Brazilian Navy announces Sau Paulo carrier to be sunk despite environmental protests

Brazilian Navy announces Sau Paulo carrier to be sunk despite environmental protests

The Government of Brazil plans to sink the decommissioned French-built Sao Paulo aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic ocean after the depleted structure has spent months wandering with no port to dock for scrapping due to the presence of toxic materials in the hull, it was reported Thursday.

The former French Navy pride “Foch” will be sunk in Brazilian territorial waters 350 kilometers off the coast, in a place where the estimated depth is 5,000 meters, far from environmental protection zones.

The Brazilian Navy said in a statement that it had no alternative to torpedoing the carrier because it is “inevitable” that it will sink spontaneously given that the hull is damaged and also has buoyancy problems. The South American country’s Navy also explained that the company responsible for the ship did not take the necessary steps to obtain authorization to tow it to port in order to repair the serious damage that threatens its ability to remain afloat. The announcement was made a day after the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the courts to prevent the sinking of the ship, due to the environmental dangers posed by the 10 tons of asbestos in the hull.

The Sao Paulo’s final journey began in August when it was sold to a Turkish shipyard specializing in shipbreaking but it never reached its destination because the Turkish authorities prohibited its entry, so it had to turn around shortly before reaching the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Brazilian Navy bought the Foch in 2001, but since then the unit spent more time in port than at sea, performing only 206 days of operation in 15 years due to various technical problems and some accidents, including a fire with casualties.