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This is a list that cover current and former military aircraft that have been used by the Armed Forces of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay since 1913.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2023) |
This is a list that cover current and former military aircraft that have been used by the Armed Forces of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay since 1913.
The following is a list in chronological order of acquisition of the aircraft that were used by the aviation of the National Army of Uruguay since the origin of military aviation in the country in 1913, and through the different organizations that developed within it, such as the Military Aviation School or the Military Aeronautics until 1953, the year of the creation of the independent Fuerza Aérea Militar (Military Air Force), current Uruguayan Air Force. [1] However, in some cases the service periods shown for the aircraft below exceed the existence of the uniformed service in which they served, due to the fact that some of the aircraft continued their service beyond the existence of the organization and remained operating in the immediately following. The total number of aircraft that made up the fleets of each of the models is not included, so they should not be taken as unique airframes.
The following is a list of the military aircraft that were used by the original Fuerza Aérea Militar (Military Air Force) and then the Uruguayan Air Force. [1] It is necessary to state that despite having different names, it is the same organization. In some cases, the periods of service shown for the aircraft below exceed the existence of the service under the name of the Military Air Force, but the change of designation to the Uruguayan Air Force in 1956 did not imply any operational change, and the aircraft continued with their uninterrupted service.
The following is a list of the military aircraft that were used by the Fuerza Aérea Militar since its creation on December 4, 1953, and 1955, the year before the organization became known as the Uruguayan Air Force.
The following is a list of the military aircraft that have been used by the current Uruguayan Air Force, since this name was used for the first time in 1956. The total number of aircraft that made up the fleets of each of the models is not included, so they should not be considered as unique airframes.
The following is a list of the aircraft that have been used by the Navy Aeronautical Service and the current Naval Aviation of the National Navy of Uruguay. This later designation was adopted on June 27, 1952, with the approval of Decree No. 21,307. As with the previous lists, the total numbers of aircraft that made up the fleets of each of the following models are not included, so they should not be considered as unique airframes that were found in service.
The Armed Forces of Uruguay consist of the National Army of Uruguay, the National Navy of Uruguay, and the Uruguayan Air Force. These three independent branches are constitutionally subordinate to the President of Uruguay through the Minister of Defense. The government has trimmed the armed forces to about 16,800 for the Army; 6,000 for the Navy; and 3,000 for the Air Force. As of February 2003, Uruguay has more than 2,500 soldiers deployed on 12 UN Peacekeeping missions. The largest groups are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. There is also a 58-man contingent in the MFO in the Sinai. The current Minister of Defense is Javier García.
The Uruguayan Air Force is the air service branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay. Originally created as part of the National Army of Uruguay, the Air Force was established as a separate branch on December 4, 1953. It is the youngest and also the smallest branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay. In 1977 it was determined that the mission of the Air Force is to conduct strategic and tactical aerospace operations on behalf of the national defense, exercising the sovereignty of the Uruguayan airspace and defending the independence, integrity, constitution and laws of the country. The Air Force must also conduct search and rescue missions and plan, propose, execute and supervise the necessary measures for the development of the aerospace potential, while providing any necessary and possible logistical support during the natural disasters that the country may suffer. Since 1985 this has been always carried out under the command of the President of Uruguay, and according to the Minister of National Defense.
The Argentine Air Force is the air force of Argentina and branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is general Xavier Isaac.
The Mexican Air Force is the air service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of the FAM is to defend the integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Mexico. Its auxiliary tasks include internal security, assisting with public works, and natural disaster management. As of 2023, its commander is Bertín Hernández Mercado.
The Guatemalan Air Force is a small air force composed mostly of U.S.-made aircraft throughout its history. The FAG is a subordinate to the Guatemalan Military and its commanding officer reports to the Defence Minister.
The Nicaraguan Air Force is the air defense branch of the armed forces of Nicaragua. It continues the former Sandinista air units. Before 1979 the Nicaraguan National Guard had some air units.
The National Navy of Uruguay is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy.
The Argentine Naval Aviation is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands. Argentina, along with Brazil is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft carriers.
The Argentine Army Aviation is the army aviation branch of the Argentine Army. Their members have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Army. The Army Aviation Command is based at the Campo de Mayo Military Airfield.
The Paraguayan Air Force is a branch of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, in charge of the defense of Paraguay's skies. Its interim commander is Air Division General Julio Rubén Fullaondo Céspedes. Its headquarters are located in Ñu Guazu, Luque, a city which belongs to Gran Asunción.
María Eugenia Etcheverry is a Uruguayan Air Force pioneer and fighter pilot, who currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and serves since 2020 as the first aide-de-camp woman to the President of Uruguay. In 2002, Etcheverry and Carolina Arévalo became the first two female fighter pilots of South America, flying Cessna A-37B Dragonfly and FMA IA-58A Pucará respectively. She was also the first female Major and the first female Squadron Commander of the Uruguayan Air Force.
The Colonel Jaime Meregalli Aeronautical Museum in an aviation museum located in Ciudad de la Costa, Canelones.
Medardo R. Farías was a Uruguayan Army general and pioneer of Uruguayan aviation. In 1950 he was one of the drafters of the project that sought to create an independent Air Force in Uruguay, following the example of many other countries in the world that had confirmed the strategic importance of an independent military aviation, based on the lessons learned during the course of World War II. After the realization of the project in 1953, he became the first General Inspector of the independent Fuerza Aérea Militar, whose position today is equivalent to Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force.
Enrique Bonelli is a retired Uruguayan Lieutenant General who served as the 13th Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force from 2004 to 2009.
Rodolfo Daniel Pereyra Martínez is a Uruguayan Air Force general of the air who serves as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Uruguayan Armed Forces since April 7, 2022.
José Pérez Caldas was a Uruguayan Brigadier General who served as the second Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force between March 1970 and March 1974. In February 1973, he opposed the appointment of retired Uruguayan General Antonio Francese to occupy the position of Minister of National Defense by President Juan María Bordaberry. As a result, he began to ignore the orders of the political power, within the context of the institutional crisis that led to the 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état.
Manuel E. Buadas was a Uruguayan Lieutenant general who served as the sixth Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force between February 1982 and October 1985. He was the last Uruguayan Air Force Commander appointed by the Uruguayan General Officers Junta during the civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay of 1973. He continued to serve as the Uruguayan Air Force Commander-in-Chief under the democratically elected government of Julio Maria Sanguinetti since March 1, 1985, until 13 October 1985, succeeded by Lieutenant General Fernando J. Arbe.
José Ramón Bonilla Irigoyen is a retired Uruguayan General of the Air who served as the 14th Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force between February 2009 and October 2010. In 2010, he was appointed to inaugurate the position of Chief of the Defense Staff, and in 2013, as Coordinator of the State Intelligence Services. From there Bonilla established a close relationship with José Mujica, who had been a Tupamaro guerrilla fighter, and to whom Bonilla returned a captured flag of his former organization, which was once an enemy of the Air Force. Mujica, who was moved when receiving the flag, that was inside a wooden and glass receptacle, with an inscription that said: "The Uruguayan Air Force to President Mr. José Mujica.", believes that it was seized by the military during the guerrilla occupation of the city of Pando, on October 8, 1969.