After nine months, the Frigate União returned to Rio de Janeiro after having participated in the Maritime Task Force (FTM) of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
After nine months, the Frigate União returned to Rio de Janeiro after having participated in the Maritime Task Force (FTM) of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The incorporation of the Frigate União (F-45) into the FTM had great political significance for Brazil in the field of international relations, insofar as it demonstrated the country’s commitment to UNIFIL, to peacekeeping, and to stability in the Middle East.
The Frigate União was the primary resource for a multinational group operating in Lebanon, comprised of three German ships, two Bangladeshi, one Greek, one Indonesian, and one Turkish.
The ship’s presence in the region contributed to ensuring peace and security in southern Lebanon, in support of that country’s Armed Forces and helping to enhance border security, thereby preventing the illegal entry of weapons and related material into the country by sea, besides of assisting the Lebanese Navy in training its personnel so that it will be able to control its territorial waters in the future.
The Brazilian frigate had an AH-11A Super Lynx aircraft of its own, a detachment of combat divers to conduct special operations, and a detachment of Marines to provide security for the ship itself. The total contingent onboard came to approximately 300 Military personnel.
The Frigate União was incorporated into the UNIFIL FTM on November 14, 2011, at the Port of Beirut, and was relieved by the Frigate Liberal on May 17, 2012.
During the return voyage to Brazil, it visited the port of Istanbul in Turkey and the port of Civitavecchia in Italy and docked at the port of Las Palmas in Spain and the port of Recife in Pernambuco.