Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo (A12)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 France
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| Name: | Foch |
| Ordered: | 1955 |
| Laid down: | 15 November 1957 |
| Launched: | 23 July 1960 |
| Commissioned: | 15 July 1963 |
| Decommissioned: | 15 November 2000 |
| Identification: | R99 |
| Fate: | Sold to the Brazilian Navy |
 Brazil
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| Name: | São Paulo |
| Namesake: | State of São Paulo |
| Launched: | 1960 by France |
| Acquired: | September 2000 |
| Commissioned: | 15 November 2000 |
| Out of service: | 14 February 2017 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: A12 |
| Status: | Demobilised, to be Decommisioned |
| Notes: | see Foch (R99) for prior history |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 265 m (869 ft) |
| Beam: | 31.7 m (104 ft) |
| Draught: | 8.60 m (28.2 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 6 Indret boilers, 4 steam turbines producing 126,000 hp, 2 propellers |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Range: | 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km) at 18 knots |
| Complement: | 1,338 men (1,920 including the air group). 984 men if only helicopters are carried. |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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| Armament: | four 100 mm turrets, two SACP Crotale EDIR systems, five 12.7 mm machine guns, 4 dual Simbad launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 39 aircraft: 22 jets and 17 helicopters.A-4KU Skyhawks, AS 532 SC Cougars, HB 350 & HB.355 Ecureuils, and SH-3 Sea Kings |
NAeSão Paulo was a Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier in service with the Brazilian Navy. São Paulo was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. In December 2014, it was announced that São Paulo will be expected to continue active service until 2039, at which time the vessel will be nearly 80 years old. IHS Janes reported that during its career with the Brazilian Navy, São Paulo has suffered from serviceability issues and has never managed to operate for more than three months at a time without the need for repairs and maintenance. On 14 February 2017, the navy announced that the ship will be demobilised and subsequently decommissioned.
The aircraft carrier São Paulo was built in France between 1957 and 1960, and served in the French Navy as Foch. In September 2000, she was purchased by Brazil for US$30 million — no aircraft were included in the price — to replace the aged World War II-era carrier Minas Gerais, which had been in commission for over 40 years. Brazil had previously approached other countries, such as Spain, who wanted to construct a US$500 million carrier for Brazil, about the acquisition of a carrier. The government had already purchased a flotilla of 23 used A-4 Skyhawk fighter planes from Kuwait for $70 million; these planes, along with existing helicopters already in the national defense inventory, were to compose the São Paulo fighter-bomber group. These A-4s (designated AF-1) are capable of carrying armament including rockets, free-fall bombs, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
The Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers, of which São Paulo is the last surviving member, are of conventional CATOBAR design. The flight deck is 265.5 metres (871 ft) long by 29.5 metres (97 ft) wide; the landing area is angled at 8 degrees off of the ship's axis. The forward aircraft elevator is to starboard, and the rear elevator is positioned on the deck edge to save hangar space. The forward of two 52-metre (171 ft) catapults is on the bow to port; the second catapult is farther back on the angled landing deck. The hangar deck dimensions are 152 metres (499 ft) by 22 to 24 metres (72 to 79 ft) with 7 metres (23 ft) overhead.
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