Portuguese Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Força Aérea Portuguesa Portuguese Air Force |
|
|---|---|
 Portuguese Air Force insignia |
|
| Active | 1952 - current |
| Country | Portugal |
| Role | National Air Defense, Reconnaissance, Ground Forces and Navy support and transportation, Search and Rescue, Maritime Air Patrol |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Luís Evangelista Esteves de Araújo |
The Portuguese Air Force or FAP (Portuguese: Força Aérea Portuguesa) is the air force of Portugal.
The history of Portuguese military aviation dates back to 1911, when a Balloon Company was founded as part of the Army Telegraphic Service and received a handful of aircraft. During WW I Portugal had no aircraft but Portuguese airmen flew in French squadrons.
In 1918 the 'Military Aviation Service' was founded, including a flying school, the OGMA workshops at Alverca, which still exists under this name, and the first operational squadrons.
Early involvement by the FAP included the Revolution in 1926, the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, and WW II in which Portugal was not directly involved but during which various allied aircraft entering Portuguese airspace were commandeered. Portugal joined NATO in 1949. The Military Aviation Service was merged with the 'Naval Aviation Service' to form the 'Portuguese Air Force' in 1952.
The military coup in 1974 was partly caused by the revolutions in Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea during the 1960s. It in turn led to these countries' independence in 1975. The turmoil of the revolution and the end of the war in the African colonies, which had involved 150,000 personnel, brought about a major reorganisation which reduced the 850 aircraft inventory of the FAP in 1974 to only one third of that in 1976.
Since then Portugal has gradually regained its balance and changed the organisation of the FAP in the interest of efficiency. Some of the noteworthy changes during the last decade include the closure of BA3 Tancos and BA7 Aveiro, the re-introduction of an independent naval helicopter squadron, the acquisition of modern aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which replaced the A-7P Corsair II, the relocation of several squadrons to other bases, the intention to acquire helicopters for the Army, possibly to be based at Tancos, and the privatization of the OGMA workshops. The F-16A/B's from the second batch are slowly being converted into F-16AM/BM's, with the first six already on the flightline at Monte Real, while at the Montijo base the 12 ordered EH-101's have now entered active service. Three are stationed at Lajes, Azores, and 2 on Porto Santo, Madeira.
The Portuguese Air Force is distinguished by its engineers as they receive older versions of attack and transport helicopters and upgrade them successfully and turn them into up-to-date helicopters.
Contents |
[edit] Order of battle
| Base | Squadron # | Squadron Name | Squadron's Mission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Base #1, Sintra (LPST) | 401 Sqn. | Cientistas (Scientists) | Air reconnaissance operations, electronic warfare support, maritime surveillance |
| 502 Sqn. | Elefantes (Elephants) | Tactical transport and additional pilot training in multi-engine aircraft and navigation training | |
| 802 Sqn. | Águias (Eagles) | Air Force Academy Squadron | |
| Air Base #4 Lajes, Azores (LPLA) | |||
| 711 Sqn. | Albatrozes (Albatrosses) | Search and Rescue, currently replaced by an 751 Squadron's detachment of 3 EH-101 helicopters and waiting for the delivery of the CASA C-295M | |
| Air Base #5, Monte Real (LPMR) | 201 Sqn. | Falcões (Falcons) | F-16 A/B OCU Air Defence, Anti-Surface Force Air Operations (ASFAO), |
| 301 Sqn. | Jaguares (Jaguars) | F-16 AM/BM Anti-Surface Force Air Operations (ASFAO), Air Defence | |
| Air Base #6, Montijo (LPMT) | 501 Sqn. | Bisontes (Bisons) | C-130H/H-30 Tactical air transport operations |
| 504 Sqn. | Linces (Lynxes) | Falcon 50 VIP transport operations, Fast MEDEVAC | |
| 601 Sqn. | Lobos (Wolves) | P-3P, P-3C Update II.5/CUP-CG Orion Maritime Patrol, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Sea Control, Search And Rescue | |
| 751 Sqn. | Pumas (Pumas) | AgustaWestland EH-101 Search and Rescue (SAR), Tactical transport, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Fishery Control (SIFICAP), MEDEVAC/CASEVAC | |
| EsqHel da Marinha (Navy helicopter squadron) |
AgustaWestland Super Lynx Mk.95 ASW, ASuW, SAR, Utility | ||
| Air Base #11, Beja (LPBJ) | 101 Sqn. | Roncos (Roars) | Aérospatiale Epsilon-TB 30 elementary and basic flying training |
| 103 Sqn. | Caracóis (Snails) | Alpha-Jet A Complementary flying training on jet aircraft and operational transition training | |
| 552 Sqn. | Zangões (Drones) | Aérospatiale Alouette III Tactical air transport operations and complementary flying training in helicopters |
[edit] Other bases
- Alverca (LPAR) Museu do Ar (Air Force Museum), Various
- O.G.M.A. - Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico, Various
- FAP Storage - Deposito Geral de Material de Força Aérea (DGMFA), Various
- Ota (LPOT) C.F.M.T.F.A. - Centro de Formação Militar e Técnica da Força Aérea, Various
- Ovar (LPOV) A.M.1 - Aeródromo de Trânsito nº 1, various + 1 Alouette III (552 Sqn. SAR detachment)
- Porto Santo (LPPS) - Porto Santo Airport, 2 EH-101 Merlin (later 1 EH-101 and 1 C-295M)
[edit] Aircraft
[edit] Current
[edit] Fixed-Wing Aircraft
- F-16 A/B OCU;
- F-16 AM/BM MLU;
- Alpha-Jet A;
- CASA C-212-100 Aviocar;
- CASA C-212-300;
- P-3P, P-3C Update II.5/CUP-CG Orion;
- Cessna FTB-337G Skymaster;
- Lockheed C-130H/H-30 Hercules;
- Dassault Falcon 20;
- Dassault Falcon 50;
- OGMAChipmunk MK 20;
- Aérospatiale Epsilon TB-30;
- ASK-21;
- L-23 Super Blanik.
[edit] Helicopters
- Aérospatiale Alouette III;
- AgustaWestland EH-101.
[edit] Historic
[edit] Fighters/Bombers
- SB-17G Flying Fortress, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1947-1960)
- SB2C Helldiver, previously operated by the Navy Air Corps (1950-1952) and after by the Air Force (1952-1956)
- F-47D Thunderbolt (1951-1956)
- Republic F-84G Thunderjet (1953-1974)
- T-33A/AN Shooting Star (1953-1990)
- PV-2C/D Harpoon (1954-1975)
- F-86F Sabre (1958-1980)
- P2V-5 Neptune (1959-1977)
- Fiat G.91R/3, R/4, T/3 (1966-1993)
- B-26C Invader (1966-1974)
- A-7P/TA-7P Corsair II (1981-1999)
- P-3P Orion
[edit] Utility
- Airspeed Oxford, previously operated by the Army and Navy Air Corps (1943-1957)
- Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan, previously operated by the Navy Air Corps (1948-1976)
- de Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapid, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1950-1968)
- Piper Super CUB L21A (1957-1976)
- C-45 Expeditor (1959-1976)
- Dornier Do.27 (1961-1979)
- Cessna 185 Skywagon (1968-1974)
- Cessna 401 (1968-1974)
- Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six (1968-1974)
- Cessna 310 (1969-1974)
[edit] Transport/Reconnaissance
- Grumman G-21 Goose, previously operated by the Navy Air Corps (1940-1955)
- Grumman G-44 Widgeon, previously operated by the Navy Air Corps (1942-1962)
- C-54 Skymaster, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1947-1973)
- DC-4 Skymaster (1953-1973)
- Grumman SA-16 Albatross (1954-1962)
- Nord Noratlas (1960-1978)
- Junker Ju 52 Amiot AAC-1 Toucan (1961-1972)
- Douglas DC-6 (1961-1978)
- C-47 Skytrain (1962-1976)
- Boeing 707 (1969-1976)
[edit] Trainers/Light Aircraft
- Miles Magister, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1946-1956)
- T-6 Harvard, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1947-1976)
- Avro Anson, previously operated by the Army Air Corps (1948)
- T-6 SNJ-4, previously operated by the Navy Air Corps (1950-1978)
- De Havilland Vampire (1952-1962)
- Lockeed T-33 A (1953-1990)
- Hunting Jet Provost (1959-1959)
- Auster D-5/160 (1961-1974)
- Cessna T-37C (1963-1992)
- T-38A Tallon (1976-1993)
- Fournier RF-10 (1985-1994)
[edit] Helicopters
- Sikorsky UH-19A (1954-1962)
- Aérospatiale Alouette II (1958-1976)
- Aérospatiale Puma SA-330S1 Puma (1969-2006)
[edit] Other
- M.H.1521 Broussard (1961-1976)
[edit] On Order
- CASA C-295 (12)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
