The Brazilian training ship NE Brasil visited London in September, arriving at HMS Belfast on 16 September and departing five days later. The visit was part of an annual training passage for cadets to enable them to put into practice theoretical knowledge acquired at the Brazilian Naval Academy, as well as to improve cultural links.
The voyage is the last element of the training of future naval officers, and the trip aims to teach navigation skills, meteorology, seamanship, naval operations, damage control and pilotage, and provide opportunities to demonstrate leadership and active participation on a naval ship.
The ship left Brazil on 9 July to visit 20 ports between July and December. The itinerary includes calls at Salvador, Tenerife, Amsterdam, St Petersburg, Hamburg, Le Havre, London, Lisbon, Piraeus, Civitavecchia, Valencia, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Nassau, Cartagena (Colombia), Guayaquil (Ecuador), Callao (Peru), Valparaiso, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
NE Brasil was built at the Navy Yard in Rio de Janeiro. She was launched in September 1983 and commissioned into the Navy on 21 August 1986.
