brazilian Laws of Aeronautics. Any pilot or air
crew member who files a flight plan will encounter sufficient
documentation and directions regarding the program.

Q2. If you suspected an aircraft of illegal activity or if an
aircraft refused to comply with air traffic control commands, what
procedures would you follow?
R2. We would open our ATC "bible" and follow the appropriate
checklist. In this case, the checklist for shootdown. It guides us
step by step through the process up to requesting an actual shot of
destruction from the commander of the air force. NOTE: Interviewer
read the checklist but was not allowed a copy as it was from a
Brazilian Air Force classified regulation, "Operational Rules of the
Air Defense System", dated 27 July 2005, two volumes.


BRASILIA 00002073 002 OF 003


Q3. If an unknown or suspect aircraft contacted you, what
procedures would you follow in communicating with the pilot of the
suspect aircraft and instructing him/her on how to proceed?
R3. See response R2. Additionally, in the Brazilian system, air
traffic controllers at airports do not respond to this type of
situation other than "handing off" immediately to the ATC/air
defense controllers located in a regional CINDACTA. This is because
the CINDACTA controllers and infrastructure have immediate access to
the air force decision-making chain of command but also to any other
government agency that might need to get involved such as the
Federal Police or Receita Federal (IRS equivalent),etc.

Q4. What steps has the GOB taken to publicize the shootdown program
and its interception procedures? Are you aware of any public
outreach by the GOB on the program?
R4. As we stated, there was an initial media blitz to advertise the
enforcement of the law. But now, there is information in all the
resources a pilot or navigator would use in doing a flight plan to
acquire the knowledge needed to comply with the procedures of the
law. These include websites, flying regulations, the AIP, and
postings in flight planning rooms at airfield facilities. Since
this is a federal law, we consider these as all part of the public
outreach to aircraft operators. NOTE: At this point, the
controllers even pulled up the air force website to show the clearly
delineated procedures of the shootdown law, with animation. They
printed out a page from the website and provided to interviewer.
(Attached)


Part II - Visit to CINDACTA III, Recife, Brazil
--------------

Date: 27 September 2006
Time: 1430
Place: Center for Air Defense and Air Traffic Control III (CINDACTA
III)
Base Aerea Recife, Recife, Pernamcuco, Brazil
Visitor: Major Keli A. Bedics, Assistant Air Attach, U.S. Defense
Attach Office, Brasilia, Brazil
Brazilian Officials:
Col Jose alves Candez Nete, Commander, CINDACTA III
LtCol Alfredo Arnaldo Boschi, Vice Chief of Operations, CINDACTA III
(Interviewee)
First Sergeant Itamar Alves da Silva, Assistant Chief of
Controllers, CINDACTA III (Interviewee)


1. The visit was in response to a request from the Air Attach to
visit two CINDACTAs to answer specific questions regarding Brazil's
Air Bridge Denial program. Officials at CINDACTA III appeared to be
not only knowledge and interested but also honest and forthcoming
during the interview. The Commander and the Vice Chief of
Operations began the interview by presenting a briefing on CINDACTA
III and the Lei do Abate (Shootdown Law). Following the briefing,
the Vice Chief of Operations gave the interviewer a tour of the Air
Traffic Control training and simulation rooms. The visit concluded
with a visit to the operational air traffic control and air defense
facility where the actual interview was conducted.


2. Following are the questions as provided by U.S. State Department
and responses;

Q1. Are you aware of the shootdown program? If so, how did you
become aware of the program?
R1. Because of the public debate in late 2003 and early 2004 about
the shootdown program prior to it becoming law, any Brazilian who
reads the newspaper or watches the news is aware of the program. In
fact, a public opinion poll conducted via internet found 87% of
respondents were in favor of the program as a means by which Brazil
could maintain its sovereignty. For those of us in the Brazilian
Air Force, we understand the genesis of the law and are thoroughly
familiar with it as it is what we do.
To maintain our proficiency as Air Traffic Controllers (ATC),we are

BRASILIA 00002073 003 OF 003


required to participate in formal training on the program every two
months at a minimum. Additionally, we participate in informal
training every day. During the course of the year, we participate
in bi-lateral exercises such as COLBRA and VENBRA and combined
exercises such as CRUZEX that further hone our skills. Not only do
we do our own training, but we are an integral part of the air
defense pilot training program. When they train, we train too.
Civilian pilots would have become aware of the shootdown program
when it was announced in the press and through a Notice to Airmen
(NOTAM) released when the program began. That information is now
available in the Aeronautic Information Package (AIP) for Brazil
that all pilots must review prior to flying.

Q2. If you suspected an aircraft of illegal activity or if an
aircraft refused to comply with air traffic control commands, what
procedures would you follow?
R2. First, it is important to reiterate that the shootdown program
deals with aircraft suspected of international drug trafficking.
When we have a suspect track, we go to the NOSDA 50 (Normas
Operacionais do Sistema de Defesa Aeroespacial, Operating Norms for
the Air Defense System) and follow the procedures outlined there.
Every person in each step of the chain of command has his specific
duties and responsibilities as outlined in the NOSDA. NOTE:
Interviewees showed interviewer the NOSDA which was within arm's
reach of the controllers.

Q3. If an unknown or suspect aircraft contacted you, what
procedures would you follow in communicating with the pilot of the
suspect aircraft and instructing him/her on how to proceed?
R3. It is unlikely that a "suspect" aircraft would contact ATC, but
if one did, we would again follow the procedures outlined in NOSDA

50. In our area of responsibility, we have many farmers with
private planes who fly without filing flight plans so we use the
NOSDA 50 procedures to classify these unknown tracks.

Q4. What steps has the GOB taken to publicize the shootdown program
and its interception procedures? Are you aware of any public
outreach by the GOB on the program?
R4. As in the response to Q1, because of the publicity the program
received when it first became law, it is very well known. All
pilots flying in our airspace must review the NOTAMs and AIP for
Brazil prior to flying. All of the information about the Lei do
Abate is included in these regulations. In-depth information is
available on the air force website and the ANAC (National Agency for
Airspace Control) website. Additionally, there are informational
posters in planning rooms at airports and airfields throughout
Brazil. NOTE: Controllers provided a paper copy of the information
on the Shootdown Law from the air force website. See
www.reservaer.com.br/legislacao/leidoabate
/entenda_leidoabate.htm.

Part III - Summary
--------------

U.S. Air Attaches are convinced, based upon these visits, that the
procedures are in place and that the air traffic controllers have
the knowledge and resources on hand to effectively process the
procedures in support of the shootdown law in Brazil.

End Text.

SOBEL