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Spanish Air Force
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The Spanish Air Force (; literally, "Army of the Air") is the air force of Spain. It is one of the 3 branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and has the mission of defending the sovereignty and independence of Spain, its territorial integrity and constitutional freedoms, within airspace of Spain and its territories as well as to maintain the international security in operations of peace and humanitarian help.
The Spanish Civil War
During this war, the Spanish Military Aviation was divided in two:
The Spanish Republic Air Forces (Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española-FARE), created by the republican government and the National Aviation (Aviación Nacional), created by the army in revolt.
At first, the republican air forces had the control of the majority of the territory using the Soviet Polikarpov I-16, but the help received by Francisco Franco from Nazi Germany (Condor Legion) and Fascist Italy (Aviazione Legionaria) changed this.
In July 1936, the first German Junkers Ju-52 and Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM-81 arrived.
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Encyclopedia
The Spanish Air Force (; literally, "Army of the Air") is the air force of Spain. It is one of the 3 branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and has the mission of defending the sovereignty and independence of Spain, its territorial integrity and constitutional freedoms, within airspace of Spain and its territories as well as to maintain the international security in operations of peace and humanitarian help.
History
The beginnings
Although Spanish Military Aviation started with a balloon force in 1896, April 10, 1910 is the date when the Spanish military aviation was formally formed by means of a Royal Decree.
On November 5, 1913, during the war with Morocco, a Spanish expeditionary squadron became the first organized military air unit to see real combat during the first organized bombing in history.
During this war, the Spanish Military Aviation was divided in two:
The Spanish Republic Air Forces (Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española-FARE), created by the republican government and the National Aviation (Aviación Nacional), created by the army in revolt.
At first, the republican air forces had the control of the majority of the territory using the Soviet Polikarpov I-16, but the help received by Francisco Franco from Nazi Germany (Condor Legion) and Fascist Italy (Aviazione Legionaria) changed this.
In July 1936, the first German Junkers Ju-52 and Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM-81 arrived. In August Fiat CR-32 and Heinkel He-51 fighters were also deployed. These planes helped the army in revolt to gain full control of the air.
The Spanish Air Force
The current Ejército del Aire (EdA) was not formed until October 7, 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, as a successor to the Nationalist and Republican Air Forces. During World War II one air section, the "Blue Squadron" (Escuadrilla Azul), operated into the Division Azul, a Spanish volunteer group who fought alongside the Axis Powers on the Eastern Front.
On March 18, 1946, the first Spanish paratroop unit was created. It participated in the Ifni War during 1957 and 1958.
Links were established in the 1950s with the United States. Spain received its first jets, like the F-86 Sabre and Lockheed T-33 together with training and transport planes like the T-6 Texan, DC-3 and DC-4. This first age of jets was replaced in the 60's by newer fighters like the F-4C Phantom and F-5 Freedom Fighter
The organization and equipment of the Spanish Air Force was again modernised in the 1970s to prepare Spain's membership of NATO in 1982.
Planes like the Mirage III and Mirage F1 were bought from France and became the backbone of the Air Force during the 70's and part of the 80's until the arrival of the American F/A-18 which participated in the Kosovo War under NATO command, based in Aviano, Italy.
The Spanish Air Force is currently replacing older aircraft in the inventory with newer ones including the recently introduced Eurofighter Typhoon and the Airbus A400M airlifter, both manufactured with Spanish participation.
Its Aerobatic display team is the Patrulla Aguila, which flies the CASA C-101 Aviojet; while its helicopter display team flies the Eurocopter EC-120 Colibrí and it's called Patrulla Aspa.
Air Bases
Order of Battle
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See Also Spanish Air Force Order of Battle
Functional Structure
The basic organization of the Air Force is the following:
- Air Force Headquarters (CGEA). Madrid.
- Battle Air Command (MACOM). Headquarters in Torrejón Air Base, Madrid.
- General Air Command (MAGEN). Headquarters in Madrid.
- Canary Islands' Air Command (MACAN). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
- Personnel Command (MAPER). Madrid.
- Logistics Support Command (MALOG). Madrid.
Operative Structure
The usual operative unit is the ALA (wing), composed by two or three ESCUADRONES (squadrons), each one of which is integrated by 18 to 24 airplanes. Thus, Ala 15, with base in Zaragoza Air Base, is formed by two squadrons with 18 F-18 each.
Aircraft identification
The planes used by the Spanish Air Force are identified with one or two letters followed by two numbers that are painted on the nose or fuselage. The first number corresponds to the unit to which they belong, and the second, to the order in which they entered service. Example: the fourth F-18 arriving at Ala 12 will have on the nose the code "12-04".
In addition, the Spanish Air Force has its own alphanumeric system for designating aircraft types. This forms a prefix to the airframe serial number, usually marked on the tail. The letter or letters, correspond to the use given. Thus, C means cazabombardero (fighter bomber); A, ataque (attack); P, patrulla (patrol); T, transporte (transport); E, enseñanza (training); D, search and rescue; H, helicopter; K, tanker; V, Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL); and U, utility.
An example would be that the F-18 with "C.15-08" on the tail is the fifteenth type of fighter that arrived in the Spanish Air Force (the Eurofighter is the C.16) and is the eighth example of this type to enter the SAF. On the nose or fuselage they have a numeral specific to the unit in which they are based.
Variants of planes in service, for example two-seater versions or tanker versions of transports planes, add another letter to differentiate their function, and have their own sequence of serial numbers separate from the primary versions. Example: "CE.15-02" will be the second F-18 two-seater (Fighter Trainer) delivered to the SAF.
Officer rank insignia
Aircraft Inventory
The Spanish Air Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, everything from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It currently maintains some 650 aircraft. The transport force role is taken by planes such as the C-130 Hercules and the CASA C-295. The Spanish Air Force also includes 35 helicopters like the Cougar and the Colibri. 180 fighter aircraft are incorporated into 9 alas (wings) charged with different missions. Finally, the Spanish Air Force has a fleet of aircraft, including the CASA C-101 (manufactured in Spain), Beechcraft Bonanza and Enaer T-35C, to meet training requirements. These air assets are supported by ground units and a sophisticated infrastructure
The "Future backbone" of the Spanish Air Force will be mainly composed of the new generation fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon.
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Service entry
! style="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Units
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| Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma || || search and rescue helicopter || SA 330J
SA 330L || 2
2 || 1974 || 801 Esc.
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| Airbus A310 || || VIP transport || A310-304 || 2 || 2003 || 45 Grupo
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| Beechcraft Bonanza || || trainer || F33C || 23 || 1974 || 42 Grupo
Academia General del Aire
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| Beechcraft C-90 King Air || || liaison transport || C90 || 4 || 1990 || 42 Grupo
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| Boeing 707 || || aerial refuelling & transport || 707-300(KC) || 3 || 1987 || 47 Grupo
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| IAI B-707 || || Intelligence || B707-351C Santiago || 1 || 1997 || 408 Esc.
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| Canadair CL-215 Scooper || || firefighting aircraft || CL-215T || 14 || 1991 || 43 Grupo
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| Canadair CL-415 Superscooper || || firefighting aircraft || CL-415 || 3 (of 10) || 2006 || 43 Grupo
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| CASA C-101 Aviojet || || jet-powered trainer || C-101EB-01 || 73 || 1980 || Academia General del Aire
Grupo de Escuelas de Matacán
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| CASA 127 || || liaison || C127 || 6 || || Ala 79
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| CASA C.212 Aviocar || || tactical transport
search & rescue
Training || Series 100
Series 200
Series 300 || 74 T-12
10 T-12B
6 SAR || 1974 || Academia General del Aire
Ala 37
801 Escuadrón
Base Aérea de Alcantarilla
Centro Cartográfico y Fotográfico (CECAF)
47 Grupo Mixto
Grupo de Escuelas de Matacán
Ala 48
721 Escuadrón
Base Aérea de Son San Juan
Centro Logístico de Armamento y Experimentación (CLAEX)
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| CASA CN-235 || || tactical transport
Maritime Surveillance
Training || Series 100
Series 200
Series 300 || 20 || 1988 || Ala 35
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| CASA C-295 || || tactical transport || C-295M || 13 || 2000 || Ala 35
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| Cessna Citation V || || RECOA || C560 || 2 || 1992 || Centro Cartográfico y Fotográfico
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| Dassault Falcon 20 || || NavAids Calibration || 20D
20E || 2
2 || 1970 || 47 Grupo
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| Dassault Falcon 900 || || VIP transport || 900
900B || 2
3 || 1988 || 45 Grupo
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| Dassault Mirage F1 || || fighter/attack || F1M
F1BM || 36
3 || 1975 || Ala 14
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| ENAER T-35C Pillán || || trainer || T-35C || 37 || 1987 || Academia General del Aire
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| Eurocopter EC 120 Colibri || || light utility helicopter || EC 120B || 15 || 2000 || Ala 78
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| Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar || || medium utility helicopter || AS 532UL || 2 VIP || 1982 || Ala 46
Ala 48
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| Eurocopter Super Puma || || medium utility helicopter || AS332B
AS332B1
AS332M1 || 7
2
4 || || Ala 46 and 48
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| Eurofighter Typhoon || || multirole fighter || EF2000
EF2000(T) || 36
14 || 2003 || Ala 11
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| Fokker F27 Maritime || || maritime Reconnaissance || F27 Maritime || 3 || 1979 || 802 Escuadrón
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| LET L-13 Blaník || || training glider || L-13 || 5 || || Ala 79
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| Lockheed C-130 Hercules || || tactical transport || C-130H
C-130H-30
KC-130H || 6
1
5 || 1973 || Ala 31
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| Lockheed P-3 Orion || || maritime patrol aircraft || P-3A
P-3B
P-3M || 2
2
3 || 1973 || Ala 11
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| McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet || || multirole fighter || F-18M
F-18A+ || 71
18 || 1986 || Ala 12
Ala 15
Ala 46
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| Northrop F-5B || || trainer || F-5BM || 20 || 1970 || Ala 23
|-----
| PZL Bielsko SZD-30 || || training glider || SZD-30 || 4 || || Ala 79
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| Schiebe SF 28 || || training glider || SF-28A || 1 || || Ala 79
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| Sikorsky S-76 Spirit || || mid size utility helicopter || S-76C || 8 || 1977 || Ala 78
|-----
|}
On Order
Distinguished Spanish Air Aces
- Luis Alcocer Moreno-Abellá
- M. Joaquín García-Morato y Castano
- Julio Salvador Diáz-Benjumea
- Manuel Vázquez Sagastizábal
- Miguel Guerrero García
- Miguel García Pardo
- Arístides García López
- Carlos Bayo Alessandri
- Abundio Cesteros García
- Narciso Bermúdez de Castro
- Vincente Aldecoa Lecanda
- Antonio Alós Herrero
- Mariano Cuadra Medina
- Lucas Fernandez Peña
- Gonzalo Hevia Alvarez-Quinones
- Fernando Sanchez-Arjona Courtoy
- José María Bravo Fernandez-Hermosa
See also
External links
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