TheChilean Air Force (Spanish:Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh) is theair force ofChile and branch of theChilean military.

Chilean Air Force
Fuerza Aérea de Chile
Coat of arms of the Chilean Air Force
Founded	21 March 1930; 95 years ago (1930-03-21)
Country	Chile
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Part of	Chilean Armed Forces
Headquarters	Edificio Delphos Cerrillos,Santiago
Motto(s)	Latin:Quam celerrime ad astra "With full speed to the stars"
Colours	Indigo  White
March	Alte Kameraden
Anniversaries	21 March (Air Force Day)
Equipment	193 aircraft[1]
Engagements	Chilean naval mutiny of 1931 1973 Chilean coup d'état Beagle conflict
Website	www.fach.cl
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force	General del AireHugo Rodríguez González
Notable commanders	Arturo Merino Benítez Marmaduke Grove Gustavo Leigh Fernando Matthei
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Flag
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	E-3D
Fighter	F-5,F-16
Helicopter	Bell 206,Bell 412,S-70,UH-1H,UH-60,
Reconnaissance	Elbit Hermes 900
Trainer	A-29,T-35,SR-22,GB1
Transport	B-737,B-767,C-130,C-212,CJ-1,DHC-6,Gulfstream V,L-35
Tanker	KC-130,KC-135

The first step towards the current FACh is taken byTeniente Coronel training as a pilot^{[citation needed]} inFrance. Although a local academy was created, the first officers were sent to France for their training as well. One of them,Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado, took command over the Chilean military aviation school, which was officially established in February 1913, and remained in command 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 theAndes was one of the main targets as well as long distance flights. Typical aircraft of that era wereAvro 504,Bleriot XI,Bristol M.1C,DH.9, andSE5a. 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 twoC-45s and a singleT-6 Texan at Los Cerrillos. Two years later the first FACh flight toAntarctica was performed. The fifties meant entry into thejet age for the FACh, and Grupo 7 was the first unit to receive them in 1954. Chile got its aircraft from both theUnited States andEurope. The American supply consisted ofLockheed F-80,Lockheed T-33, BeechT-34 Mentor,Cessna T-37,Cessna A-37 Dragonfly andNorthrop F-5E/F for example, whereas the British suppliedHawker Hunters and the French delivered various helicopters and DassaultMirage 50 aircraft.

During themilitary 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 thepresidential 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 exerciseSalitre with other friendly nations in 2014.^[2] 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 toAntarcticamissing 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Personnel = 10,600 (including 700conscripts)^{[citation needed]}

Office of the Commander in Chief

First Air Brigade with headquarters in Los Cóndores Air Base (Base Aérea Los Cóndores) inIquique

• 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) inSantiago

• 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) inPuerto Montt

• 5th Aviation Squadron
• 25th Air Defense Squadron
• 35th Telecommunications Squadron

Fourth Air Brigade with headquarters in Chabunco Air Base (Base Aérea Chabunco) inPunta 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) inAntofagasta

• 7th Aviation Squadron
• 8th Aviation Squadron
• 21st Air Defense Squadron
• 31st Telecommunications Squadron
• 41st Aviation Infantry Squadron

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

Maintenance Division
Administration Division
Infrastructure Division

The Air Force also maintains the Air Force Special Forces (Comandos de Aviación), comparable to aUnited 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, andCommand, control, and communications.^{[citation needed]}

Chile also maintains its own aviation industry,ENAER. The design of theT-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 theA-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).

Officers

Enlisted

Chilean Air Force officers wear the following cap badges in their peaked caps.

• Hagedorn, Daniel P. (September–October 1996). "Talkback".Air Enthusiast (65): 80.ISSN 0143-5450.

• Fuerza Aérea de Chile official website
• Fuerza Aérea de Chile at Chilean Defense Ministry, official website
• Fuerza Aérea de Chile website, old atArchive.org(in Spanish)
• Ranks of Fuerza Aérea de Chile website(in Spanish)