Air Force of El Salvador
Encyclopedia
The Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña) the air force
of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, and is independent from the army and navy. It was formed on 20 March 1923 during a period of heavy interest in aviation in El Salvador
. In 1947 after signing the treaty of Rio (which was a mutual defence treaty among the states of America including the USA). El Salvador with a US air mission and increased transferes of aircraft El Salvador built up a large force of aircraft.
The Salvadoran Air Force first saw action in the 1969 Football war
against Honduras
equipped with F4U Corsair
s and P-51 Mustang
s. From the late 1970s isolated terrorist actions rapidly developed into a civil war, US aid to El Savador in 1980 consisted of six UH-1Hs and four in 1981; they were used as gunships. Other deliveries brought that number up to 40 UH-1Hs in service.In February 1982 onwards the USA delivered eight A-37B Dragonflies, 12 UH-1Hs, four O-2As and three C-123Ks. In December 1984 two AC-47s were delivered to be in service with the other three C-47s in use. The civil war ended in mutual exhaustion in 1990 and the airforce was geared for internal security.
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="12%"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="15%"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="8%"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="5%"|Dates
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="5%"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" |Notes
|-----
| Cessna T-41 Mescalero
|| || Trainer || T-41D || || 1 ||
|-----
| ENAER T-35 Pillan || || Trainer || T-35A
T-35B || || 2
3 ||
|-----
| Fouga Magister
|| || Jet trainer || || || 1 || Damaged
|-----
| C-47D transport
|| || Military transport aircraft || || ||2||These aircraft are being considered for a possible conversion to BT-67
|-----
| Basler BT-67
|| || Tactical Transport
|| || || 1 ||Currently only one is in service, two will be in service in the middle and the end of next year 2011.
|-----
| Swearingen Merlin
|| || Transport || IIIB || || 1 ||
|-----
| IAI Arava 202
|| || Transport || || || 3 ||
|-----
| Bell UH-1 Guardian
|| || Utility helicopter
|| UH-1H || || 20 ||Six helicopters are in service with full upgrade, six more are expected to have half of next year 2011. Eight more are saved.
|-----
| Bell UH-1M Cazador || || Utility helicopter || || || 6 ||three in service and three under repair, four waiting to be upgraded
|-----
| Bell 412
|| || Utility helicopter || 412EP || || 4 ||One is occupied by the presidency of El Salvador, modifications (VIP)
|-----
| MD Helicopters Hughes 500 || || Utility helicopter || MD 500 "D" and "E" || || 7 ||500E (6) and 500D (1).
|-----
| Schweizer 300 || || Utility helicopter || 300C || || 5 ||
|-----
| Bell 206
|| || Utility helicopter || || || 1 ||Taken by the presidency of El Salvador
|-----
| Bell 407
|| || Utility helicopter || || || 1 ||Taken by the presidency of El Salvador
|-----
| Cessna 210
|| || Utility || || || 2 ||
|-----
| Socata Rallye
|| || utility || Rallye 235G || || 6 ||
|-----
| Cessna O-2 Skymaster
|| || Liaison || O-2A
O-2B || || 9
1 ||El Salvador buy Super Tucano to reinforce the fleet of Cessna O-2, also will make them upgrade to the Cessna O-2 for a while longer in service
|-----
| Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
|| || Attack || A-37B || || 8 ||
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, and is independent from the army and navy. It was formed on 20 March 1923 during a period of heavy interest in aviation in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. In 1947 after signing the treaty of Rio (which was a mutual defence treaty among the states of America including the USA). El Salvador with a US air mission and increased transferes of aircraft El Salvador built up a large force of aircraft.
The Salvadoran Air Force first saw action in the 1969 Football war
Football War
The Football War , also known as the Soccer War or 100 hour War, was a four-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between Hondurans and Salvadorans, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras...
against Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
equipped with F4U Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
s and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s. From the late 1970s isolated terrorist actions rapidly developed into a civil war, US aid to El Savador in 1980 consisted of six UH-1Hs and four in 1981; they were used as gunships. Other deliveries brought that number up to 40 UH-1Hs in service.In February 1982 onwards the USA delivered eight A-37B Dragonflies, 12 UH-1Hs, four O-2As and three C-123Ks. In December 1984 two AC-47s were delivered to be in service with the other three C-47s in use. The civil war ended in mutual exhaustion in 1990 and the airforce was geared for internal security.
Aircraft inventory
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="20%"|Aircraft! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="12%"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="15%"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="8%"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="5%"|Dates
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" width="5%"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" |Notes
|-----
| Cessna T-41 Mescalero
T-41 Mescalero
The Cessna T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172 used by the United States Air Force and Army as well as the armed forces of various other countries as a pilot training aircraft.-Design and development:...
|| || Trainer || T-41D || || 1 ||
|-----
| ENAER T-35 Pillan || || Trainer || T-35A
T-35B || || 2
3 ||
|-----
| Fouga Magister
Fouga Magister
The Fouga Magister is a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer. The related CM.175 Zéphyr was a carrier-capable version for the French Navy....
|| || Jet trainer || || || 1 || Damaged
|-----
| C-47D transport
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
|| || Military transport aircraft || || ||2||These aircraft are being considered for a possible conversion to BT-67
|-----
| Basler BT-67
Basler BT-67
-See also:-External links:* * * * *...
|| || Tactical Transport
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
|| || || 1 ||Currently only one is in service, two will be in service in the middle and the end of next year 2011.
|-----
| Swearingen Merlin
Swearingen Merlin
The Swearingen Merlin or the Fairchild Aerospace Merlin is a pressurised, twin turboprop business aircraft first produced by Swearingen Aircraft, and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas.-Design and development:...
|| || Transport || IIIB || || 1 ||
|-----
| IAI Arava 202
IAI Arava
|-See also:-References:* Cohen, Irvine J. "Arava: Israel's first-born bids for world market". Air Enthusiast International, February 1974, Vol 6, No 2. pp. 55–61, 92–93....
|| || Transport || || || 3 ||
|-----
| Bell UH-1 Guardian
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
|| || Utility helicopter
Utility helicopter
A Utility Helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter. A utility military helicopter can fill roles such as ground attack, air assault, cargo, surveillance and troop transport. Their size is generally between cargo helicopters and light observation helicopters....
|| UH-1H || || 20 ||Six helicopters are in service with full upgrade, six more are expected to have half of next year 2011. Eight more are saved.
|-----
| Bell UH-1M Cazador || || Utility helicopter || || || 6 ||three in service and three under repair, four waiting to be upgraded
|-----
| Bell 412
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
|| || Utility helicopter || 412EP || || 4 ||One is occupied by the presidency of El Salvador, modifications (VIP)
|-----
| MD Helicopters Hughes 500 || || Utility helicopter || MD 500 "D" and "E" || || 7 ||500E (6) and 500D (1).
|-----
| Schweizer 300 || || Utility helicopter || 300C || || 5 ||
|-----
| Bell 206
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
|| || Utility helicopter || || || 1 ||Taken by the presidency of El Salvador
|-----
| Bell 407
Bell 407
The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger. The 407 uses the four-blade rotor with composite hub developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-blade, semi-rigid rotor of the 206L-4...
|| || Utility helicopter || || || 1 ||Taken by the presidency of El Salvador
|-----
| Cessna 210
Cessna 210
The Cessna 210 Centurion is a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear single-engine general aviation aircraft which was first flown in January 1957 and produced by Cessna until 1985.-Design and development:...
|| || Utility || || || 2 ||
|-----
| Socata Rallye
Socata Rallye
-Bibliography:* Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.* Taylor, John W R. . Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft 1976-77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0 354 00538 3....
|| || utility || Rallye 235G || || 6 ||
|-----
| Cessna O-2 Skymaster
O-2 Skymaster
The O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster utilized as an observation and forward air control aircraft...
|| || Liaison || O-2A
O-2B || || 9
1 ||El Salvador buy Super Tucano to reinforce the fleet of Cessna O-2, also will make them upgrade to the Cessna O-2 for a while longer in service
|-----
| Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
|| || Attack || A-37B || || 8 ||
External links
- http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/el_salvador/El_Salvador-af-EscCazaBomb.htm
- http://www.armyrecognition.com/Amerique_du_nord/El_Salvadore/El-Salvadore_index_equipement.htm
- http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_158.shtml
- http://flotilla-aerea.com/
- http://www.fas.gob.sv/