Aerial view of the French aircraft carrier “Foch”, off the Italian coast, in the Adriatic Sea, 20 May 1999.
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The Sao Paolo was once the largest warship in the Brazilian Navy.
On February 4, Brazil sank the ship into the Atlantic Ocean after failing to sell it for scrap.
Built in the 1950s, the French-made ship is contaminated with asbestos, making it toxic.
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In March 2021, the Brazilian Navy sold the aircraft carrier as scrap to a shipyard in Turkey. But the ship was rejected by Turkish authorities as it had asbestos, a toxic material often found in 20th century ships.
After circling along Brazil’s coast for five months after it was rejected by Turkey, the warship was moved into international waters, Time reported.
On February 4, the Brazilian Navy sank the ship in the Atlantic Ocean about 217 miles off the coast of Brazil, per a press release from the Navy.
It was a controversial move: Several environmental rights organizations opposed the sinking of the ship because of the asbestos it contained.
“The sinking of the aircraft carrier Sao Paulo throws tons of asbestos, mercury, lead and other highly toxic substances into the seabed,” Greenpeace said in a statement, per Reuters.
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The warship had a full load displacement of 32,800 tonnes. That made it the biggest ship in Brazil’s Navy, but still small compared to other modern-day aircraft carriers. For comparison, the USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, has a displacement of 100,000 tonnes.
In total, the air carrier measured around 870 feet in length, per Global Security, an independent nonprofit that focuses on security research. The warship’s hangar deck (pictured above), where planes are stowed, measured 499 feet by 79 feet, per Global Security.
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The Clemenceau class was named after Georges Clemenceau, the former two-time prime minister of France. The first ship of the class — named Clemenceau — was dismantled in 2009.
The second ship of the class, now known as the Sao Paolo, was built in France in the 1950s. The French Navy originally named it Foch. It served several decades under the French Navy: It was commissioned in 1963 and decommissioned in 2000.
Under the French Navy, the warship was an active part of the country’s fleet. The aircraft carrier took part in France’s nuclear tests in the 1960s — the very first test by the European power in the Pacific, per the Guardian. It was also deployed in France’s military missions in Africa and the Middle East through the 1980s.
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The Brazilian Navy commissioned the Sao Paolo in November 2000 and used it until February 2017, when it was officially declared out of service. It was eventually decommissioned in November 2018. Its pennant number was A12.
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Henrique Cardoso, who served as the president of Brazil from January 1995 to December 2002, said the Sao Paolo was purchased to “operate with efficiency in the high seas” and to strengthen its naval power to protect its 4,350-mile coastline.
The Sao Paolo was extensively refitted from 2005 to 2009. The warship was powered by six boilers and four steam turbines. Despite the refitting, the warship still contained asbestos and heavy metals.
Source: Maritime Executive
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The ship had capacity for 1,920 people — 64 officers, 1,274 sailors, and 582 airmen.
The warship could carry 22 jets and 17 helicopters.
It was also fitted with armament including 100 milimeter turrets, 12.7 milimeter machine guns, and dual Simbad launchers.