Chilean Air Force
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The Chilean Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea de Chile— FACh) is the air force of Chile and a branch of the Chilean Armed Forces.
History
The first step towards the current FACh was taken in 1911, when Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado was sent to France to train as pilot in the flying school of Louis Blériot. Ávalos Prado took command over the Chilean military aviation school, which was officially established in February 1913, and remained in charge until 1915. The Military Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Militar) was named in honor of him in 1944, and still carries that name today.
In those early years many aviation milestones were achieved; conquering the height of the Andes was one of the main targets as well as long distance flights. Typical aircraft of that era were Avro 504, Bleriot XI, Bristol M.1C, DH.9, and SE5a. In the following decade, the Airmail Line of Chile (Línea Aeropostal de Chile) was created on 5 March 1929 as a branch of the military aviation. This postal airline later developed into the National Airline (Línea Aérea Nacional) that is still the leading airline in Chile today. Shortly afterwards, on 21 March 1930, the existing aviation elements of the army and navy were amalgamated into a dedicated department: the Department of the Air Force (Subsecretaria de Aviación) effectively creating the current independent Air Force. It was initially named National Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Nacional). The international airport of Chile carries the name of Lan's founding father and first commander of the air force, Air Commodore Arturo Merino Benítez. Its baptism of fire was in the 1931 sailors' rebellion in Coquimbo, where Air Force attack aircraft and bombers and 2 transport planes converted into bombers contributed to its failure.
The first outlines of the organization of the current air force were visible in 1945 with the inception of Transport Group 1, later renumbered Group 10, with two C-45s and a single T-6 Texan at Los Cerrillos. Two years later the first FACh flight to Antarctica was performed. The fifties meant entry into the jet age for the FACh, and Grupo 7 was the first unit to receive them in 1954. Chile got its aircraft from both the United States and Europe. The American supply consisted of Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, Lockheed T-33A T-Bird, Beech T-34 Mentor, Cessna T-37C Tweet, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly and Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II for example, whereas the British supplied DH.100 Vampire FB.5, Hawker Hunter FGA.9 and Canberra PR.9 and the French delivered various helicopters and Mirage 5MA Elkan andMirage 50CN Panterra aircraft.
During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force conducted Operation Silence, Hunters from the 7th Aviation Squadron destroyed several transmission antennas belonging to pro-government radio stations. After accomplishing their mission, the aircraft performed attack runs on the presidential residence at Las Condes and the presidential palace, a pilot mistakenly opened fire on the Air Force Hospital when attacking the residence, no casualties were reported.
The Chilean air force hosted the joint exercise Salitre with other friendly nations in 2014. It also participated in several United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas in 5 occasions.
The Chilean Air Force reported one of its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying 38 people en route to Antarctica missing on December 9, 2019. The aircraft was on its way to Antarctica’s King George Island to provide logistic support to a military base when radio contact was lost. On 11 December 2019, aircraft debris was located 18 miles South of where the plane last made contact and no survivors were found. The cause of the crash is unknown.
Organization
Combat Command of the Air Force
First Air Brigade with headquarters in Los Cóndores Air Base (Base Aérea Los Cóndores) in Iquique
- 1st Aviation Squadron
- 2nd Aviation Squadron
- 3rd Aviation Squadron
- 24th Air Defense Squadron
- 34th Telecommunications Squadron
- 44th Aviation Infantry Squadron
Second Air Brigade with headquarters in Pudahuel Air Base (Base Aérea Pudahuel) in Santiago
- 9th Aviation Squadron
- 10th Aviation Squadron
- Air Defence and Special Forces Regiment (Regimiento de Artillería Antiaérea y FF.EE)
- 32nd Telecommunications Squadron
Third Air Brigade with headquarters in El Tepual Air Base (Base Aérea El Tepual) in Puerto Montt
- 5th Aviation Squadron
- 25th Air Defense Squadron
- 35th Telecommunications Squadron
Fourth Air Brigade with headquarters in Chabunco Air Base (Base Aérea Chabunco) in Punta Arenas
- 6th Aviation Squadron
- 12th Aviation Squadron
- 23rd Air Defense Squadron
- 33rd Telecommunications Squadron
- 19th Antarctic Exploration Squadron
Fifth Air Brigade with headquarters in Cerro Moreno Air Base (Base Aérea Cerro Moreno) in Antofagasta
- 7th Aviation Squadron
- 8th Aviation Squadron
- 21st Air Defense Squadron
- 31st Telecommunications Squadron
- 41st Aviation Infantry Squadron
Personnel Command
Education Division
- Air Force School "Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado"
- Air Force NCO School "Flight Sergeant Adolfo Menadier Rojas"
- Advanced NCO School
- Air War Academy
- Air Force Polytechnical Academy
- Air Photographic Surveying Service
Health Division General Hospital of the Air Force
Air Force High Command Prefecture
Logistics Command
Maintenance Division Administration Division Infrastructure Division
Special Operations
The Air Force also maintains the Air Force Special Forces (Comandos de Aviación), comparable to a United States Air Force Combat Control Team.[citation needed] They may be up to 350 strong, and their roles include assault, reconnaissance, Air Traffic Control, Fire Support, and Command, control, and communications.[citation needed]
Industry
The Air Force also maintains its own aviation industry, ENAER. The design of the T-35 Pillán trainer, based on the Piper PA-28R Saratoga, is the best known example, seeing some export success as well. Furthermore, the assembly of the A-36/T-36 Halcón (CASA C-101) was achieved as well. Performing maintenance on most types in the current inventory, such as minor modifications on F-5E aircraft for example, the industry is of significant importance to the air force. ENAER is reported to be in talks with Embraer of Brazil to codesign the first indigenous South American military transport plane. Also, under the Pacer Amstel programme, with initial Dutch support, and later locally ENAER upgraded an F-16 combat jet, which for the Chilean Air Force is an advance for their maintenance of the F-16 fleet (becoming the 5th country to modify their jets under authorization).
Personnel
The Chilean Air Force is composed of 10,600 personnel (including 700 conscripts).[citation needed]
Ranks
Commissioned Officers
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilean Air Force vte | ||||||||||||
| General de aire | General de aviación | General de brigada aérea | Comodoro | Coronel de aviación | Comandante de grupo | Comandante de escuadrilla | Capitán de bandada | Teniente | Subteniente | Alférez |
Enlisted Ranks
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilean Air Force vte | No insignia | |||||||||
| Suboficial mayor | Suboficial | Sargento primero | Sargento segundo | Cabo primero | Cabo segundo | Cabo | Soldado de tropa profesional | Alumno |
Aircraft
| Aircraft | Origin | Role | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | |||||
| Northrop F-5 | United States | Light fighter | F-5E F-5F | 8 3 | Originally, 18 F-5E/F Tiger IIs were acquired in 1975. In the 1990s, they were upgraded to the F-5 Tiger III variant. F-5F used as trainers. |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | Multirole | F-16C/D F-16A/B MLU | 10 36 | 10 F-16C/D Block 50 received from the US in 2006 and 36 F-16 AM/BM MLU Block 15/20 from the RNLAF between 2006 and 2011. 11 F-16B/D used as trainers. |
| AEW&C | |||||
| E-3 Sentry | United States | AEW&C | E-3D MK1 | 2 | 3 units received from the RAF in 2022, one for spare parts. |
| Reconnaissance | |||||
| Cessna L-19 | United States | Liaison / SAR | L-19A | 3 | Originally, 6 units were acquired in 1955. |
| Cessna O-2 Skymaster | United States | Liaison / SAR | O-2A | 2 | |
| Tanker | |||||
| KC-135 Stratotanker | United States | Aerial refueling / transport | KC-135E | 3 | 3 units received from the USAF between 2010 and 2012. |
| KC-130 Hercules | United States | Transport / aerial refueling | KC-130R | 3 | Originally, 4 units of this transport variant were received from the USN between 2015 and 2016. They have the capability to refuel the F-5E/F Tiger III in flight. |
| Transport / Utility | |||||
| DHC-6 Twin Otter | Canada | Utility / transport | DHC-6-100 DHC-6-300 | 13 | Originally, 20 units were acquired; 8 of the 100 series in 1966, 6 of the 300 series to LAM in 1974 and 6 more of the 300 series in 1978. |
| C-130 Hercules | United States | Transport | C-130H | 4 | 2 units of this transport variant were received from Lockheed Martin between 1972 and 1973. In 2021, 2 more units were received from the USAF, with a third unit being contemplated. |
| C-212 Aviocar | Spain | Transport | C-212-200 C-212-300 | 2 1 | Originally 4 units received since March 1995; 2 C-212-200 and 2 C-212-300. |
| Boeing 737 | United States | Transport | 330QC 58N | 1 1 | |
| Cessna CitationJet | United States | VIP transport / trainer | CJ1 | 4 | 4 units received in 2001. |
| Gulfstream G-IV | United States | VIP transport / utility | 4 | 4 aircraft in total; the first acquired in 2005, the second in 2015, the third in 2020 and the fourth in 2021. | |
| Boeing 767 | United States | Transport | 300ER | 1 | 1 unit incorporated in 2008. |
| Helicopters | |||||
| UH-1 Iroquois | United States | Utility | UH-1H | 13 | Its replacement is contemplated by 14 units of a helicopter to choose from during the second half of 2023. |
| Bell 206 | United States | Utility | 206B Jet Ranger III | 5 | |
| UH-60 Black Hawk | United States | Transport / utility | S-70A-39 (UH-60L) S-70i (MH-60M) | 1 6 | 1 unit acquired in 1998. 6 units of PZL Mielec in 2018. |
| Bell 412 | United States | Utility | 412SP 412EP | 16 | |
| Trainer aircraft | |||||
| T-35 Pillán | Chile | Trainer | T-35A T-35B T-35BE | 30 | Various units received from ENAER starting in 1986. They will be replaced from the 2027-2028 period by 33 T-35 Pillán II aircraft. |
| A-29 Super Tucano | Brazil | Advanced trainer / attack | A-29B | 22 | 22 units in total acquired from Embraer; 12 received since 2009, 6 in 2018 and 4 in 2020. |
| Cirrus SR22 | United States | Trainer | SR-22T | 8 | 8 units in total; 2 received in 2013, 2 in 2015, 2 in 2016 and 2 in 2017. |
| Aerobatic competition aircraft | |||||
| GB1 GameBird | United Kingdom | Aerobatics | 6 | Originally 7 units received from Game Composites in 2019. | |
| UAV | |||||
| Hermes 900 | Israel | Surveillance | 3 | 3 units purchased from Elbit Systems in 2011. | |
| Mantis | Spain | Surveillance | 2 | UAVs acquired around 2014. |
Notes
Bibliography
- Hagedorn, Daniel P. (September–October 1996). "Talkback". Air Enthusiast (65): 80. ISSN .
External links
- official website
- at Chilean Defense Ministry, official website
- , old at Archive.org (in Spanish)
- (in Spanish)