Spanish Air Force Totally Explained

Everything about The Spanish Air Force totally explained

The Spanish Air Force (Spanish: Ejército del Aire; literally, "Army of the Air") is the air force of Spain. It is one of the 3 branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and has the mission of defending the sovereignty and independence of Spain, its territorial integrity and constitutional freedoms, within airspace of Spain and its territories.

History

The beginnings

Although Spanish Military Aviation started with a balloon force in 1896, April 10, 1910 is the date when the Spanish military aviation was formally formed by means of a Royal Decree.
On November 5, 1913, during the war with Morocco, a Spanish expeditionary squadron became the first organized military air unit to see real combat during the first organized bombing in history.

The Spanish Civil War

During this war, the Spanish Military Aviation was divided in two:
The Spanish Republic Air Forces (Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española-FARE), created by the republican government and the National Aviation (Aviación Nacional), created by the army in revolt.
At first, the republican air forces had the control of the majority of the territory using the Soviet Polikarpov I-16, but the help received by Francisco Franco from Nazi Germany (Condor Legion) and Fascist Italy (Aviazione Legionaria) changed this.
In July 1936, the first German Junkers Ju-52 and Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM-81 arrived. In August were deployed the Fiat CR-32 and Heinkel He-51 fighters. Those planes helped the army in revolt to gain full control of the air.

The Spanish Air Force

The current Ejército del Aire (EdA) wasn't formed until October 7, 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, as a successor to the Nationalist and Republican Air Forces. During World War II one air section, the "Blue Squadron" (Escuadrilla Azul), operated into the Division Azul, a Spanish volunteer group who fought alongside the Axis Powers on the Eastern Front.
   On March 18, 1946, the first Spanish paratroop unit was created. It participated in the Ifni War during 1957 and 1958.
   Links were established in the 1950s with the United States. Spain received its first jets, like the F-86 Sabre and Lockheed T-33 together with training and transport planes like the T-6 Texan, DC-3 and DC-4. This first age of jets was replaced in the 60's by newer fighters like the F-4C Phantom and F-5 Freedom Fighter The organization and equipment of the Spanish Air Force was again modernised in the 1970s to prepare Spain's membership of NATO in 1982.
   Planes like the Mirage III and Mirage F1 were bought from France and became the backbone of the Air Force during the 70's and part of the 80's until the arrival of the American F/A-18 which participated in the Kosovo War under NATO command, based in Aviano, Italy.
   The Spanish Air Force is currently replacing older aircraft in the inventory with newer ones including the recently introduced Eurofighter Typhoon and the Airbus A400M airlifter manufactured with Spanish participation.
   Its Aerobatic display team is the Patrulla Aguila, which flies the CASA C-101 Aviojet; while its helicopter display team flies the Eurocopter EC-120 Colibrí and it's called Patrulla Aspa.

Air Bases

Son San Joan Air Base

Order of Battle

Functional Structure

The basic organization of the Air Force is the following:

Air Force Headquarters (CGEA). Madrid.

Battle Air Command (MACOM). Headquarters in Torrejón Air Base, Madrid.

General Air Command (MAGEN). Headquarters in Madrid.

Canary Islands' Air Command (MACAN). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Personnel Command (MAPER). Madrid.

Logistics Support Command (MALOG). Madrid.

Operative Structure

The usual operative unit is the ALA (wing), composed by two or three ESCUADRONES (squadrons), each one of which is integrated by 18 to 24 airplanes. Thus, Ala 15, with base in Zaragoza Air Base, is formed by two squadrons with 18 F-18 each.

Codification and numerals

   The planes used by the Spanish Air Force are identified with one or two letters followed by two numbers that appear painted on the fuselages. The first number corresponds to the unit to which they belong, and the second, to the order in which they were incorporated.
   The letter or letters, correspond to the use given. Thus, C means cazabombardero (fighter bomber); A, ataque (attack); P, patrulla (patrol); T, transporte (transport); E, enseñanza (training); D, search and rescue; H, helicopter; K, cistern; V, Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL); and U, utilitarian.
   Example: the F-18 with the C.15-08 numeral in the tail is the fifteenth type of fighter that arrived in the Spanish Air Force (the Eurofighter is the C.16) and is the eighth apparatus of this type to enter the SAF. On the nose or fuselage they've a numeral specific to the unit in which they're based. Example: the fourth F-18 arriving at Ala 12 will have in the nose the numeral 12-04.
   Some versions of planes in service as two-seater versions or cistern versions of transports planes do add another letter to differentiate their function, and have an order of arrival to the Air Force different from other versions. Example: The CE.15-02 will be the second F-18 two-seater (Fighter and Training) delivered to the SAF.

Aircraft Inventory

The Spanish Air Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, everything from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It currently maintains some 620 aircraft. The transport force role is taken by planes such as the C-130 Hercules and the CASA C-295. The Spanish Air Force also includes 35 helicopters like the Cougar and the Colibri. 180 fighter aircraft are incorporated into 9 alas (wings) charged with different missions. Finally, the Spanish Air Force has a fleet of aircraft, including the one manufactured in Spain CASA C-101, Beechcraft Bonanza and Enaer T-35C, to meet training requirements. These air assets are supported by ground units and a sophisticated infrastructure
The "Future backbone" of the Spanish Air Force will be mainly composed of the new generation fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon. ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|In service ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Service entry ! ignore="text-align: center; background: #aacccc;"|Units |

- | Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma || || utility helicopter || SA 330 || 5 SAR || 1974 || 801 Esc. |

- | Airbus A310 || || VIP transport || A310-300 || 2 || 2003 || 45 Grupo |

- | Beechcraft Bonanza || || trainer || F-33C || 30 || 1974 || 42 Grupo
Academia General del Aire |

- | Beechcraft C-90 King Air || || VIP and liaison transport || Beechcraft C-90 || || 1990 || 42 Grupo |

- | Boeing 707 || || aerial refuelling & transport || 707-368C(KC) || 3 || 1987 || 45 Grupo
Centro Inteligencia Aérea |

- | Canadair CL-215 Scooper || || firefighting aircraft || CL-215T || 15 || 1991 || 43 Grupo |

- | Canadair CL-415 Superscooper || || firefighting aircraft || CL-415 || 1 (of 10) || 2006 || 43 Grupo |

- | CASA C-101 Aviojet || || jet-powered trainer || C-101EB-01 || 92 || 1980 || Academia General del Aire
Grupo de Escuelas de Matacán |

- | CASA C.212 Aviocar || || tactical transport & search & rescue || Series 100
Series 200
Series 300 || 74 T-12
3 VIP
10 T-12B
6 SAR || 1974 || Academia General del Aire
Ala 37
801 Escuadrón
Base Aérea de Alcantarilla
Centro Cartográfico y Fotográfico (CECAF)
47 Grupo Mixto
Grupo de Escuelas de Matacán
Ala 48
721 Escuadrón
Base Aérea de Son San Juan
Centro Logístico de Armamento y Experimentación (CLAEX) |

- | CASA CN-235 || || tactical transport || Series 100
Series 200
Series 300 || 20 || 1988 || Ala 35 |

- | CASA C-295 || || tactical transport || C-295M || 13 || 2000 || Ala 35 |

- | Cessna Citation || || VIP transport|| Citation V || 2 || 1992 || Centro Cartográfico y Fotográfico |

- | Dassault Falcon 20 || || VIP transport & ILS Calibrations || Mystère 20 || 3 || 1970 || 45 Grupo
Centro Inteligencia Aérea |

- | Dassault Falcon 50 || || VIP transport || Mystère 50 || 4 || 1979 || 45 Grupo
Centro Inteligencia Aérea |

- | Dassault Falcon 900 || || VIP transport || Falcon 900 || 2 || 1988 || 45 Grupo |

- | Dassault Mirage F1 || || fighter/attack || Mirage F1M || 46 || 1975 || Ala 14 |

- | Dornier Do 27 || / || light utility aircraft || CASA-127 || 61 || 1960 || Academia Básica del Aire
Academia General del Aire
Ala 12
Ala 14 |

- | ENAER T-35C Pillán || || trainer || T-35C || 40 || 1987 || Academia General del Aire |

- | Eurocopter EC 120 Colibri || || light utility helicopter || EC 120B || 15 || 2000 || Ala 78 |

- | Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar || || medium utility helicopter || AS 532 || 10 SAR

2 VIP || 1982 || Ala 46

Ala 48 |

- | Eurofighter Typhoon || || multirole fighter || Tranche 1|| 18 (of 87) || 2003 || Ala 11 |

- | Fokker F27 Maritime || || maritime Reconnaissance || F27 Maritime || 3 || 1979 || 802 Escuadrón |

- | Lockheed C-130 Hercules || || tactical transport || C-130H

KC-130H || 7

5 || 1973 || Ala 31 |

- | Lockheed P-3 Orion || || maritime patrol aircraft || P-3A

P-3B || 2

5 || 1973 || Ala 11 |

- | McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet || || multirole fighter || F-18M

F-18A+ || 67

22 || 1986 || Ala 12
Ala 15
Ala 46 |

- | Northrop F-5 Tiger II || || fighter-bomber || F-5M || 22 || 1970 || Ala 23 |

- | Sikorsky S-76 Spirit || || mid size utility helicopter || Sikorsky S-76C || 8 || 1977 || Ala 78 |}

On Order

27 Airbus Military A400M

87 Eurofighter Typhoon - 71 Single-seat and 16 two-seat

28 NHIndustries NH90 - tactical transport and search and rescue

Distinguished Spanish Air Aces

Luis Alcocer Moreno-Abellá

M. Joaquín García-Morato y Castano

Julio Salvador Diáz-Benjumea

Manuel Vázquez Sagastizábal

Miguel Guerrero García

Miguel García Pardo

Arístides García López

Carlos Bayo Alessandri

Abundio Cesteros García

Narciso Bermúdez de Castro

Vincente Aldecoa Lecanda

Antonio Alós Herrero

Mariano Cuadra Medina

Lucas Fernandez Peña

Gonzalo Hevia Alvarez-Quinones

Fernando Sanchez-Arjona CourtoyFurther Information

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