🇮🇷 Iran Proxy | https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadoran_Air_Force
Jump to content

Salvadoran Air Force

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salvadoran Air Force
Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña
Emblem of the Salvadoran Air Force
Founded20 March 1923; 102 years ago (1923-03-20)
(as the Salvadoran Air Fleet)
Country El Salvador
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size2,000[1]
49 aircraft
Part ofArmed Forces of El Salvador
Engagements
Websitewww.fas.gob.sv/fuerza_aerea.html
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Nayib Bukele
Minister of National Defense Vice Admiral René Merino Monroy
Chief of the Air Force Staff Colonel Pablo Alberto Soriano Cruz
Insignia
Flag
Roundel
Aircraft flown
AttackA-37
Attack helicopterBell 412, MD 500, UH-1H, UH-1M
Trainer helicopterHughes 269
TrainerSR22, T-35 Pillán
TransportArava, C208

The Salvadoran Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, abbreviated FAS) is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of El Salvador. As of 2025, the air force has 51 aircraft, most of which are from the United States.

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]

The Salvadoran Air Fleet (Flotilla Aérea Salvadoreña, abbreviated FAS) was established on 20 March 1923 by Salvadoran president Alfonso Quiñónez Molina twenty days after assuming office. He established the Military Aviation Course on 27 June 1923 with Italian pilot Enrico Massi as its flight instructor. Massi was killed later that year when the Caudron G.3 he was in crashed in Ilopango while teaching Juan Ramón Munés. On 19 February 1924, the Salvadoran government created the Salvadoran Aviation Headquarters and appointed General Carlos Carmona Tadey as Chief of Salvadoran Aviation.[2]

On 12 July 1924, Munés and Ricardo Aberle graduated from the Military Aviation School as El Salvador's first military pilots.[2] In 1927, the air fleet consisted of fifteen aircraft; fourteen were named after El Salvador's fourteen departments and its sole Breguet 14 bomber was named after former president Gerardo Barrios. Carmona resigned as the air fleet's chief on 7 December 1927 after a failed coup and was replaced by General Antonio Claramount Lucero.[2]

Military dictatorship

[edit]

On 8 December 1931, Munés became the chief of the air fleet six days after the 1931 coup d'état that established a military dictatorship. In January 1932, air fleet helped suppress a rebellion in western El Salvador by conducting reconnaissance missing and bombing runs of rebel positions. President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez bought several new aircraft for the air fleet including Curtiss-Wright CW-14 Osprey trainers, Fairchild M-62 trainers, and four Caproni AP.1 bombers.[2][3]: 155–157  During World War II, the air fleet patrolled El Salvador's coastline. The air fleet supported the 2 April 1944 Palm Sunday Coup that attempted to overthrow Martínez. North American AT-6 Texan bombers attacked loyalist positions in San Salvador but the coup failed and many pilots were executed.[2]

El Salvador signed the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance in 1947 and the air force acquired American aircraft.[4]: 223  During the 1950s, the air force used two Douglas C-47 Skytrains as the presidential transporters.[2]

The Salvadoran Air Force first saw action in the 1969 Football War against Honduras equipped with F4U Corsairs and P-51 Mustangs.[citation needed] The Salvadoran Air Force attacked Honduran Air Force positions early, but the Honduran Air Force eventually retaliated and destroyed much of the Salvadoran Air Force.[4]: 26  After the war, the Salvadoran Air Force acquired newer aircraft.[4]: 202  After the 1972 presidential election, Colonel Benjamín Mejía attempted to overthrow the Salvadoran government in support of José Napoleón Duarte, the election's loser. The air force remained loyal to the government and bombed rebel positions in San Salvador. The coup ultimately failed.[4]: 29 

Salvadoran Civil War

[edit]
IAI Arava 201 of the Salvadoran Air Force in 1975

The Salvadoran Air Force acquired its first jet aircraft in 1974 when it acquired the Fouga CM.170 Magister.[5] From the late 1970s, isolated guerrilla actions rapidly developed into a civil war. US aid to El Salvador in 1980 consisted of six UH-1Hs and four in 1981; they were used as gunships. Other deliveries brought that number of UH-1Hs in service up to 40.[citation needed] In January 1982, the rebel Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) launched an attack of the Ilopango International Airport. Minister of Defense General José Guillermo García described the attack as a "terrorist attack".[6] Following the attack, the United States sent the Salvadoran government $55 million and new Bell UH-1H helicopters.[7] During the civil war, the air force did not bomb targets indiscriminately.[4]: 198 

On 23 October 1984, the FMLN bombed a FAS UH-1H in Joateca killing all fourteen people onboard including Colonel Domingo Monterrosa. The bombing occurred when the FMLN booby trapped a radio transmitter disguised as the primary transmitter for the FMLN's Radio Venceremos. The FMLN coaxed Monterrosa into capturing the rigged transmitter and claiming it as a war trophy leading to the bomb inside detonating after takeoff.[8]: 214–215 [9]

A FAS Douglas DC-6B transporter crashed after departing Ilopango International Airport on 1 May 1986. The accident killed all 37 military personnel onboard.[10] The Salvadoran government did not rule out sabotage, but the FMLN never claimed responsibility for the crash.[11]

A four-engined Douglas DC-6B provided long-range logistical capability between 1975 and its retirement in 1998. It was used on supply flights to and from the United States.[12] 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 Air Force was geared for internal security.[citation needed] The air force support demining operations conducted by the Belgian company IDAS after the civil war.[2]

Post-civil war

[edit]

On 6 May 2013, in celebration of the 189th anniversary of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, the Salvadoran government announced the planned purchase of 10 A-37 aircraft from Chile.[13]

In September 2016 it was reported that the Salvadoran Air Force in cooperation with the Colombian Aerospace Force was finalizing negotiations on modernizing its Bell UH-1H helicopters to the Huey 2 standard.[14]

In 2023, the United States donated twelve MD Helicopters MD 530Fs to the Salvadoran Air Force.[15] On 8 September 2024, an air force Bell UH-1H crashed in poor weather near Pasaquina killing all nine people onboard including Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, the chief of the National Civil Police, and Manuel Coto, a former bank manager.[16] In 2025, air force personnel were deployed to Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti to combat organized gangs there.[17]

Structure

[edit]

Per article 157 of the constitution of El Salvador, the president of El Salvador is the commander-in-chief of the air force. The air force is administered by the Joint General Staff and is overseen by the minister of national defense.[4]: 208 & 210 

Aircraft

[edit]

Current inventory

[edit]
A FAS A-37 Dragonfly in flight over Mexico
FAS servicemen with a Bell UH-1 Iroquois

The following is a list of all aircraft in the Salvadoran Air Force's inventory as of 2025.[18][19]

Aircraft Origin Type Variant(s) Inventory
Combat aircraft
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly United States Attack A-37B 15
Transport
Cessna 208 Caravan United States Transport 1[α]
IAI Arava Israel Transport 3
Helicopters
Bell 412 United States Combat 3
Bell UH-1 Iroquois United States Combat UH-1H, UH-1M, UH-1N 15
Hughes 269 United States Trainer 5
McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender United States Combat 500E, 530F 7
Trainer aircraft
Cirrus SR22 United States Trainer 2
ENAER T-35 Pillán Chile Trainer 2

Notes:

  1. ^ An additional 1 on order.[18]

Retired aircraft

[edit]
A FAS Douglas DC-6 in 1975
A former FAS Douglas C-47 Skytrain at Ilopango International Airport
A former FAS Dassault Ouragan
A former FAS Fouga CM.170 Magister
A former FAS Fairchild C-123 Provider

The following are some aircraft that the Salvadoran Air Force formerly operated.

Aircraft Origin Type Variant(s) Inventory Ref.
Combat aircraft
Breguet 14 France Bomber A.2 1 [2]
Caproni AP.1  Italy Bomber 4 [2]
Cavalier Mustang United States Ground attack F-51D, II 25 [20]
Dassault Ouragan France Fighter-bomber 18 [2]
Dassault Super Mystère France Fighter-bomber 4 [21]: 29 
Douglas B-26 Invader United States Ground attack B-26B 5 [20]
Douglas AC-47 Spooky United States Ground attack AC-47D 7 [4]: 268 
Vought FG Corsair United States Fighter-bomber 1D 20 [2]
Transport
Beechcraft Model 18 United States Transport AT-11 1 [4]: 268 
Cessna 170 United States Utility 1 [2]
Cessna 180 Skywagon United States Utility 1–2 [22]
Cessna 185 Skywagon United States Utility U-17 1–2 [22]
Cessna 210 Centurion United States Utility 1 [2]
Dornier Do 28 West Germany Transport 12 [22]
Douglas C-47 Skytrain United States Transport C-47D 6 [4]: 268 
Douglas DC-6 United States Transport DC-6B 2 [2]
Fairchild C-123 Provider United States Transport 2 [4]: 268 
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner United States Transport III 1 [2]
Piper PA-23 United States Utility 250 Aztec
Rockwell Commander 114 United States Transport 1 [2]
Waco 10 United States Transport 2 [2]
Surveillance aircraft
Cessna Skymaster United States Forward air control O-2A 5–9 [4]: 268 
Helicopters
Aérospatiale Alouette III France Transport 3 [4]: 268 
Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama France Utility 3 [4]: 268 
Canadair North Star Canada Transport DC-4M 1 [2]
Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 United States Utility 1 [4]: 268 
Hughes 300 United States Trainer 300C 1 [22]
Hughes 500D United States Attack 9 [4]: 268 
Trainer aircraft
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor United States Trainer 1 [4]: 268 
Caudron G.3 France Trainer [2]
Cessna T-41 Mescalero United States Trainer A, C 7 [4]: 268 
Curtiss JN Jenny United States Trainer 4D [2]
Curtiss-Wright CW-14 Osprey United States Trainer [2]
Fairchild PT-19 United States Trainer PT-19B 6 [2]
Fouga CM.170 Magister France Trainer/light strike 12 [2]
Hanriot HD.32 France Trainer HD.320 5 [2]
Lincoln Standard L.S.5 United States Trainer [2]
Luscombe 8 United States Trainer A 2 [2]
North American T-6 Texan United States Trainer AT-6C, AT-6D, SNJ-4, SNJ-5 [20]
SOCATA Rallye 230 France Trainer 235GS 16 [2]
Vultee BT-13 Valiant United States Trainer A 21 [2]
Waco F United States Trainer 2 [2]

List of commanders

[edit]

The following is a list of commanders of the Salvadoran Air Force.[2][23]

# Commander Rank Assumed office Left office Time in office
1 Humberto Aberle Major captain 20 March 1923 20 February 1924 337 days
2 Carlos Carmona Tadey General 20 February 1924 7 December 1927 3 years, 290 days
3 Antonio Claramount Lucero 7 December 1927 15 May 1929 1 year, 98 days
4 José Trabanino 15 May 1929 8 December 1931 2 years, 268 days
5 Juan Ramón Munés Lieutenant colonel 8 December 1931 6 April 1944 12 years, 120 days
6 Hernán Barón Major 6 April 1944 5 December 1944 243 days
7 Francisco Alberto Ponce Captain 5 December 1944 15 May 1945 161 days
8 Hernán Barón Lieutenant colonel 15 May 1945 15 June 1945 31 days
9 Gustavo López Castillo General 15 June 1945 14 December 1948 3 years, 182 days
10 Francisco Alberto Ponce Major 14 December 1948 16 December 1949 1 year, 2 days
11 Hernán Barón Lieutenant colonel 16 December 1949 30 September 1950 288 days
12 Luis Felipe Escobar Colonel 30 September 1950 14 October 1955 5 years, 14 days
13 José Velásquez Lieutenant colonel 14 October 1955 28 October 1960 5 years, 14 days
14 Jorge Rovira Pleitez 28 October 1960 2 August 1967 6 years, 278 days
15 Salvador Adalberto Henríquez Major 2 August 1967 4 December 1971 4 years, 124 days
16 Rafael Antonio Herrera Lieutenant colonel 4 December 1971 7 April 1972 125 days
17 Felipe de Jesús Artiga 7 April 1972 3 January 1975 2 years, 271 days
18 Godofredo Regalado 3 January 1975 1 July 1979 4 years, 149 days
19 Óscar Nelson Bolaños Colonel 1 July 1979 15 October 1979 136 days
20 Juan Rafael Bustillo General 15 October 1979 31 December 1989 10 years, 77 days
21 Rafael Antonio Villamariona 31 December 1989 1 May 1991 1 year, 121 days
22 Héctor Leonel Lobo Pérez Colonel 1 May 1991 30 June 1993 2 years, 60 days
23 Juan Antonio Martínez Varela General 30 June 1993 30 June 1998 5 years, 0 days
24 Milton Antonio Andrade Cabrera Colonel 1 January 1999 16 January 2002 3 years, 200 days
25 Ricardo Benjamín Abrego Abrego Brigadier general 1 February 2002 1 June 2004 2 years, 121 days
26 Jorge Enrique Navas López Colonel 1 June 2004 1 January 2006 1 year, 214 days
27 Salvador Palacios Castillo 1 January 2006 1 January 2009 3 years, 0 days
28 Jaime Leonardo Parada González 1 January 2009 1 January 2010 1 year, 0 days
29 Nelson Edgardo Hernández Díaz 1 January 2010 1 June 2011 1 year, 151 days
30 Hugo Aristides Angulo Rogel 1 June 2011 1 January 2013 1 year, 214 days
31 Carlos Jaime Mena Torres Brigadier general 1 January 2011 1 January 2016 3 years, 0 days
32 Salvador Ernesto Hernández Vega Colonel 1 January 2016 1 January 2019 3 years, 0 days
33 Manuel Fabio Calderón Menéndez 1 January 2019 1 January 2020 1 year, 0 days
34 Pablo Alberto Soriano Cruz 1 January 2020 Incumbent 5 years, 334 days

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. London: Routledge. p. 413. ISBN 9781032012278.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Cornejo Escobar, Douglas Alcides. "Historia de la Aviación de El Salvador" [History of Aviation of El Salvador]. Salvadoran Air Force (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  3. ^ Astilla, Carmelo Francisco Esmeralda (1976). "The Martinez Era: Salvadoran–American Relations, 1931–1944". Louisiana State University. Ann Arbor, Michigan. OCLC 3809272. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Haggerty, Richard A., ed. (1990). El Salvador: A Country Study (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C., United States: Federal Research Division. ISBN 9780525560371. LCCN 89048948. OCLC 1044677008. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Fechas Importantes y Efemerides" [Important Dates and Ephemerides]. Salvadoran Air Force (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  6. ^ Dickey, Christopher (27 January 1982). "Rebels Damage Jets, Copters In El Salvador". The Washington Post. San Salvador, El Salvador. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  7. ^ Crossette, Barbara (6 February 1982). "U.S. Starts Replacing Salvadoran Copters Destroyed in Rebel Attack". The New York Times. p. 4. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  8. ^ Hammond, John L. (1995). "Review: Politics and Publishing in Transition in El Salvador". Latin American Research Review. 30 (3). Latin American Studies Association: 210–223. doi:10.1017/S0023879100017623. JSTOR 2503988.
  9. ^ "Un Día Como Hoy, Pero en 1984, Murió Domingo Monterrosa" [A Day Like This, But in 1984, Domingo Monterrosa Died]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). 23 October 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  10. ^ "37 Die in Salvador Plane Crash". The New York Times. 2 May 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  11. ^ Farah, Douglas (2 May 1986). "Military Does Not Rule Out Rebel Sabotage in Plane Crash Killing 37". United Press International. San Salvador, El Salvador. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  12. ^ Eastwood, 2007, p. 298
  13. ^ "elsalvador.com, La Fuerza Armada celebra hoy 189 a os". Archived from the original on 7 May 2013.
  14. ^ Rivas, Santiago (12 September 2016). "El Salvador to modernise its UH-1Hs to Huey 2s". IHS Jane's 360. Buenos Aires. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  15. ^ "USA Donates 12 MD530F Helicopters to the Salvadoran Air Force". Air Recognition. 31 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  16. ^ Cornejo, Iliana (9 September 2024). "FAES Confirma Muerte de Director de la PNC y Todos los Tripulantes en Helicóptero Estrellado" [FAES Confirmed the Death of the Director of the PNC and All Crew Members in Crashed Helicopter]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Soldiers from El Salvador join UN-backed mission in Haiti to combat gang violence". AP News. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  18. ^ a b World Air Forces 2025. FlightGlobal. 2024. p. 18. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  19. ^ "United States Transfers Helicopters to El Salvador in Support of Security Mission in Haiti". Embassy of the United States, San Salvador. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b c "Esquemas" [Schematics]. Salvadoran Air Force (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  21. ^ Corum, James S. (1998). "The Air War in El Salvador" (PDF). Airpower Journal. Fort Belvoir, Virginia: Defense Technical Information Center: 27–44. OCLC 227883301. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d "World Air Forces 1994". Flight Global. 1994. p. 39. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  23. ^ "Nomina de Jefes de la Fuerza Aeréa Salvadoreña" [List of Chiefs of the Salvadoran Air Force]. Salvadoran Air Force (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 August 2025.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Eastwood A.B. and Roach J.R., Piston Engined Airliner Production List, 2007, The Aviation Hobby Shop
  • World Aircraft information files Brightstar publishing London File 342 sheet 2
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salvadoran_Air_Force&oldid=1324995074"