In the early 1970s, the FAP acquired 13 Bell 212 helicopters. Operated in small detachments, they became heavily involved in supporting oil exploration operations in the Amazonas. This is why several of them were quickly available as of January 1981. To make them easier to find in the dense jungle, all were painted in bright red, with their cockpit sections in dayglo orange: only the undersides of the cabin were left in light grey. As soon as the fighting began, most were equipped with Mk.3 or Type 252 optical sights, LAU-68 pods for 2.75in unguided rockets and either a pair of pintle-mounted Browning M2 or MAG machine guns. The insert shows the insignia of Grupo Aero 3, the parent unit of the majority of the FAP helicopter fleet of 1981. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)