| Bolivarian Military Aviation of Venezuela | |
|---|---|
| Aviación Militar Bolivariana | |
 Coat of arms of the Bolivarian Military Aviation | |
| Founded | 10 December 1920; 104 years ago (1920-12-10) |
| Country |  Venezuela |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Part of | Bolivarian Armed Forces |
| Nickname | AMB |
| Patron | Our Lady of Loreto |
| Mottos |
|
| Colours | Bleu celeste |
| March |
|
| Anniversaries | 10 December (Air Force Day) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | PresidentNicolás Maduro |
| Minister of Defence | GeneralVladimir Padrino López |
| Commander | Major General Santiago Infante Itriago[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Roundel |  |
| Fin flash |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare | Dassault Falcon 20C Prometeo,Fairchild C-26B Metro EW |
| Fighter | Su-30MK2,F-16 |
| Trainer | SF-260,EMB-312,K-8 |
| Transport | C-130,Y-8,Boeing 707-320C,Short 360 |
Bolivarian Military Aviation of Venezuela (Spanish:Aviación Militar Bolivariana), is a professional armed body designed to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and airspace. It is a service component of theNational Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.
The organization is also known as theBolivarian National Air Force of Venezuela. Its current official name has been in use since the end of 2008. It was previously called theVenezuelan Air Force (FAV;Spanish:Fuerza Aérea Venezolana).[2]
Most of the airbases inVenezuela were built in the 1960s as part of a massive expansion program. The main fighter types in those years were theCanberra B(I).88,Venom FB.54,Vampire FB.52,F-86K Sabre Dog and theF-86F Sabre. Bomber squadrons typically operatedB-25J Mitchell aircraft. The 1970s and 1980s saw a considerable increase in capacity, with rising oil prices enabling the FAV to re-equip most of its units. TheMirage IIIEV andMirage 5V,Mirage 50EV,VF-5A and D,T-2D,OV-10A and E, andT-27 were introduced. Venezuela was one of the first export customers for theF-16A/B Fighting Falcon and was the first in Latin America to receive the aircraft, which arrived in 1983 for the newly formed Grupo Aéreo de Caza 16 atEl Libertador Airbase.[3][4]
In bothFebruary andNovember Venezuelan coup attempts of 1992, elements of the Venezuelan Air Force were key participants in the rebellion. FAV units at El Libertador Air Base under the command of Brigadier General Visconti seized control of the airbase and then launched an attack on the capital. OV-10s, T-27s, and Mirage III fighters under Visconti's command bombarded targets in the capital and loyalist air bases, destroying fiveVF-5 fighters on the ground.[5]
Two loyalist pilots escaped with F-16 fighters and shot down two OV-10s and a Tucano, claiming air superiority for the government. Two more rebel OV-10s were lost to ground fire. As the tables turned on the coup attempt, General Visconti and his allies fled in twoC-130s, two Mirages, anOV-10, and severalSA 330 helicopters.[6]
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In July 2006, the AMV purchased 24Sukhoi Su-30MK2 planes from Russia, as a result of the United States embargo on spare parts for their F-16 fighters[7] and to replace theMirage 50EV. In 2008, Venezuela sought a potential acquisition of a number ofSu-35SE fighter aircraft and a second batch of 12–24Sukhoi Su-30 from Russia.[8][9] The acquisition did not succeed.[10]
In 2010, the Venezuelan Air Force retired their agingVF-5A/D andT-2D fleet.Hongdu K-8W took their place, after being received earlier in 2010.[11][12]
In October 2015, Venezuela announced a plan to purchase 12 more Su-30MK2 from Russia for $480 million.[13][unreliable source?][14]
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Venezuelan Air Force[19] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| General en jefe | Mayor general | General de division | General de brigada | Coronel | Teniente coronel | Mayor | Capitán | Primer teniente | Teniente | |||||||||||||||
The rank insignia of Venezuelannon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuelan Air Force[19] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sargento supervisor | Sargento ayudante | Sargento mayor de primera | Sargento mayor de segunda | Sargento mayor de tercera | Sargento primero | Sargento segundo | Cabo primero | Cabo segundo | Distinguido | Aviador | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
