TheColombian Aerospace Force (FAC,Spanish:Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana) is the air force ofColombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's air and to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order. It is one of the largest air forces in theAmericas (after the United States and Brazil) and has increased its activity due to important roles in the fight against narco-terrorism. Its main force includes 21IAI Kfirs as defense fighters and 12Cessna A-37 Dragonfly plus 24 Embraer 314 Super Tucano for counterinsurgency.
Military aviation began in Colombia in 1919 with the creation of a military aviation school for theColombian Army. Previously byLaw 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 was then created in Colombia along with theColombian National Army Aviation as a fifth regiment byLaw 126 of 1919 of December 31 authorized byPresident of Colombia,Marco Fidel Suárez. The unit was officially activated on February 15, 1921 inFlandes,Department of Tolima with the support of a French mission led by Lieutenant Colonel Rene Guichard. The Aviation School initially had 3Caudron G.3 E-2, 3Caudron G.4 A-2 and fourNieuport Delage 21 C.1. The school was closed due to financial hardships in 1922.
The School of Military Aviation was reopened on November 8, 1924 inMadrid,Department of Cundinamarca with the support of a Swiss mission headed by Captain Henry Pillichody. Theaircraft 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 shown in Colombia, theCurtiss Falcon O-1.
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 withPuerto Boy as the main camp site. Support bases were inCaucaya airstrip (Puerto Leguízamo),El Encanto,Puerto Arica,La Pedrera andTarapacá. The main combat operations started on February 14, 1933 inTarapacá where the Peruvian garrison was bombed by seven Colombian aircraft and later assaulted by land forces. Later, on March 26, in the village ofGuepi eleven Colombian planes and two cannon 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 theAlgodón River and were surprised by the Colombian squadron. One of the Peruvian aircraft, aDouglas O-38P was gunned down and taken to Colombian territory. On May 24, 1933 a cease fire was declared after an agreement was reached with the intervention of theLeague of Nations. The town of Leticia was returned to Colombia. The captured plane was then returned to Peru. As a result of the war, four pilots died in four accidents during non-combat related actions. Among these was one of the German pilots. Four planes were lost in these accidents a Falcon O-1, an Osprey C-14, a Junkers F-13 and a Curtiss F-11.
TheAT-6 Texan served during World War II, defending the country's Caribbean coast
The diplomatic breach between Colombia and the Axis countries (Germany, Italy and Japan) was declared on December 18, 1941, when President Eduardo Santos took the decision following the Japanese attack on military bases, naval and U.S. carriers atPearl Harbor, Hawaii. Thereafter, the Colombian government introduced special measures to limit and counter the Axis military action in areas of national jurisdiction. On June 23, 1942 a German submarine attacked and sank the Colombian schoonerResolute, 50 miles northwest of the island of San Andrés. The same schooner had rescued some Marine officers and 23 British Royal Navy survivors of a capsized ship, 200 miles north of Cartagena just five days before.
Following these events, the government decided to patrol and monitor the Pacific Coast and the Colombian Caribbean coast. The Palanquero Air Base commanders moved one fighter squadron and a Combat Reconnaissance Squadron, consisting of F-8 Falcon aircraft, to Barranquilla. In 1943, the Falcons were relieved of their mission and replaced by theAT-6 Texan. This squadron was active until 1945, when the AT-6 were transferred back to Palanquero Air Base.
In 1936 the first combat monoplanes made of aluminum were purchased by the Colombian Air Force; 3Seversky P-35/2PA Guardsman.[4]
While the war was ongoing in southern Colombia, the Air Force built bases in the towns ofBuenaventura andCartagena. The base in Buenaventura was dubbed Air Base of the Pacific and covered the area of theColombian Pacific region by thePacific 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 Peruvianprotected cruiserBAP 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 theColombian Navy in 1936 becoming theARC Bolívar Naval Base, the most important naval base in Colombia.
DuringWorld War II, North AmericanT-6 Texans and BoeingPT-17 Stearmans were received from the US for pilot training. Soon after World War Two, the Aviación Militar became an independent part of the armed forces, and the Colombian Air Force was created.Thunderbolt F-47D of the Colombian Air Force in 1946
During the period ofLa Violencia, The Air Force had the necessity to expand its radius of action, so in 1947 the aeródromo nacional de Apiay was created, named the 17 of November 1948 Base Aérea de Apiay, today it home of the Comando Aéreo de Combate No. 2. In this period, the Air Force became more involved in counterinsurgency tasks andB-26C Invaders were acquired. Also, in 1954, the jet age began for the Colombian Air Force with the arrival of 6Silver Star T-33 and six CanadianSabre Mark IV F-86 in 1956. The F-86 were retired from service 1966, while the T-33 continued to operate until 1972 when 18Mirage 5 fighters arrived in three different versions. SixteenF-80 Shooting Stars were also delivered.
In 1952,Hiller UH-12 helicopters arrived to the country, initially acquired for the Ministerio de Obras Públicas, but later assigned to the Air Force. In consequence, in 1954, the first helicopter base was created in Melgar, Tolima. Nowadays this base is known as Base Aérea “Capitán Luis F. Gómez Niño”, home of theComando Aéreo de Combate No. 4 and the Joint Helicopter School of the Armed Forces. In 1959, with the inauguration of theEl Dorado International Airport, the Base Aérea de Transporte Militar was created, later renamed as Base Aérea “Brigadier General Camilo Daza”, home today of theComando Aéreo de Transporte Militar (CATAM). In 1962 in order to integrate economically and socially the furthest regions of the country the Servicio Aéreo a Territorios NacionalesSatena was created.
Around 1960 the military transport element expanded, with the acquisition of theC-130 Hercules, other types incorporated during the sixties were, theUH-1 Huey,T-37 Tweet andT-41 Mescalero.
In 1977, to increase control in the northern part of the country, the Grupo Aéreo del Norte was created in Malambo, Atlántico, home today of theComando Aéreo de Combate No. 3. In 1979, theGrupo Aéreo del Caribe (GACAR) was created, to defend the sovereignty of San Andrés and Providencia from the pretensions of Nicaragua. In 1983, theGrupo Aéreo de Oriente was created inMarandúa,Vichada to exert more control of the airspace in the eastern part of the country.
Further expansion took place in the eighties with considerable deliveries of theA-37 Dragonfly, which had earned fame over Vietnam. At the end of the decade a batch ofKfir C2 fighters was delivered from Israel and subsequently upgraded toKfir C7 by theComando Aéreo de Mantenimiento (CAMAN) in Madrid in the nineties. The Mirages were upgraded to the same standard by CAMAN, with the installation of canards and improved fuel systems. Both types are also equipped for air-to-air refuelling from the FAC's soleBoeing 707 tanker and transport aircraft. The nineties saw the delivery of specialised COIN-aircraft like theOV-10A Bronco andEmbraer Tucano trainers, some of the latter are able to carry bombs and unguided rockets. These aircraft operate mainly over the east of the country, where the Los Llanos region has a high level of guerrilla activity. They regularly deploy toPuerto Carreño under the command of the Grupo Aéreo del Oriente formed in 2000. To deal with continuing guerrilla activity, Escuadrones Aerotácticos (tactical squadrons) were formed at the main FAC bases in the late nineties, consisting of several types of helicopters andAC-47 gunships supplied by their respective Grupos.A Colombian Air Force AH-60L Arpía III firing its flares
The 1999 'Plan Colombia' emphasizes on technology, rather than on large numbers of new aircraft being procured, although several newUH-60 Black Hawk helicopters entered FAC service in recent years, including a dedicated attack variant developed by the Colombian Air Force in conjunction withElbit Systems andSikorsky, the AH-60L Arpía. Other recently acquired types includeSchweizer SA2-37A Condors andCessna 560 Citations equipped with cameras and sensors to monitor guerrilla and narcotic related activities. Technology upgrades are scheduled for the Bronco fleet, the venerable AC-47 gunships and Huey-helicopters.
The Colombian Air Force monitors the country's airspace and intercepts suspicious flights, occasionally forcing non-compliant aircraft to the ground. AHawker 800 carrying 1.2 tonnes ofcocaine was shot to the sea in 2015.[5]
As of 2010,[32] the Aerospace Force fields approximately 13,500 personnel, including 2,171 officers, 3,304 Non-commissioned officers, 903 student officers, 4,673 soldiers, these usually allocated to base security, Military Police etc., and 2,382 civilians, the latter usually dedicated to specialized technical or professional activities, e.g. medical, communications, etc.
Super Tucano of the Colombian Aerospace Force. These aircraft were acquired in 2006
The aircraft used by the Colombian Aerospace Force are identified with the letters "FAC" followed by three or four 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:
^Colombia is not a member ofNATO, so there is not an official equivalence between the Colombian military ranks and those defined by NATO. The displayed parallel is approximate and for illustration purposes only.
Various conventions, treaties, agreements, memorandums, charters or declarations establishing and governing intergovernmental organisations or inter-agency bodies dealing with space affairs
Colombia
.jpg)
_Ramirez.jpg)
Colombian Aerospace Force[34]
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
