add site
services
publishers
database
health videos
toolbar
stats
live show
health store
more stuff
JOIN/LOGIN
| advertise add site services publishers database health videos
| | about toolbar stats live show health store more stuff JOIN/LOGIN |
Medical Air Transportation mercy air ambulance air ambulances medical... americanairambulance.com | Orthodontists in Portuguese Bend, CA - Braces in California, Portuguese orthopages.com | Air Mattress Equipments, Medical Air Mattress, Hospital air mattress, monarchsurgical.com | Bethesda Air Abrasion, Rockville Air Abrasion, Gaithersburg Air... bethesdasedationdentistry... |
 The Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) (Portuguese: Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP) is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar (Army Aviation) and Aviação Naval (Naval Aviation) 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 began to be used in Portugal, later leading to the creation of the Army and Navy's aviation services. Its Aerobatic display teams are the Asas de Portugal jet aircraft display team and the Rotores de Portugal helicopter display team.
[edit] HistoryThe history of Portuguese military aviation dates back to 1911, when a Balloon Company was founded as part of the Army Telegraphic Service and received a handful of aircraft. During World War I in the Western Front, while the Portuguese Army had no aircraft, Portuguese airmen flew in British and French squadrons. In Mozambique, in the operations against German Eastern Africa, the Portuguese forces included an aviation squadron, one of the first uses of combat aircraft in Africa. In 1914 the Military Aeronautic Service (Serviço Aeronáutico Militar) and the Military School of Aeronautic (Escola Militar de Aeronáutica, EMA) are founded, but it is in 1918 that these services are reorganised and renamed to 'Military Aviation Service' and are made directly dependent of the Ministry of War. The OGMA workshops at Alverca, which still exists under this name, and the first operational squadrons are founded that same year. In 1924 the aviation of the army becomes a full arm of service, in equality with the infantry or the artillery. In 1937, it suffers a major reorganization, being endowed with an autonomous general command, practically becoming independent, although for administrative purposes it still stays integrated in the Army Ministry. In 1917 the Navy Aviation Service and School is created, as well the first naval aviation base, the Maritime Aviation Centre of Bom Sucesso, in Lisbon. The Portuguese Navy's aviation service is later renamed two more times — in 1918 to Aeronautical Naval Services (Serviços da Aeronáutica Naval), and once again in 1931 to Navy Air Forces (Forças Aéreas da Armada). Early involvement by the Portuguese military aviation included the Revolution in 1926, the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, and World War II, in which Portugal was not directly involved but during which various allied aircraft entering Portuguese airspace were commandeered. Portugal later joined NATO in 1949. [edit] Initial units.JPG) In 1950, its created the State Sub-Secretary of Aeronautic (Portuguese: Subsecretariado de Estado da Aeronáutica) with the objective of managing all the Portuguese military aviation. Later, in 1952, the State Sub-Secretary of Aeronautic creates the General-Command of the Air Forces that starts to exert the unified command over the aviation units of the Army and Navy. The new organization of the air forces starts by including the Independent Forces and the Forces of Cooperation. The Forces of Cooperation include the Naval Aviation Forces (formed by the former by the former Naval Aviation units) and the Ground Aviation Forces. This events are considered to be the creation of the Portuguese Air Force as an independent branch. With this merge the PoAF started to have in its charge all the aviation infrastructures that until then belonged to the Army and the Navy. These means included the following: From the Military Aviation Service:
From the Naval Aviation:
[edit] Air Force branchThe Portuguese national metropolitan and ultramarine territory was divided in 1956 in three major aerial regions, that start to exert the operational command of the aerial units stationed in their area – later two semi-independent commands were created inside the 1st Aerial Region designated as air zones:
In 1958, the Naval Aviation Forces and the Ground Aviation Forces were completely integrated in the Air Force, ending any type of administrative connection, respectively, to the Navy and to the Army. The military coup in 1974 was partly caused by the revolutions in Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea during the 1960s. It in turn led to these countries' independence in 1975. The turmoil of the revolution and the end of the war in the African colonies, which had involved 150,000 personnel, brought about a major reorganisation which reduced the 850 aircraft inventory of the PoAF in 1974 to only one third of that in 1976. Since then Portugal has gradually regained its balance and changed the organisation of the PoAF in the interest of efficiency. Some of the noteworthy changes during the last decade include the closure of BA3 Tancos and BA7 Aveiro, the re-introduction of an independent naval helicopter squadron, the acquisition of modern aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which replaced the A-7P Corsair II, the relocation of several squadrons to other bases, the intention to acquire helicopters for the Army, to be based at Tancos, and the privatization of the OGMA workshops. The F-16A/B's from the second batch are slowly being converted into F-16AM/BM's, with 19 already on the flightline at Monte Real, while at the Montijo base the 12 ordered EH-101's have now entered active service. Three are stationed at Lajes, Azores, and two on Porto Santo, Madeira. The Portuguese Air Force is distinguished by its engineers as they receive older versions of attack and transport helicopters and upgrade them successfully and turn them into up-to-date helicopters. [edit] Organization The Portuguese Air Force is structured in three decision levels:
[edit] Air Force HeadquartersThe Air Force Headquarters (Portuguese: Estado-Maior da Força Aérea, EMFA) are responsible for studying, conceiving and planning the Air Force activities, supporting the Air Force Chief of Staff (CEMFA) decisions. EMFA is commanded by the Vice Chief of Staff - VCEMFA who is seconded by a Major-General Pilot, called Vice Commander of EMFA. It consist of a Personnel Division (1ª Divisão - Pessoal), a Intelligence Division (2ª Divisão - Informações), a Operations Division (3ª Divisão - Operações), a Logistics Division (4ª Divisão - Logísticas), and of Support Units (Orgãos de apoio). Under its command it has the following units:
[edit] Administrative and Logistic Command The Administrative and Logistic Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando Logístico e Administrativo da Força Aérea, CLAFA) is commanded by a Lieutenant-General, and has as its mission the management of the Air Force's materials and financial resources in order to accomplish the CEMFA's plans and directives. Under its command it has the following units:
[edit] Operational Command The Operational Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando Operacional da Força Aérea, COFA), commanded by a Lieutenant-General, plans, directs and controls the efficiency of the air power, the air activity and defence of the national air space. It is also of the COFA's responsibility the security of the Air Force bases and units. [edit] Base UnitsThe COFA base units guarantee the readiness of the air units and the logistic and administrative support of all the units and boards based there but depending on other commands. Organization:
[edit] Surveillance and Detection UnitsThe Surveillance and Detection Units (Portuguese: Unidades de Vigilância e Detecção, UVD) guarantee the operational of these same means.
[edit] Air ZonesAir Zones have the mission of planning, supervising and controlling the readiness of the air power resources and the air activity in their area of responsibility, of the accomplishment of the established plans. Guaranteeing, under the terms established in international agreements, the relationships with the foreign forces stationed at the base units under their hierarchic authority, but keeping the status inherent to the unit commander. Existing Air Zones commands:
[edit] Flight Squadrons The Portuguese Air Force aircraft are integrated in flight squadrons dependent of the air bases where they are based. These flight squadrons receive a number of three algorithms, in which the first indicates its primary mission:
The second algorithm indicates the type of aircraft operated by the squadron:
The third algorithm is a sequential number of the same mission and aircraft type. [edit] Personnel CommandThe Personnel Command of the Air Force (Portuguese: Comando de Pessoal da Força Aérea, CPESFA) is commanded by a Lieutenant-General that administers the human resources of the Air Force in accordance with the CEMFA's plans and directives. Under its command it has the following units:
[edit] Order of battleSee also: COFA Air Base No. 1 (BA1) — Sintra, Lisbon (LPST)
Air Base No. 4 (BA4) — Lajes, Azores (LPLA)
Air Base No. 5 (BA5) — Monte Real, Leiria (LPMR)
Air Base No. 6 (BA6) — Montijo, Setúbal (LPMT)
Air Base No. 11 (BA11) — Beja (LPBJ)
Operational Airfield No. 1 (AT1) — Lisbon (LPPT) Maneuvers Airfield No. 1 (AM1) — Ovar, Aveiro[disambiguation needed] (LPOV)
Porto Santo Airport — Porto Santo, Madeira (LPPS)
[edit] Secondary units
[edit] Rank Structure
[edit] AircraftMain articles: List of aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force and Portuguese military aircraft serials [edit] Current
[edit] On Order
[edit] Vehicles[edit] See also
[edit] References[edit] External links
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ top of page ↑ | about thumbshots |
-Escudo.png){kind=small}
