Brazilian Army: Parachute Brigade

v.1.0 May 13, 2001

This article has been submitted by Mr. Gordon A. Mackinlay. He acknowledges, as sources:

The Brigada de Infantaria Paraquedista (Parachute Infantry Brigade)(BIP), is based at the Vila Militar (military base) at Rio de Janeiro. Under the direct command of the Comando de Operacoes Terrestres (COTER), the land forces operational command, it is the rapid deployment reserve.

The BIP has a strength of 5,000, with:

  • HQ and Staff
  • Parachute Bde HQ Coy
  • 36th Parachute Military Police Section
  • 25th Parachute Infantry Battalion
  • 26th Parachute Infantry Battalion
  • 27th Parachute Infantry Battalion
    • 1st Parachute Cavalry Squadron
  • A Air Defense Battery
  • 8 Parachute Field Artillery Regiment
    • Pathfinder Company
  • 1st Parachute Engineer Company
  • 20th Parachute Signal Company
  • Parachute Servicing and Air Dispatch Battalion
  • 20th Parachute Logistics Battalion
    • 1st Special Forces Battalion
    • The parachute Training Centre

    Each parachute infantry battalion has:

    • HQ Company
  • Services Company
  • 3 Rifle Companies
    • Weapons Company (Platoon 6 mortars; Platoon 4 Milan)

    Rifle companies each have:

    • HQ Platoon (including a 4 man pathfinder cell, who are also snipers)
  • Weapons Platoon 2 81mm British L16 mortars; 3 84mm Carl Gustavs
  • 3 rifle Platoons each with
  • Command section

    Support section with a 60mm Thomson Brandt Commando mortar, 2 MAG GPMG

    3 combat sections

     

    The 1st Parachute Cavalry Squadron has:

    • HQ and Support Troop
  • 3 Reconnaissance Troops
  • Command section

    AT section (1 AT missile launcher)

    Mortar section (1 81mm mortar)

    3 reconnaissance sections.

    The 8th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion has:

    • HQ Battery
  • Support Battery
  • 3 gun batteries each 6 OTO M1956 105mm pack howitzers.
  • The Air Defense Battery has Russian SA-18 Igla missiles, and is under brigade command.]

    The logistics support battalion is organzied as:

    HQ and Administration company

    Equipment company

    Resupply company

    Medical company (Can be reinforced by the Parachute Medical Detachment)

    The Special Forces battalion is organized as:

    HQ and Services Company,

    Commando Company

    organised into 30 man commando detachments

    2 Special Forces Companies

    organised into 12 man Operational Detachments that can divide into two

    6 man teams, each one man for logistics and psyops, operations and

    intelligence, weapons, signals, demolitions, medical). Officers and NCOs

    from the SF Coys can join the DCT (Destacamento Contra-Terror,

    Anti-Terrorist Detachment).

     

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    All content © 2002 Ravi Rikhye. Reproduction in any form prohibited without express permission.