| Força Aérea Portuguesa Portuguese Air Force |
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Coat of Arms of the Portuguese Air Force |
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| Founded | July 1, 1952 |
| Country | Portugal |
| Type | Air Force |
| Role | National air defense, reconnaissance, ground forces and naval support operations, transport, search and rescue, and maritime air patrol |
| Part of | Portuguese Armed Forces |
| Command HQ | Estado-Maior da Força Aérea |
| Motto | Ex Mero Motu (Of his own free will) (Latin) |
| Commanders | |
| Air Force Chief of Staff | Luís Evangelista Esteves de Araújo |
| Insignia | |
| Portuguese Air Force roundel | |
The Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) (Portuguese: Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP) is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar (Army Aviation) and Aviação Naval (Naval Aviation) united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation began to be used in Portugal, later leading to the creation of the Army and Navy's aviation services.
Its Aerobatic display teams are the Asas de Portugal jet aircraft display team and the Rotores de Portugal helicopter display team.
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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 World War I in the Western Front, while the Portuguese Army had no aircraft, Portuguese airmen flew in British and French squadrons. In Mozambique, in the operations against German Eastern Africa, the Portuguese forces included an aviation squadron, one of the first uses of combat aircraft in Africa.
In 1914 the Military Aeronautic Service (Serviço Aeronáutico Militar) and the Military School of Aeronautic (Escola Militar de Aeronáutica, EMA) are founded, but it is in 1918 that these services are reorganised and renamed to 'Military Aviation Service' and are made directly dependent of the Ministry of War. The OGMA workshops at Alverca, which still exists under this name, and the first operational squadrons are founded that same year.
In 1924 the aviation of the army becomes a full arm of service, in equality with the infantry or the artillery. In 1937, it suffers a major reorganization, being endowed with an autonomous general command, practically becoming independent, although for administrative purposes it still stays integrated in the Army Ministry.
In 1917 the Navy Aviation Service and School is created, as well the first naval aviation base, the Maritime Aviation Centre of Bom Sucesso, in Lisbon. The Portuguese Navy's aviation service is later renamed two more times — in 1918 to Aeronautical Naval Services (Serviços da Aeronáutica Naval), and once again in 1931 to Navy Air Forces (Forças Aéreas da Armada).
Early involvement by the Portuguese military aviation included the Revolution in 1926 and the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. Portugal was not directly involved in World War II, although good relations with the Allies resulted in the purchase of British and US aircraft, including the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire and P-47 Thunderbolt, as well as others impounded after they landed due to mechanical problems or bad weather. Portugal joined NATO in 1949 as one of its founders.
In 1950, its created the State Sub-Secretary of Aeronautic (Portuguese: Subsecretariado de Estado da Aeronáutica) with the objective of managing all the Portuguese military aviation. Later, in 1952, the State Sub-Secretary of Aeronautic creates the General-Command of the Air Forces that starts to exert the unified command over the aviation units of the Army and Navy. The new organization of the air forces starts by including the Independent Forces and the Forces of Cooperation. The Forces of Cooperation include the Naval Aviation Forces (formed by the former by the former Naval Aviation units) and the Ground Aviation Forces. This events are considered to be the creation of the Portuguese Air Force as an independent branch.
With this merge the PoAF started to have in its charge all the aviation infrastructures that until then belonged to the Army and the Navy. These means included the following:
From the Military Aviation Service:
From the Naval Aviation:
The Portuguese national metropolitan and ultramarine territory was divided in 1956 in three major aerial regions, that start to exert the operational command of the aerial units stationed in their area – later two semi-independent commands were created inside the 1st Aerial Region designated as air zones:
In 1958, the Naval Aviation Forces and the Ground Aviation Forces were completely integrated in the Air Force, ending any type of administrative connection, respectively, to the Navy and to the Army.
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 PoAF in 1974 to only one third of that in 1976.
Since then Portugal has gradually regained its balance and changed the organisation of the PoAF 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, to be based at Tancos, and the privatization of the OGMA workshops. The F-16A/B's are slowly being converted into F-16AM/BM's, with 31 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 two 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.
The Portuguese Air Force is structured in three decision levels:
The Air Force Headquarters (Portuguese: Estado-Maior da Força Aérea, EMFA) are responsible for studying, conceiving and planning the Air Force activities, supporting the Air Force Chief of Staff (CEMFA) decisions. EMFA is commanded by the Vice Chief of Staff - VCEMFA who is seconded by a Major-General Pilot, called Vice Commander of EMFA.
It consist of a Personnel Division (1ª Divisão - Pessoal), a Intelligence Division (2ª Divisão - Informações), a Operations Division (3ª Divisão - Operações), a Logistics Division (4ª Divisão - Logísticas), and of Support Units (Orgãos de apoio).
Under its command it has the following units:
The Administrative and Logistic Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando Logístico e Administrativo da Força Aérea, CLAFA) is commanded by a Lieutenant-General, and has as its mission the management of the Air Force's materials resources in order to accomplish the CEMFA's plans and directives.
Under its command it has the following units:
The Operational Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando Operacional da Força Aérea, COFA), commanded by a Lieutenant-General, plans, directs and controls the efficiency of the air power, the air activity and defence of the national air space. It is also of the COFA's responsibility the security of the Air Force bases and units.
The COFA base units guarantee the readiness of the air units and the logistic and administrative support of all the units and boards based there but depending on other commands. Organization:
The Surveillance and Detection Units (Portuguese: Unidades de Vigilância e Detecção, UVD) guarantee the operational of these same means.
Air Zones have the mission of planning, supervising and controlling the readiness of the air power resources and the air activity in their area of responsibility, of the accomplishment of the established plans. Guaranteeing, under the terms established in international agreements, the relationships with the foreign forces stationed at the base units under their hierarchic authority, but keeping the status inherent to the unit commander.
Existing Air Zones commands:
The Portuguese Air Force aircraft are integrated in flight squadrons dependent of the air bases where they are based. These flight squadrons receive a designation of three numerical digits, in which the first indicates its primary mission:
The second digit indicates the type of aircraft operated by the squadron:
The third digit is a sequential number of the same mission and aircraft type.
The Personnel Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando de Pessoal da Força Aérea, CPESFA) is commanded by a Lieutenant-General that administers the human resources of the Air Force in accordance with the CEMFA's plans and directives.
Under its command it has the following units:
Air Base No. 1 (BA1) — Sintra, Lisbon (LPST)
Air Base No. 4 (BA4) — Lajes, Azores (LPLA)
Air Base No. 5 (BA5) — Monte Real, Leiria (LPMR)
Air Base No. 6 (BA6) — Montijo, Setúbal (LPMT)
Air Base No. 11 (BA11) — Beja (LPBJ)
Transit Airfield No. 1 (AT1) — Lisbon (LPPT)
Maneuvers Airfield No. 1 (AM1) — Ovar, Aveiro (LPOV)
Maneuvers Airfield No. 3 (AM3) — Porto Santo, Madeira (LPPS)
| Oficiais Generais - General officers | |||
| Marechal | |||
| Marshal (Honorific) |
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| General | Tenente-General | Major-General | Brigadeiro-General |
| General | Lieutenant-General | Major-General | Brigadier-General |
| Oficiais Superiores - Senior officers | |||
| Coronel | Tenente-Coronel | Major | |
| Colonel | Lieutenant-Colonel | Major | |
| Capitães e Subalternos - Junior officers | |||
| Capitão | Tenente | Alferes | Aspirante a oficial |
| Captain | Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Officer Candidate |
| Sargentos - Sergeants | |||
| Sargento-mor | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-ajudante | |
| Chief Master Sergeant | Senior Master Sergeant | Master Sergeant | |
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| 1º Sargento | 2º Sargento | Furriel | 2º Furriel |
| Technical Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant | Senior Airmen |
| Praças - Airmen | |||
| Cabo-adjunto | 1º Cabo | 2º Cabo | |
| Airmen 1st Class | Airmen | Airmen Basic | |
| Pessoal Em Preparação - Personnel Undergoing Training | |||
| Cadete de 4º Ano | Cadete de 3º Ano | Cadete de 2º Ano | Cadete de 1º Ano |
| 4th-year Cadet | 3rd-year Cadet | 2nd-year Cadet | 1st-year Cadet |
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| Soldado-cadete | Soldado-recruta | ||
| Cadet | Recruit | ||
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale TB-30 Epsilon | France Portugal |
Light trainer | ||
| AgustaWestland EH101 | United Kingdom Italy |
Tactical transport, search & rescue, utility helicopter | ||
| Alexander Schleicher ASK 21 | Germany | Aerobatic instruction | ||
| CASA C-212 Aviocar | Spain | Tactical transport, search & rescue | Series 100 | Most replaced by CASA C-295 aircraft. Eight still operated by 401 Sqn. in maritime patrol and aerial photography missions |
| Series 300 | ||||
| CASA C-295 | Spain | Tactical transport, search & rescue | ||
| Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet | France Germany |
Light attack aircraft, advanced trainer | Alpha-Jet A | Former-Luftwaffe aircraft, offered by Germany for the use of the Beja Air Base — BA11. Also operated by the PoAF aerobatic display team Asas de Portugal |
| Dassault Falcon 20 | France | VIP transport & ILS Calibrations | ||
| Dassault Falcon 50 | France | VIP transport | ||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk | Canada Portugal |
Trainer | OGMA Chipmunk T.20 | |
| LET L-23 Super Blanik | Czech Republic | Flight training | ||
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules | United States | Tactical transport | C-130H
C-130H-30 |
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| Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | Fighter | F-16 AM | |
| F-16 BM | ||||
| Lockheed P-3 Orion | United States | Maritime patrol aircraft | P-3C Update II.5/CUP-CG | Former-Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft being updated. |
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