Venezuela Air Force

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The Air Force of Venezuela (Fuerza Aérea Venezolana, FAV) is a professional armed body designed to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and airspace. It is a component in the Venezuelan armed forces.

[edit] History

The birth of the FAV goes back to December 10, 1920. On that date the Military Aviation school of Venezuela was formed. Early aircraft included Farman and Caudron G-3 as well as the amphibian Caudron G-4. The first decades of the FAV saw mainly French, German and Italian influence. After the Second World War, the Air force was reorganised with American aid, eventually leading to the formal inception of the Fuerza Aérea Venezolana, as we know it today, on June 22, 1946.

Most current airbases were built in the 1960s; main fighter types in those years were Venom, Vampire, and F-86. Bomber squadrons typically operated B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The 70s and 80s saw a considerable increase in capacity, mainly because the rising oil prices enabled the FAV to re-equip most of its units. The mixture of various aircraft types was maintained and Mirage IIIE and V, VF-5A and D, T-2D, OV-10A and E, T-27 were introduced. Venezuela was one of the first export customers for the F-16 which arrived in 1983 to equip the newly formed Grupo Aéreo de Caza 16 at El Libertador airbase. ^[1][2]

FAV purchased 24 Sukhoi Su-30 planes from Russia on July 2005 in response to the spare parts embargo of F-16 planes declared by the United States.

[edit] Organisation

The Air Force is organised into three fighter groups, one for each aircraft type in use:

• Group 11 with Mirage III/50 planes
• Group 12 with F-5 planes
• Group 16 with F-16 planes

A fourth group, called Group 13, is being reactived for the newly acquired Sukhois.

[edit] Aircraft in use

• Combat aircraft
  • 8 AMX International AMX
  • 33 F-5
  • 16 Mirage III
  • 32 Mirage 5
  • 24 F-16
  • 36 Su-30
• Transport aircraft
  • 1 Airbus A319
  • 8 G.222
  • 3 Beech Queen Air 65
  • 8 Beech Queen Air 80
  • 5 Beech Super King Air 200
  • 2 Boeing 707
  • 1 Boeing 737
  • 2 HS.748
  • 1 Cessna 500
  • 1 Cessna 550
  • 4 Falcon 20
  • 2 Falcon 50
  • 12 C-295
  • 18 C123
  • 2 Learjet 24
  • 1 Gulfstream II
  • 1 Gulfstream III
  • 1 Gulfstream IV
  • 8 C-130
  • 4 Shorts 360
• Trainers
  • 10 MB-339
  • 34 T-34 Mentor
  • 12 Cessna 182
  • 32 EMB-312
  • 18 OV-10
  • 24 T-2 Buckeye
  • 12 Aermacchi F-260
• Attack helicopters
  • 10 Alouette III
• Tansport helicopters
  • 14 Bell 205
  • 3 Bell 214
  • 9 Bell 412
  • 8 Eurocopter Super Puma
  • 4 Eurocopter Cougar
  • 9 Bell 212