Chilean Air Force Explained

Unit Name:Chilean Air Force
Native Name:Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Aérea de Chile
Country: Chile
Type:Air force
Role:Aerial warfare
Command Structure:Chilean Armed Forces
Garrison:Edificio Delphos
Cerrillos, Santiago
Garrison Label:Headquarters
Motto:Latin: [[Ad astra (phrase)|Quam celerrime ad astra]]
"With full speed to the stars"
Colours: Indigo
White
March:Alte Kameraden
Anniversaries:21 March (Air Force Day)
Equipment:180 aircraft
Battles:
Commander1:General del Aire Hugo Rodríguez González
Commander1 Label:Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force
Notable Commanders:Arturo Merino Benítez
Marmaduke Grove
Gustavo Leigh
Fernando Matthei
Identification Symbol Label:Roundel
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Fin flash
Identification Symbol 3 Label:Flag
Aircraft Electronic:E-3D
Aircraft Fighter:F-5, F-16,
Aircraft Helicopter:Bell 206, Bell 412, S-70, UH-1H, UH-60,
Aircraft Recon:Elbit Hermes 900
Aircraft Trainer:A-29, T-35, SR-22, GB1
Aircraft Transport:B-737, B-767, C-130, C-212, CJ-1, DHC-6, Gulfstream V, L-35
Aircraft Tanker:KC-130, KC-135

The Chilean Air Force (Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh) is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military.

History

The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was created, the first officers were sent to France for their training as well. One of them, Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado, took command over the Chilean military aviation school, which was officially established in February 1913, and remained in command until 1915. The Military Aviation School (Spanish; Castilian: Escuela de Aviación Militar) was named in honor of him in 1944, and still carries that name today.

In those early years many aviation milestones were achieved; conquering the height of the Andes was one of the main targets as well as long distance flights. Typical aircraft of that era were Avro 504, Bleriot XI, Bristol M.1C, DH.9, and SE5a. In the following decade, the Airmail Line of Chile (Spanish; Castilian: Línea Aeropostal de Chile) was created on 5 March 1929 as a branch of the military aviation. This postal airline later developed into the National Airline (Spanish; Castilian: [[Lan (airline)|Línea Aérea Nacional]]) that is still the leading airline in Chile today. Shortly afterwards, on 21 March 1930, the existing aviation elements of the army and navy were amalgamated into a dedicated department: the Department of the Air Force (Spanish; Castilian: Subsecretaria de Aviación) effectively creating the current independent Air Force. It was initially named National Air Force (Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Aérea Nacional). The international airport of Chile carries the name of Lan's founding father and first commander of the air force, Air Commodore Arturo Merino Benítez. Its baptism of fire was in the 1931 sailors' rebellion in Coquimbo, where Air Force attack aircraft and bombers and 2 transport planes converted into bombers contributed to its failure.

The first outlines of the organization of the current air force were visible in 1945 with the inception of Transport Group 1, later renumbered Group 10, with two C-45s and a single T-6 Texan at Los Cerrillos. Two years later the first FACh flight to Antarctica was performed. The fifties meant entry into the jet age for the FACh, and Grupo 7 was the first unit to receive them in 1954. Chile got its aircraft from both the United States and Europe. The American supply consisted of Lockheed F-80, Lockheed T-33, Beech T-34 Mentor, Cessna T-37, Cessna A-37 Dragonfly and Northrop F-5E/F for example, whereas the British supplied Hawker Hunters and the French delivered various helicopters and Dassault Mirage 50 aircraft.

During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force conducted Operation Silence, Hunters from the 7th Aviation Squadron destroyed several transmission antennas belonging to pro-government radio stations. After accomplishing their mission, the aircraft performed attack runs on the presidential residence at Las Condes and the presidential palace, a pilot mistakenly opened fire on the Air Force Hospital when attacking the residence, no casualties were reported.

The Chilean air force hosted the joint exercise Salitre with other friendly nations in 2014.[1] It also participated in several United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas in 5 occasions.

The Chilean Air Force reported one of its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying 38 people en route to Antarctica missing on December 9, 2019. The aircraft was on its way to Antarctica’s King George Island to provide logistic support to a military base when radio contact was lost.[2] On 11 December 2019, aircraft debris was located 18 miles South of where the plane last made contact and no survivors were found. The cause of the crash is unknown.[3]

Commanders-in-chief

See main article: article and List of commanders-in-chief of the Chilean Air Force.

Order of battle

Personnel = 10,600 (including 700 conscripts)

Office of the Commander in Chief

Combat Command of the Air Force

First Air Brigade with headquarters in Los Cóndores Air Base (Base Aérea Los Cóndores) in Iquique

Second Air Brigade with headquarters in Pudahuel Air Base (Spanish; Castilian: Base Aérea Pudahuel) in Santiago

Third Air Brigade with headquarters in El Tepual Air Base (Spanish; Castilian: Base Aérea El Tepual) in Puerto Montt

Fourth Air Brigade with headquarters in Chabunco Air Base (Spanish; Castilian: Base Aérea Chabunco) in Punta Arenas

Fifth Air Brigade with headquarters in Cerro Moreno Air Base (Spanish; Castilian: Base Aérea Cerro Moreno) in Antofagasta

Personnel Command

Education Division

Health Division
General Hospital of the Air Force
Air Force High Command Prefecture

Logistics Command

Maintenance Division
Administration Division
Infrastructure Division

The Air Force also maintains the Air Force Special Forces (Spanish; Castilian: Comandos de Aviación), comparable to a United States Air Force Combat Control Team. They may be up to 350 strong, and their roles include assault, reconnaissance, Air Traffic Control, Fire Support, and Command, control, and communications.

Aircraft

See main article: article and List of active Chile military aircraft.

Aircraft

Current inventory

AircraftOriginTypeVariantIn serviceNotes
Combat Aircraft
Northrop F-5United StatesfighterF-5E13[4] 3 F-5F’s provide conversion training
F-16 Fighting FalconUnited StatesmultiroleF-16A/C/D4611 F-16B’s provide conversion training
AWACS
E-3D SentryUnited StatesAEW&CE-3D3[5] Donated by the Royal Air Force in 2022.
Boeing 707United StatesAEW1system developed by IAI – 1 on order
Tanker
KC-135 StratotankerUnited Statesaerial refueling KC-135E/R3 / 3
Transport
Boeing 737United States1
Boeing 767United StatesVIP / transport 1[6] [7]
Learjet 35United Statesutility / reconnaissanceCJ14
Cessna CitationUnited StatesCJ14
C-130 HerculesUnited StatestransportC-130B/H8
CASA C-212Spainutility / transport3
DHC-6 Twin OtterCanadautility transport12one used for reconnaissance
Helicopters
Bell 412United Statesutility 15
Bell UH-1United Statesutility UH-1H10
Sikorsky UH-60United Statesutility S-70i6
Trainer Aircraft
Bell 206United Statesrotorcraft trainer5
T-35 PillánChiletrainer 31
Cirrus SR22United Statestrainer8
CASA C-101Spainjet trainer19
Embraer EMB 314Braziladvanced trainer22
UAV
Hermes 900Israelsurveillance 3[8]

Industry

Chile also maintains its own aviation industry, ENAER. The design of the T-35 Pillán trainer, based on the Piper PA-28R Saratoga, is the best known example, seeing some export success as well. Furthermore, the assembly of the A-36/T-36 Halcón (CASA C-101) was achieved as well. Performing maintenance on most types in the current inventory, such as minor modifications on F-5E aircraft for example, the industry is of significant importance to the air force. ENAER is reported to be in talks with Embraer of Brazil to codesign the first indigenous South American military transport plane. Also, under the Pacer Amstel programme, with initial Dutch support, and later locally ENAER upgraded an F-16 combat jet, which for the Chilean Air Force is an advance for their maintenance of the F-16 fleet (becoming the 5th country to modify their jets under authorization).

Ranks

See main article: Air Force ranks and insignia of Chile.

Officers
Enlisted

Badges

Officers

Officer[9] Line Corps
Badge
Arm of serviceAviationEngineeringAir DefenseTelecommunications and Information TechnologyAdministrationAir Base
Abbreviation(A)(I)(DA)(TI)(AD)(BA)
SpecialtyAviators (Fighter, Helicopter) and Air transport officersAviation engineersAir defenseInformation and telecommunications engineersEngineers assigned to administrative dutiesLogistics
OfficerServices/Staff Corps
Badge
Arm of serviceJusticeMedical Corps
Dental Corps
ChaplainancyBands ServiceGeneral Services Corps
Abbreviation(J)(S) y (SD)(SR)(B)(SG)
SpecialtyAttorneys and JudgesDoctors, Nurses and Dentists
of various specialties
ChaplainsMusiciansProfessional workers and civilian employees

Non-commissioned officers and airmen

NCOs and airmen of theLine CorpsServices Corps
Badgecolspan=1-
Arm of serviceWeaponsTechnical supportAdministrationCombat medicine and surgery
SpeciallyAir Defense
Intelligence personnel
Aircrews
Maintenance and armaments
Communications, information technology and electronics
Air Operations Support
Administrative staffCombat medics and surgeons

Officers' cap badges

Chilean Air Force officers wear the following cap badges in their peaked caps.

Rank cap badge[10] Air Generals and Air CommodoresColonels and Group CommandersEnsigns through Squadron Commanders
Full dress
Service dress
RankAir GeneralAviation GeneralAir Brigade GeneralAir CommodoreAviation ColonelGroup CommanderSquadron Commander Flight CaptainLieutenantSublieutenantEnsign

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://dialogo-americas.com/en/articles/salitre-2014-exercise-chile-promotes-cooperation-among-five-air-forces Salitre 2014 Exercise in Chile promotes cooperation among five air forces
  2. News: Antarctica-bound plane missing with 38 on board. 2019-12-10. 2019-12-11. en-GB.
  3. News: Chilean air force finds debris believed to be from missing plane with 38 people. Staff. 2019-12-11. The Guardian. 2019-12-12. agencies. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  4. News: World Air Forces 2023. Flight Global. Flightglobal Insight . 2022 . 8 March 2023.
  5. Web site: Chile buys three Boeing E-3D Sentry aircraft from UK. Jane's. Santiago. Rivas. 2022-01-19. 2022-05-11.
  6. Web site: World Air Forces 2011/12 . flightglobal insight. 16 February 2015.
  7. Web site: Chilean Air Force Boeing 767 . flightglobal.com . 10 February 2015.
  8. Web site: Chilean navy considers Hermes 900 . flightglobal.com . 10 February 2015.
  9. Web site: Institución . 2010-10-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101205213220/http://www.fach.cl/institu.htm . 2010-12-05 .
  10. http://www.fach.cl/institu.htm Grados