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201 Squadron (Portugal)
Encyclopedia
201 Squadron "Falcões" is a fighter
squadron
of the Portuguese Air Force
, operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon
.
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The origins of 201 Squadron "Falcões" date back to 50 Squadron "Falcões", based at Ota (then designated Air Base 2), operating the F-86F Sabre
. On September 11, 1958 the squadron's designation was changed to 51 Squadron and it was later transferred to Air Base 5
, in Monte Real
, on October 4, 1959.
On August 15, 1961, eight F-86F fighters were deployed to Guinea-Bissau
until October 1964, during which they flew 577 sorties, of which 430 were ground-attack missions.
From 1961 to 1970 51 Squadron also operated five T-33 AN Silver Star
aircraft; having also operated the Fiat G-91 R4 from November 1965 to 1974. They were used in the transition of pilots operating in the Portuguese African colonies
. From 1976 to 1980 the squadron additionally operated six T-38A Talon
training aircraft which were transferred to 103 Squadron in July 1980.
In 1978 the 51 Squadron designation was changed to 201 Squadron.
The F-86F Sabre ended its service in the Portuguese Air Force officially with the deactivation of 201 Squadron on July 31, 1980.
In 1981, 302 Squadron, to which the missions of tactical air support for maritime operations (TASMO) and air interdiction were assigned, was activated and the squadron continued to serve with the traditions of the "Falcões" squadron.
201 Squadron was reactivated in October 1993, with aerial defense as its mission, the first F-16 Fighting Falcon arriving in June 1994. In 1997 the squadron initiated its qualification in air-to-ground missions and in July 1998 it was attributed the primary mission of air defense operations and close air support and air interdiction as secondary missions. In 1999, the tactical air support for maritime operations (TASMO) was also assigned as one of its secondary missions.
.
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
of the Portuguese Air Force
Portuguese Air Force
The Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
, operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
.
Roles and missions
201 Sqn has as its primary mission the execution of air defense operations and conventional attack:- Air defense operations;
- Offensive air operations, with the exception of suppression of enemy air defenses (SEADSEADSuppression of Enemy Air Defenses , also known as "Wild Weasel" and "Iron Hand" operations in the United States, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses , primarily in the first hours of an attack.One fourth of American combat sorties in recent conflicts have been SEAD...
); - Anti-surface operations (ASFAO), to include aerial interdiction (AI), close air support (CAS), anti-surface warfareAnti-Surface WarfareAnti-surface warfare is a type of naval warfare directed against surface combatants. More generally, it is any weapons, sensors, or operations intended to attack or limit the effectiveness of an adversary's surface ships....
(ASuW) with the exception of anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW).
History
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
. On September 11, 1958 the squadron's designation was changed to 51 Squadron and it was later transferred to Air Base 5
Monte Real Air Base
Monte Real Air Base in Monte Real, Leiria, Portugal, was initially opened on October 4, 1959. The mission of this Air Base is to guarantee the readiness and deployment of the air force units attributed to it, and several operational Squadrons have already been based there, equipped with F-86...
, in Monte Real
Monte Real
Monte Real is a town and a parish in the municipality and District of Leiria. It covers an area of 12.23 km² and has a population of 2,778 people. Monte Real, which in English means Royal Mount, was once a municipality , before being anexed to Leiria municipality.Monte Real hosts an air base ....
, on October 4, 1959.
On August 15, 1961, eight F-86F fighters were deployed to Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
until October 1964, during which they flew 577 sorties, of which 430 were ground-attack missions.
From 1961 to 1970 51 Squadron also operated five T-33 AN Silver Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
aircraft; having also operated the Fiat G-91 R4 from November 1965 to 1974. They were used in the transition of pilots operating in the Portuguese African colonies
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. From 1976 to 1980 the squadron additionally operated six T-38A Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
training aircraft which were transferred to 103 Squadron in July 1980.
In 1978 the 51 Squadron designation was changed to 201 Squadron.
The F-86F Sabre ended its service in the Portuguese Air Force officially with the deactivation of 201 Squadron on July 31, 1980.
In 1981, 302 Squadron, to which the missions of tactical air support for maritime operations (TASMO) and air interdiction were assigned, was activated and the squadron continued to serve with the traditions of the "Falcões" squadron.
201 Squadron was reactivated in October 1993, with aerial defense as its mission, the first F-16 Fighting Falcon arriving in June 1994. In 1997 the squadron initiated its qualification in air-to-ground missions and in July 1998 it was attributed the primary mission of air defense operations and close air support and air interdiction as secondary missions. In 1999, the tactical air support for maritime operations (TASMO) was also assigned as one of its secondary missions.
Aircraft
- F-86 Sabre FF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
(1958—1980) - Five T-33 Silver Star ANT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
(1961—1970) - Fiat G-91 R4 (1965—1974)
- Six T-38 Talon AT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
(1976—1980) - F-16 Fighting Falcon AF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
(1994—2010) - F-16 Fighting Falcon MF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
(2010—Present)
Notable pilots
- Captain António Roque: first Portuguese pilot to reach 1000 flight hours in F-16s (1999)
Deployments
- Operation Allied ForceOperation Allied ForceThe NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
(the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia) (March 23, 1999 — June 10, 1999)
201 Squadron was deployed to Italy with a detachment of three F-16s. Since these aircraft were not converted to MLU standards, they were restricted to combat air patrol (CAP) missions during the conflict. - Exercise Red Flag (2000)
The Portuguese detachment consisted of six F-16s. - Operation Baltic Air PolicingBaltic Air PolicingThe Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert in order to guard the airspace over the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.-Mission:...
(November 1, 2007 — December 15, 2007)
201 Squadron participated in patrolling the skies of the Baltic statesBaltic statesThe term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
(LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) with four F-16 A Block 15 along with two F-16 AM of 301 Squadron.
See also
- Portuguese Air ForcePortuguese Air ForceThe Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
- List of F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
- Portuguese Colonial WarPortuguese Colonial WarThe Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
- 301 Squadron
- 302 Squadron
- Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
External links
- 201 Squadron information at the Portuguese Air Force official website
- website produced by the 201 Pilots
- Unofficial website dedicated to 201 Squadron
- PoAF participation in the Baltic Air Policing '07, Portuguese Air Force official website dedicated to the operation
- PoAF 201st esquadra, squadron information at F-16.net