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Colombian Air Force

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Colombian Air Force
Coat of arms of the Colombian Air Force
Coat of arms of the Colombian Air Force
Founded December 31, 1919
Country Colombia
Branch Air Force
Size 9,000 active personnel
Part of Colombian Armed Forces
Motto Sic Itur Ad Astra
Anniversaries November 8
Engagements Colombia–Peru War

Colombian armed conflict
Commanders
Current
commander		 General Jorge Ballesteros Rodriguez
Second Commander and Mayor Chief of Staff General Fernando Soler Torres
Notable
commanders		 General Hector Fabio Velasco
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack A-29, A-37, OV-10, AC-47
Fighter IAI Kfir, Mirage 5
Attack helicopter AH-60, AB212 Rápaz
Reconnaissance Schweizer SA 2-37
Trainer T-34, T-41, T-27
Transport C-130, C-295, CN-235, C-212

The Colombian Air Force or FAC (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Colombiana) is the Air Force of The Republic of Colombia.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Creation

Military aviation began in Colombia in 1919 with the creation of a military aviation school for the Colombian Army. Previously by Law 15 of 1916 of September 7 two commissions were sent overseas to study new technological advancements in aviation, infantry, cavalry, engineering and trains. Officers pertaining to the Colombian Army were also sent to take a course on flight training on techniques and tactics. The school is then created in Colombia along with the Colombian National Army Aviation as a fifth regiment by Law 126 of 1919 of December 31 authorized by President of Colombia, Marco Fidel Suárez. The unit was officially activated on February 15, 1921 in Flandes, Department of Tolima with the support of French mission led by Lieutenant Colonel Rene Guichard. The Aviation School initially had 3 Caudron G.3 E-2, 3 Caudron G.4 A-2 and four Nieuport Delage 11 C-1. The school was closed due to financial hardships on 1922.

The School of Military Aviation was reopened on November 8, 1924 in Madrid, Department of Cundinamarca with the support of a Swiss mission headed by Captain Henry Pillichody. The aircraft used for training were 4 Wild WT and 8 Wild X performing the first air review on August 7, 1927. Then on December 28, 1928 the first combat aircraft was showed in Colombia, the Curtiss Falcon O-1 pertaining to the United States.

[edit] War with Peru

See also: Colombia-Peru War


On September 1, 1932 civilian Peruvians illegally crossed into Colombian territory and invaded the town of Leticia in the Colombian Amazon arguing and claiming that the town was original Peruvian territory. The Colombian military aviation only had 11 instructors, four air combat support planes Osprey C-14R and one Curtiss Falcon O-1. The military aviation then received full financial support from the Congress of Colombia. Colombia bought aircraft from Germany and the United States, while others were activated from the airline operating in Colombia SCADTA (Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transporte Aéreo) and their pilots, which included some German citizens, one of these was Major Herbert Boy. The imported aircraft were 4 Junkers F.13, 4 Junkers W 34 and 3 Junkers K 43, 6 Junkers Ju 52, 2 Dornier Merkur II, 4 Dornier Wal, 20 Curtiss Falcon F-8F and 30 Curtiss Hawk II F-11C.

The contingent was then sent to southern Colombia to fight Peruvian forces with the main mission of delivering supplies to the front lines, aerial reconnaissance and air to land attacks. The fleet was divided into three squadrons with Puerto Boy as the main camp site. Support bases were in Caucaya airstrip (Puerto Leguízamo), El Encanto, Puerto Arica, La Pedrera and Tarapacá. The main combat operations started on February 14, 1933 in Tarapacá where the Peruvian garrison was bombed by seven Colombian aircraft and later assaulted by land forces. Later, on March 26, in the village of Guepi eleven Colombian planes and two canon boats (MC Cartagena y MC Santa Marta) bombarded Peruvian positions and took over the town.

The last military actions of the conflict with Peru were on May 8, 1933 and in which there was an aerial engagement between the two forces. Peruvian planes were attacking the fluvial fleet of Colombia over the Algodón River and were surprised by the Colombian squadron. One of the Peruvian aircraft, an Douglas O-38P was gunned down and taken to Colombian territory. On May 24, 1933 the cease fire was declared after an agreement was reached with the intervention of the League of Nations. The town of Leticia was returned to Colombia. The captured plane was returned then to Peru. As a result of the war, four pilots died in four accidents, non combat related actions, among these there was one of the German pilots. Four planes were lost in these accidents a Falcon O-1, an Osprey C-14, a Junker F-13 and a Curtiss F-11.

[edit] Early 1930s to present

In 1935 the first combat monoplanes made of aluminium were purchased by the Colombian Air Force; 4 Seversky P-35/2PA Guardsman.

While the war was on going in the south of Colombia, the Air Force built Air Force bases in the town of Buenaventura and Cartagena. The base in Buenaventura was dubbed Air base of the Pacific and covered the area of the Colombian Pacific region by the Pacific Ocean and began operations on January 26, 1933. The main purpose of this base was to protect the Pacific coast from any maritime intervention, since there were reports that the Peruvian protected cruiser BAP Almirante Grau was patrolling the area, as well as two submarines. The Buenaventura base closed in 1949 while the base in Cartagena was handed over to the Colombian Navy in 1936 becoming the ARC Bolívar Naval Base, the most important naval base in Colombia.

Once the conflict with Peru was over the bases in the Amazon basin were dismantled and the troops sent to new bases like Tres Esquinas Air Force Base in the Department of Caqueta, Palenquero Air Force Base in the Department of Cundinamarca and San José del Guaviare in the Department of Guaviare. Meanwhile the School of Military Aviation was moved to Cali, and leaving in Madrid the Radiotelegraphy and Maintenance Schools.

[edit] Organization

The Air Force comprises six main commands each known as Comando Aéreo de Combate (CACOM)

[edit] Aircraft Identification

The aircraft used by the Colombian Air Force are identified with the letters "FAC" followed by three or four numbers numbers that are painted on the tail, nose and nose landing gear doors. The serial numbers are assigned according to the aircraft's primary role as follows:

  • 001 Avión Presidencial
  • 002 to 100 trainer
  • 101 to 200 liaison
  • 201 to 300 helicopter
  • 301 to 500 miscellaneous
  • 501 to 600 light transport
  • 601 to 700 transport
  • 701 to 800 advanced trainer
  • 801 to 900 fighter-bomber
  • 901 to 1000 crew-trainer
  • 1001 to 1300 transport
  • 2001 to 2300 Close support
  • 2501 to 2600 bomber
  • 3001 to 3100 Fighter
  • 3101 to 3200 COIN
  • 4001 to 4600 helicopter
  • 5001 to 5600 liaison
  • 5701 to 5800 recon/ELINT

[1]

[edit] Aircraft Inventory

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[2] Notes Images
Transport
Beechcraft Queen Air  United States utility transport 65-B80 2
Beechcraft Twin Bonanza  United States utility transport D50 1
Boeing 707  United States Transport
Tanquer		 707-373C 1 [1]
Boeing Business Jet  United States VIP BBJ1 1
Fokker F28  Netherlands VIP Transport F28-1000
F28-3000		 1
1
Cessna Citation II  United States VIP Transport 550 Citation II 1 [2] [3]
CASA C-212 Aviocar  Spain tactical transport C-212-300 3 [4]
CASA CN-235  Spain Tactical transport CN-235-200 3 [5] [6]
EADS CASA C-295  Spain Tactical transport C-295M 4 [7]
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante  Brazil transport EMB 110P1A 2
Gavilan 358  Colombia utility 4 [8]
IAI Arava  Israel utility transport Arava 201 1
C-130 Hercules  United States tactical transport C-130B
C-130H		 4
3		 [9]
Piper PA-23 Aztec  United States utility 1
Piper PA-31 Navajo  United States utility transport 1
Piper PA-31T Cheyenne  United States utility transport 1
Piper PA-34 Seneca  United States utility transport 3
Cessna 208 Caravan  United States liaison 5
Helicopters
Bell 205  United States utility helicopter Model 205
UH-1H/P		 5
21		 [10]
Bell 212 Twin Huey  United States transport helicopter 12 [11]
Bell 412  United States Transport helicopter 412HP 2 [12]
MD Helicopters MD500 Defender  United States combat helicopter 369HM
MD 530FF		 13
3		 [13] [14]
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk  United States transport helicopter
combat helicopter		 UH-60L
AH-60 Arpía		 25
[15] [16]
Trainers
Cessna T-41 Mescalero  United States trainer T-41D 8 [17]
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor  United States trainer T-34M 9 [18] [19]
Cessna T-37 Tweet  United States Trainer T-37B Tweet
T-37C Tweet		 3
4		 [20] [21] [22]
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver  Canada utility 1
Embraer EMB 312 Tucano  Brazil trainer 14 [23]
Bell 206  United States Trainer Bell 206B-III 11 [24]
Attack
Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano  Brazil combat 25
[25]
North American OV-10 Bronco  United States counter insurgency OV-10A 11 [26]
AC-47 Spooky  United States Counter Insurgency 6 Locally known as Fantasmas (Ghost)
[27]
A-37 Dragonfly  United States Counter Insurgency 9
 To be withdrawn from service by 2008 [28] [29]
Fighters
IAI Kfir  Israel Fighter Kfir C.7
Kfir TC.7
Kfir COA		 11
1
4		 On February 2008, Colombia signed a deal with the Israeli government to update the 12 Kfir C7s to the C10 version and acquire another 13 former Israeli Air Force Kfir C10s.[3] Colombia received the first batch of upgraded kfir fighters at a ceremony held at IAI's facilities.[4]
[30] [31]
Mirage 5  France Fighter 12 [32]


Reconnaissance and Intelligence
Schweizer SA 2-37  United States reconnaissance 6 [33]
Fairchild C-26 Metroliner  United States transport / SIGINT C-26A 5 [34]
Citation SR-560 Tracker  United States Tracker 6 [35] [36]
Cessna O-2  United States Tracker 2 [37]
Beechcraft B300 King Air  United States ELINT 4 2 more ordered [38]
Cessna Grand Caravan  United States Reconnaissance
Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales SATENA
Dornier Do 328  Germany airliner 6 operated by SATENA
Embraer ERJ 145  Brazil Airliner 50 seats 5 operated by SATENA
Embraer 170  Brazil airliner 76 seats, single class 2 operated by SATENA, 1 more to be delivered early 2007
Let L-410 Turbolet  Czech Republic airliner 19 seats, single class 3 operated by SATENA

Other aircraft have been reported in recent service:

FAC is not Colombia's exclusive operator of military aircraft, as smaller inventories are maintained by the Colombian Army, Colombian Navy, and the Colombian National Police.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.iai.co.il/32981-39719-en/default.aspx
  2. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
  3. ^ "Colombia moderniza aviones de guerra" (in Spanish). BBC Mundo. 7 February 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_7231000/7231912.stm. Retrieved on 16 November 2008. 
  4. ^ "IAI Delivers First Batch of Kfir Fighter Jets to the Colombian Air Force" (in English). Israel Aerospace Industries. June 22, 2009. http://www.iai.co.il/32981-39719-en/default.aspx. Retrieved on June 22, 2009. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_Air_Force"
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