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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