Guatemalan Air Force
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The Guatemalan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca or FAG) is a small air force. It has relied mostly on US aircraft types during most of its history, most of them relatively old. The F-51 Mustang, C-47 Dakota, Lockheed T-33 Bell UH-1 "Huey", Bell 206 and Bell 212 helicopters are typical examples of their equipment. The Cessna A-37 is the main jet aircraft, while Pilatus PC-7s are used for training. Some Fokkers and Aravas help with the transport roles, augmenting the C-47 Dakotas mentioned before.
The FAG is formally a subordinate to the Guatemalan Military. It's commanding officer reports directly to the Commander in Chief of the Army, who also happens to be the President. The FAG is composed of three "wings": The "Ala Fija", operating all fixed-wing aircraft, the "Ala Rotativa", operating all the helicopters, and the "Ala Mantenimiento" performing all the maintenance. The aircraft are divided over these wings, and the wings themselves operate out of four bases throughout the country, without a fixed allocation of units to bases. The principal base is La Aurora in Guatemala City, which also happens to be the country's major airport. All major attack, transport, liaison and helicopter squadrons are based there. The other base with a seemingly fixed presence is at Retalhuleu, where the "Escuela Militar de Aviación" (Military School of Aviation) can be found. The other two bases, one at Santa Elena, Petén and San José, Escuintla probably house detachments of the units mentioned above.
Although the role of the FAG has been much diminished since the Peace Treaty was signed in 1996, they have served the country when disaster has struck, most notably after the Mitch and Hurricane Stan. At these times, helicopters have been used to rescue stranded people, and cargo planes have been used to carry food, water and emergency medical equipment to villages and remote places that had been cut-off
Currently, the FAG doesn't have any acquisition programs. The main concern is keeping the current fleet airborne, and all resources are aimed at that objective.
