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Peruvian Air Force

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Peruvian Air Force
File:PeruSu-25.jpg
Peruvian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25
Active1950 -
CountryPeru
Part ofMinistry of Defense
HeadquartersThe "Little" Pentagon
EngagementsEcuadorian-Peruvian war
Cenepa war
Commanders
LeadershipMiguel Ángel Gómez Vizcarra
(Commander-In-Chief),
Fernando Villacorta Bazán
(Chief of Staff)
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
AttackA-37B, Su-25
Electronic
warfare		C-26B
InterceptorMiG-29, Mirage 2000
ReconnaissanceLear Jet 25, Lear Jet 36
TrainerEMB-312, MB-339, Zlin 242L
TransportAn-32, Boeing 737, DHC-6, Falcon 20, F-28, C-130 Hercules, PC-6, Y-12

The Peruvian Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea del Perú, abbreviated FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations and participating in international peacekeeping operations.

History

On May 20, 1929, the aviation divisions of the Peruvian Army and Navy were merged into the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú (Peruvian Aviation Corps, abbreviated CAP). During the Colombia-Peru War of 1933, its Vought O2U Corsair and Curtiss F11 Hawk planes fought in the Amazon region. The corps was renamed Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú (Peruvian Aeronautical Corps, also abbreviated CAP) on March 12, 1936. In 1941, the CAP participated in the Peruvian-Ecuadorian War. At that time, the CAP were equipped with Caproni Ca.114 and North American NA.50 Torito fighters, Douglas 8A-3P attack fighters and Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio bombers,[1] among others.

During the presidency of Manuel A. Odría the corps was reorganized again and on July 18, 1950 it became the Fuerza Aérea del Perú (Air Force of Peru, abbreviated FAP). The service underwent a period of considerable expansion through out the 1970s and early 1980s which included the introduction of an important number of Soviet-made aircraft. In 1982, during the Falklands War, the Peruvian Air Force transferred ten of their Mirage 5P to the Argentine Air Force as a measure of solidarity. The economic crisis of the later 1980s forced reductions in the fleet size as well as cuts in training and general readiness.

Under those conditions the FAP fought the Cenepa War against Ecuador in 1995 and lost nine planes and helicopters. After the war, the FAP acquired new material, including MiG-29 fighters and Su-25 attack fighters which, along with Mirage 2000 fighters, are currently the main combat elements of the FAP.

Organization

A-37Bs are based at Piura with the 7th Air Group

The current Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of Peru is General Miguel Ángel Gómez Vizcarra. Aerial forces are subordinated to the Ministry of Defense and ultimately to the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Armed Forces. Operational units are organized as follows:

Ala Aérea Nº 1

1st Air Wing, headquarterd at Piura

  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 6 (6th Air Group) based at Chiclayo
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 612 (Fighter Squadron 612 "Cock Fighters") - operating MiG-29S/SE/UB
  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 7 (7th Air Group) based at Piura
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 711 (Fighter Squadron 711 "Scorpions") - operating A-37B
  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 11 (11th Air Group) based at Talara
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 112 (Fighter Squadron 112 "Tigers") - operating Su-25/UB
Peruvian MiG-29 at Halcon-Condor 2007 festival.

Ala Aérea Nº 2

2nd Air Wing, headquarterd at Callao

  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 3 (3rd Air Group) based at Callao
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 332 (Medium-Airlift Helicopter Squadron 332) - operating Mi-17
  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 8 (8th Air Group) based at Callao
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 811 (Transport Squadron 811) - operating An-32 and L-100

Ala Aérea Nº 3

File:Mirage2000P.jpg
The Mirage 2000P are deployed in La Joya Air Base, Arequipa.

3rd Air Wing, headquarterd at Arequipa

  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 2 (2nd Air Group) based at Vítor
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 211 (Attack Helicopter Squadron 211) - operating Mi-25D
  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 4 (4th Air Group) based at La Joya
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 411 (Fighter Squadron 411 "Hawks") - operating Mirage 2000P/DP
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 513 (Advance Training Squadrons 513) - operating MB-339AP
  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 51 (51st Air Group) based at Pisco
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 511 (Basic Training Squadron 511) - operating Zlin 242L
    • Escuadrón Aéreo 512 (Intermediate Training Squadron 512) - operating EMB-312

Ala Aérea Nº 5

5th Air Wing, headquarterd at Iquitos

  • Grupo Aéreo Nº 42 (42nd Air Group) based at Iquitos

Personnel

MB-339s are used for advanced training.
SA-3 Pechora SAM on display at Las Palmas Airbase - 2006
Personnel (as of 2001) [2]
Commissioned Officers 1,909
Non-commissioned officers 7,559
Cadets 325
NCO in training 296
Enlisted 7,880
Civilians 8,708
Total 17,969
(excl. civilians)

Equipment

Numbers shown below are derived from open sources, they should be regarded as estimates due to lack of confirmation from official sources.

File:Mig-29 FAP 2007.jpg
MiG-29 on display, Las Palmas Air Base
File:PIC 0013 copy.jpg
Mirage 2000P on display at Halcon-Condor 2007 festival
The Sukhoi Su-22 was the backbone of the Peruvian Air Force until the late 90s.
File:Antonov FestChiclayo07.jpg
Antonov An-32B taxing at Quiñones Air Base, Chiclayo
File:A37B Peru 2008.jpg
A-37B on display at Capitan Concha Air Base, Piura.
Bell 212 armed with rocket pods.
Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service Notes
English Electric Canberra  United Kingdom bomber aircraft B.Mk.12/56
T.Mk.4 		4
1 		In storage, retired from inventory in June 14, 2008[3]
Dassault Mirage 5  France attack aircraft Mirage 5P4
Mirage 5DP4 		10
 
2 		In storage, retired from inventory in June 14, 2008[4]
Sukhoi Su-22  Soviet Union attack aircraft Su-22M3
Su-22UM3 		10
1 		In storage
Dassault Mirage 2000  France multirole fighter Mirage 2000P
Mirage 2000DP 		 
10
 
2
Mikoyan MiG-29  Soviet Union tactical fighter MiG-29S
MiG-29SE
MiG-29UB 		14
3
2 		Contract signed on August 12, 2008 for US$ 106 million with Mikoyan for a custom-made SMT upgrade of eight MiG-29S called MiG-29SMP[5]
Sukhoi Su-25  Soviet Union attack aircraft Su-25
Su-25UB 		10
8
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly  United States light attack aircraft A-37B 10
Aermacchi MB-339  Italy trainer aircraft MB-339AP 14
Embraer EMB 312 Tucano  Brazil trainer aircraft EMB-312 18
Zlin Z 142  Czech Republic trainer aircraft Zlin 242L 17
Fairchild C-26 Metroliner  United States ELINT C-26B 3
Boeing 707  United States aerial refueling
transport 		707-323KC 1 Grounded, awaiting disposal
Boeing 737  United States transport
transport
VIP transport 		737-200
737-300
737-500 		2
3
1
Douglas DC-8  United States transport DC-8-62CF 1 Grounded, awaiting disposal
Lockheed C-130 Hercules  United States transport L-100-20 5 2 in storage
Antonov An-32  Ukraine transport An-32B 5
Harbin Y-12  China transport Y-12 II 5
Dassault Falcon 20  France VIP transport Falcon 20F 1
Fokker F-28 Fellowship  Netherlands transport F-28 1
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter  Canada utility aircraft
seaplane 		DHC-6 5
Lear Jet 25  United States light transport
reconnaissance 		Lear Jet 25B 2
Lear Jet 36  United States light transport
reconnaissance 		Lear Jet 36A 2
Pilatus PC-6  Switzerland liaison PC-6 9
Mil Mi-17  Russia transport helicopter Mi-17 14 5 under major overhaul in SPARC, Russia
Mil Mi-24  Soviet Union attack helicopter Mi-25D 16 At least 5 operational
Bell 212  United States utility helicopter Bell 212 6
Bell 412  United States utility helicopter Bell 412EP 1 Originally 2, second unit fate is unknown
Bölkow Bo 105  Germany utility helicopter Bo-105LS 5
Schweizer 300  United States utility helicopter Schweizer 300C 6

Notes

  1. ^ Acig.org: The Most Powerful Air Force in Latin America
  2. ^ http://www.resdal.org/art-rial.htm, based on Supreme Decree DS No. 69 DE/SG of 2001.
  3. ^ Supreme Decree No. 009-2008-DE/FAP. June 14, 2008.
  4. ^ Supreme Decree No. 010-2008-DE/FAP. June 14, 2008.
  5. ^ FUERZA AÉRA DEL PERÚ FIRMA CONTRATO PARA REPARAR MIG29. Ministry of Defense (2008-08-12). Retrieved on 2008-08-13.

Sources

See also

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