This list of current and former aircraft of the Portuguese Armed Forces also includes aircraft of the National Republican Guard.
The Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) was founded in 1952 as the result of the amalgamation of the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval. With the merger many aircraft were transferred from these earlier aviation services to the Air Force, having been in service before 1952.
Aircraft | Qty | In service | Retired | Origin | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30(?) | 1952 | 1954 | UK Portugal | Received from Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval | ||
de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth | ||||||
12 | 1952 | 1972 | Germany | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
Junkers Ju 52/3 mg3e | ||||||
15 | 1961 | France | ||||
? | 1952 | 1958 | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
? | 1952 | ? | UK | Received from Naval Aviation | ||
29 | 1952 | 1976 | USA | One aircraft received from Aeronáutica Militar in 1952. Remaining aircraft bought in 1958 | ||
151 | 1952 | 1954 | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
? | 1952 | 1957 | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
Received from Naval Aviation | ||||||
? | 1952 | ? | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
8 | 1952 | 1956 | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
10 | 1952 | ? | UK | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
257 | 1952 | 1978 | USA | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
Received from Naval Aviation | ||||||
1956 | USA | Former British Fleet Air Arm aircraft | ||||
1961 | USA | Former-French Air Force aircraft | ||||
1964 | Canada | Former-Luftwaffe aircraft | ||||
1969 | Former-South African Air Force aircraft | |||||
North American Harvard Mk.III | ||||||
5 | 1952 | 1960 | USA | Received from Aeronáutica Militar | ||
8 | 1947 | 1952 | USA | Some Ex-Aeronáutica Militar | ||
10 | 1952 | ? | USA | Ex-Aeronáutica Militar | ||
1 | 1952 | 1968 | UK | Ex-Aeronáutica Militar | ||
10 | 1952 | 1997 | UK | Ex-Aeronáutica Militar | ||
66 | Portugal | Built under license by OGMA; As of 1997 six airframes refurbished | ||||
9 | 1952 | 1960 | USA | Received from Naval Aviation | ||
22 | 1955 | 1976 | USA | Received from the Portuguese Army Artillery arm | ||
5 | ||||||
1954 | ||||||
12 | 1952 | 1962 | USA | Received from Naval Aviation | ||
1 | 1952 | ? | USA | Received from Naval Aviation | ||
6 | 1952 | 1977 | USA | First units received from Naval Aviation | ||
15 | ||||||
1959 | 1976 | |||||
6 | 1952 | 1952 | USA | Received from Naval Aviation | ||
50 | 1952 | 1956 | USA | |||
28 | 1952 | 1991 | USA | |||
2 | 1952 | 1962 | UK | |||
42 | 1953 | 1975 | USA | Only 34 flown | ||
125 | 1953 | 1974 | USA | |||
3 | 1954 | 1962 | USA | |||
2 | 1954 | 1960 | USA | First helicopter operated in Portugal. Used only in search and rescue operations in Azores. Removed from service after an accident on October 4, 1959 | ||
7 | 1958 | 1976 | France | More received for the Portuguese Republican National Guard | ||
65 | 1958 | 1980 | USA | |||
5 | 1959 | 1960 | Canada | |||
1 | 1959 | 1959 | UK | Received PoAF markings for demonstration but wasn't bought | ||
2 | 1960 | 1982 | USA | |||
12 | 1960 | 1977 | USA | |||
76 | 1960 | 1976 | UK | |||
12 | 1960 | 1978 | France | |||
18 | ||||||
99 | 1961 | 1976 | UK Portugal | 84 built under license by OGMA | ||
146 | 1961 | 1979 | Germany | |||
4 | 1961 | 1977 | France | |||
Douglas DC-6A | 4 | 1961 | 1978 | USA | ||
Douglas DC-6B | 6 | |||||
10 | 1961 | 1961 | UK | Delivered in July from German Army Aviation Corps and German Navy stocks, never flew due to being non-airworthy and lack of spares to be rebuilt | ||
Cessna T-37C | 30 | 1961 | 1992 | USA | ||
142 | 1963 | 2020 | France | Additional airframes bought to be used as source for spare parts and to rebuild damaged airframes.. Retired 17 June 2020. | ||
7 | 1965 | 1975 | USA | [1] | ||
Douglas B-26C Invader | ||||||
Fiat G.91R/4 | 40 | 1965 | 1993 | Italy | ||
Cessna 310B | 1 | 1969 | 1974 | USA | ||
Cessna 182C | 1 | 1969 | ? | USA | ||
13 | 1969 | 2011 | France | Retired in 2006, re-entered service in 2008 in Azores, finally retired in 2011. On the market to be sold(2015)[2] | ||
1971 | ||||||
1 | 1969 | ? | USA | |||
4 | 1970 | 1974 | USA | |||
Cessna 401B | 1 | 1971 | 1974 | USA | Used PoAF markings in special missions | |
5 | 1971 | 1974 | USA | Received from South African Air Force | ||
Boeing 707-3F5C | 2 | 1971 | 1976 | USA | Transferred to TAP | |
24 | 1974 | 2010 | Spain | Replaced by CASA C-295M | ||
32 | 1974 | 2007 | USA | |||
Fiat G.91R/3 | 70 | 1976 | 1993 | Italy | Only 34 flown, others were used for spares | |
Fiat G.91T/3 | 26 | Only 11 flown | ||||
12 | 1977 | 1994 | USA | |||
6 | 1977 | USA | ||||
Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules | ||||||
44 | 1981 | 1999 | USA | |||
1 | 1982 | 1984 | One example (s/n 154404; c/n B-044), nicknamed "Pomba Branca" (white dove), leased from the USN for pilot conversion | |||
6 | 1984 | 1999 | ||||
4 | 1984 | 1994 | France | |||
Dassault Falcon 20 DC | 2 | 1985 | 1993 | France | Used in VIP transport and MEDEVAC. Sold on the civilian market | |
1 | 2005 | Used in VIP transport, MEDEVAC and radio calibration. Preserved at Museu do Ar | ||||
6 | 1985 | 2011 | USA | Replaced by former-Dutch P-3C Update II.5/CUP-CG. One being used for crew training by CFMTFA. | ||
4 | 1986 | Germany | ||||
18 | 1989 | France Portugal | Assembled in Portugal by OGMA | |||
3 | 1990 | France | ||||
50 | 1993 | 2018 | France Germany | Former-Luftwaffe aircraft, offered by Germany for the use of the Beja Air Base — BA11 | ||
17 | 1994 | USA | Peace Atlantis I aircraft. Converted and updated to Mid Life Update (MLU) standard (F-16 AM/BM) by the Air Force workshops at Monte Real Air Base and OGMA | |||
3 | ||||||
2 | 1994 | 2011 | Spain | Replaced by C-295MPA | ||
3 | 1996 | Czech Republic | ||||
7 | 1997 | UK Portugal | Refurbished from existing de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk aircraft | |||
23 | 1999 | USA | Peace Atlantis II aircraft. Updated to Mid Life Update (MLU) standard (F-16 AM/BM) by the Air Force workshops at Monte Real Air Base and OGMA 9 F-16 AM and 3 F-16 BM transferred to the Romanian Air Force in 2015–2016. 3 ex-USAF F-16s including 2 F-16A and 1 F-16B delivered in 2019.[3] | |||
5 | ||||||
2 | 2004 | USA | Used by the Portuguese Air Force Academy for research and development of aeronautical components and UAV systems | |||
12 | 2005 | UK Italy | 6 Search and rescue variant, 4 Combat search and rescue variant and 2 fisheries protection variant.[4] | |||
5 | 2006 | USA | Former-Dutch Navy aircraft. Receiving electronics upgrade to CUP+ standard | |||
12 | 2008 | Spain | 7 Transport aircraft (PG01) and 5 Maritime patrol aircraft (C-295 MPA, three PG02 and two PG03).[5] | |||
4 | 2008 | Portugal | Unmanned Air Vehicle prototype developed by the Portuguese Air Force Academy. At least four built and operated | |||
3 | 2016 | USA | Originally intended for Romania after undergoing upgrade; instead acquired to replace 3 Portuguese F-16 BM transferred to the Romanian Air Force. Updated to Mid Life Update (MLU) standard (F-16 BM) by the Air Force workshops at Monte Real Air Base and OGMA[6] | |||
Eurocopter AS350 B3 | 3 | 2018 | France | 3 helicopters acquired by the Portuguese government in 2007 for the extinct public company EMA - Empresa de Meios Aéreos. These helicopters were transferred to the Portuguese Air Force in 2018.[7] [8] | ||
7 | 2019 | UK Italy | Assembled at Leonardo's Philadelphia facility.[9] Two additional unit's received in 2023.[10] [11] | |||
UAVision OGASSA OGS42 | 12 | 2020 | Portugal | Unmanned Air Vehicle used for Surveillance and Recognition, 4 of them equipped with VTOL capacity[12] | ||
Kamov Ka-32A11BC | 6 | 2022 | Russia | 6 helicopters acquired by the Portuguese government in 2006 for the extinct public company EMA - Empresa de Meios Aéreos. This firefighting helicopters were received in 2022 from the Portuguese National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.[13] In October 2022 the Ministry of National Defence confirms that the 6 helicopters will be sent to Ukraine as military aid due the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[14] | ||
Dassault Falcon 900 | 1 | 2023 | France | Plane seized by the Portuguese Authorities and reverted to the Portuguese Air Force.[15] | ||
Embraer C-390 Millennium | 2+3 | 2023 | BrasilPortugal | Five C-390s ordered in 2019 to replace its C-130s.[16] | ||
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk | 2+7 | 2023 | USA | The Portuguese Air Force signed in August 2022 the acquisition of 6 UH-60A for use in fighting forest fires.[17] The Air Force announced that will order 3 additional units.[18] | ||
Lockheed P-3C Orion Cup II | 4+2[19] | 2023 | USA | The Government of Portugal acquired, for 45 million euros, 6 aircraft together with Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) sets, spare parts, support equipment and test benches, as well as flight simulators and tactical procedures. The aircraft will be received from 2023 to 2027.[20] [21] | ||
Canadair CL-515 | 0+2 | 2026 | Canada | Two units purchased in 2022 to fight forest fires. To be received in 2026[22] |
After Military Aeronautics became an independent branch, the Portuguese Army activated a small aviation component in its Artillery Arm. This aviation component was disbanded in 1955, with its aircraft and role being transferred to the Air Force. The Army even signed two contracts for the purchase of helicopters, the first in the late 90s for the purchase of Eurocopter EC635 helicopters, which was canceled in 2002 due the lack of a certification to fire HOT 2 anti-tank missiles. In 2012 the acquisition of 10 NH-90 helicopters was canceled after the economic crisis that hit the country that year. The Portuguese Army would only operate air assets in the 21st century, where it currently employs a wide range of UAVs.
Aircraft | Qty | In service | Retired | Origin | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Piper PA-18/L-21 B Super Cub | 22 | 1952 | 1955 | USA | Transferred to the PoAF (Used by former Army Artillery Arm) | |
? | 2012 | USA | Target drone, operated by Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment No. 1.[23] [24] | |||
DJI Mavic PRO | ? | 2018 | China | Seen in use by Portuguese Paratroopers and Madeira Military Operational Command. Number of units purchased unknown.[25] [26] | ||
AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven | 36 | 2019 | USA | 36 aircraft or twelve systems (together with associated services and equipment) were purchased through the NSPA on 20 August 2018.[27] | ||
SenseFly eBee X | ? | 2020 | Switzerland | Used by the Army Geospatial Information Center for mapping missions. | ||
DJI Matrice 300 RTK | ? | 2020 | China | Used by Madeira Military Operational Command for surveillance.[28] Madeira Military Operational Command also plans to acquire a long-range drone. Number of units purchased unknown.[29] | ||
MyFlyDream Nimbus Tricopter 1800 | ? | 2020 | China | Unmanned aerial vehicle with VTOL capacity, used by Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment No. 1. Number of units purchased unknown.[30] | ||
Parrot ANAFI | 2 | 2022 | France | Used by Special Operations Troops Centre.[31] | ||
MicroUAV | ? | 2022 | ? | Seen in use with the Garrison Regiment Nº3.[32] | ||
Autel EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise V2 | ? | 2023 | Chnia | Seen in use for the first time in 2023.[33] |
Aircraft | Qty | In service | Retired | Origin | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1976 | ? | France | Former Portuguese Air Force helicopter. Used for highway patrol.[34] [35] | ||
Tekever AR4 | 4 | 2014 | Portugal | At least 4 units received.[36] [37] [38] | ||
DJI Mavic PRO | ? | ? | China | [39] | ||
UAVision UX Spyro | ? | ? | Portugal | |||
Tekever AR5 | 1 | 2024 | Portugal | Operated by GNR from Figueira da Foz[40] |
The Navy's Aviação Naval (Naval Aviation) was created in 1917. In 1993, the Naval Aviation was reborn with the creation of the Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (Navy's Helicopter Squadron), which operates the helicopters that serve on board the Navy's ships.
Aircraft | Qty | In service | Retired | Origin | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 1917 | 1918 | ||||
Donnet-Denhaut D.D.8 | 18 | 1918 | 1923 | France | Eight left by the French Aeronavale at Aveiro | |
5 | 1918 | 1928 | ||||
Georges Levy G.L.40HB-2 | 2 | 1918 | ? | France | Left by the French Aeronavale at Aveiro | |
3 | 1920 | 1922 | UK | |||
4 | 1921 | 1931 | USA | Left by the United States Navy at Horta. Started flying in 1923 | ||
6 | 1922 | 1931 | UK | |||
Fokker T.IIIW | 4 | 1924 | 1933 | Netherlands | ||
Avro 504K | 3 | 1925 | 1927 | UK | The first wheel aircraft | |
CAMS 37A | 8 | 1927 | 1935 | |||
Hanriot H.41H | 8 | 1927 | 1935 | |||
9 | 1928 | 1934 | ||||
8 | 1929 | 1942 | UK | Bought four directly from de Havilland. Other four were built from parts after the loss of the first four in accidents | ||
26 | 1933 | 1953 | Several batches | |||
Fleet F-10B | ||||||
Fleet F-10G | ||||||
5 | 1933 | 1941 | Germany Sweden | Manufactured in Sweden | ||
8 | 1935 | 1942 | UK | |||
Blackburn Shark IIA | 6 | 1936 | 1938 | UK | ||
1 | 1936 | 1943 | ||||
12 | 1939 | 1950 | UK | |||
12 | 1940 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | ||
12 | 1941 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | ||
Short Sunderland I | 1 | 1941 | 1944 | UK | Interned after force landing in Portugal due to storm | |
5 | 1942 | ? | UK | |||
Miles Martinet T.T.I | 4 | 1943 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | |
Airspeed Oxford II | 12 | 1943 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | |
Bristol Blenheim IVF | 12 | 1943 | ? | UK | ||
30 | 1943 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | ||
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X | 17 | 1945 | 1946 | UK | ||
7 | 1947 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | ||
5 | 1948 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | ||
8 | 1950 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | ||
14 | 1950 | 1952 | USA | Used only for spares | ||
24 | Transferred to PoAF | |||||
5 | 1993 | UK | The first aircraft of the recreated Naval Aviation | |||
Tekever AR4 | ? | 2014 | Portugal | Given to the Navy by its manufacturer to improve its development[41] | ||
Tekever AR3 | ? | 2015 | Portugal | In service with the Portuguese Navy at least since 2015[42] | ||
UAVision OGASSA OGS42 V | 2 | 2020 | Portugal | Acquired two units to be operated from Frigates and Offshore patrol vessels[43] [44] | ||
UAVision UX Spyro | 4 | 2020 | Portugal | Purchased at least 4 units to be operated from Frigates and Offshore patrol vessels. Designate Açor-class[45] | ||
Beyond Vision VTOne | 6 | 2023 | Portugal | Acquired 6 units in early 2023[46] [47] | ||
Beyond Vision HEIFU | 6 | 2023 | Portugal | Acquired 6 units in early 2023 | ||
Autel EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise V2 | ? | 2023 | China | Seen in use for the first time in 2023.[48] |
The Army's Aeronáutica Militar (Military Aeronautics) was the first military aviation service created in Portugal and much of the Portuguese aviation origins date back to it.
Aircraft | Qty | In service | Retired | Origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maurice Farman Type 1911-1912 | 1 | 1912 | 1916 | France | |
Deperdussin Type B | 1 | 1912 | 1916 | France | |
3 | 1912 | 1917 | France | ||
5 | 1916 | 1920 | France | ||
1 | 1916 | ? | France | ||
58 | 1916 | ? | France Portugal | 50 built from 1922 at Alverca | |
7 | 1917 | ? | France | ||
9 | 1918 | 1923 | France | ||
Breguet 14 A.2 | 28 | 1919 | ? | France | |
Breguet 14 T.2 | 1 | ||||
SPAD S.VII C.1 | 12 | 1919 | 1935 | France | More units possibly received |
4 | 1919 | 1933 | UK | ||
8 | 1920 | ? | France | ||
3 | 1920 | ? | France | ||
Breguet 16 Bn.2 | 1 | 1921 | ? | France | |
Vickers Valparaiso II | 4 | 1923 | 1933 | UK | |
Vickers Valparaiso I | 10 | 1924 | |||
1 | 1924 | ? | France | ||
Fairey IIID | 1 | 1924 | 1925 | UK | |
2 | 1924 | 1933 | UK | ||
Avro 504K | 27 | 1924 | 1937 | UK | |
1 | 1927 | ? | Germany | ||
1 | 1928 | 1937 | France | ||
Potez 25 A.2 | 35 | 1931 | 1943 | ||
Junkers W 34L | 1 | 1928 | 1936 | Germany | |
1 | 1929 | 1934 | France | ||
1 | 1931 | ? | France | ||
4 | 1931 | ? | France | ||
15 | 1931 | ? | France | Built under license | |
1 | 1931 | 1940 | Germany | ||
Vickers Valparaiso III | 13 | 1933 | 1943 | UK | Built under license |
11 | 1934 | 1952 | UK Portugal | Small number of airframes built under license in Alverca; Transferred to PoAF | |
9 | |||||
1 | 1934 | ? | UK | Aircraft named "Dilly", did Lisbon-Timor-Macau-India-Lisbon flight on December 25, 1934 | |
1 | 1934 | 1952 | UK | ||
1 | 1934 | 1940 | Italy | ||
1 | 1934 | 1939 | Italy | ||
Hawker Fury I | 3 | 1934 | 1945 | UK | |
31 | 1936 | 1952 | UK | ||
12 | 1936 | 1952 | Germany | Transferred to PoAF | |
Junkers Ju 52/3 mg3e | |||||
3 | 1937 | ? | UK | ||
4 | 1937 | ? | UK | ||
1 | 1937 | ? | UK | Reregistered CS-AAJ Salazar | |
10 | 1938 | 1948 | Germany | ||
30 | 1938 | 1952 | UK | ||
10 | 1939 | 1941 | Italy | ||
17 | 1941 | 1945 | USA | ||
Miles Master II/III | 13 | 1941 | 1958 | UK | |
Miles Martinet T.T.I | 7 | 1942 | ? | UK | |
2 | 1942 | 1945 | USA | Interned during WWII after an emergency landing in Lisbon | |
Lockheed P-38G Lightning | |||||
Supermarine Spitfire I | 18 | 1942 | 1948 | UK | |
Supermarine Spitfire VB | 93 | 1943 | 1952 | Transferred to PoAF | |
15 | 1942 | 1950 | USA | Interned during WWII[49] | |
4 | |||||
6 | 1943 | ? | USA | Interned during WWII | |
1 | 1944 | 1952 | USA | Interned during WWII. Transferred to PoAF | |
1 | 1943 | ? | UK | ||
Bristol Blenheim IV | 10 | 1943 | 1947 | UK | |
Bristol Blenheim V | 3 | ||||
Lockheed Hudson III/VI | 3 | 1943 | ? | USA | Interned during WWII |
Hawker Hurricane IIB/IIC | 142 | 1943 | 1954 | UK | |
Westland Lysander IIIA | 13 | 1943 | 1952 | UK | |
Vickers Wellington X | 1 | 1943 | ? | UK | Interned during WWII |
19 | 1943 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | |
Miles Magister I | 10 | 1946 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF |
1 | 1947 | ? | USA | ||
Avro Anson T.1 | 10 | 1947 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF |
48 | 1947 | 1952 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | |
North American AT-6B Texan | |||||
North American AT-6C Texan | |||||
North American AT-6G Texan | |||||
5 | 1947 | 1960 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | |
9 | 1947 | 1978 | USA | Transferred to PoAF | |
9 | 1947 | ? | USA | 3 used for spares | |
1 | 1950 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | |
10 | 1951 | 1952 | UK | Transferred to PoAF | |
22 | 1952 | 1955 | USA | Used by Army artillery for observation, already after dissolution of the Army Aviation and the creation of the PoAF in 1952. Transferred to PoAF only in 1955 | |