Venezuelan Air Force

Bolivarian Venezuelan Military Aviation Aviación Militar Bolivariana Venezolana (AMBV)[1]
Venezuelan Air Force emblem
Active	22 June 1946 - Present
Country	Venezuela
Allegiance	President of Venezuela
Branch	Air Force of Venezuela
Size	202 aircraft
Part of	Ministry of the Popular Participation for the Defense
Patron	Our Lady of Loreto
Motto	Spatium superanus palatinus (Latin: The paladin of the sovereign space)
Colors	Bleu celeste
March	Venezuelan Air Force Hymn (Himno de la Aviacion Militar Nacional)
Anniversaries	10 December, Air Force Day 27 November, anniversary of the 2nd 1992 coup attempt by members of the Air Force
Commanders
Commanding General of the Venezuelan Air Force	Major General Edgar Valentín Cruz Arteaga
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	F-16 Su-30MK2 K-8
Electronic warfare	Dassault Falcon 20C Prometeo Fairchild C-26B Metro EW
Fighter	Su-30MK2 F-16
Trainer	C182 SF-260 EMB-312 K-8
Transport	C-130 G.222 Boeing 707-320C Short 360-300

The Bolivarian National Air Force of Venezuela/Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation, since the end of 2008: (Spanish) Aviación Militar Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela (previously Fuerza Aérea Venezolana, FAV)^[1] is a professional armed body designed to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and airspace. It is a service component of the National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

History

Most of the airbases in Venezuela were built in the 1960s as part of a massive expansion program. The main fighter types in those years were Venom, Vampire, and F-86. Bomber squadrons typically operated B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The 1970s and 1980s saw a considerable increase in capacity, mainly because the rising oil prices enabled the FAV to re-equip most of its units. The mixture of various aircraft types was maintained and Mirage IIIE and V, VF-5A and D, T-2D, OV-10A and E, T-27 were introduced. Venezuela was one of the first export customers for the F-16 which arrived in 1983 to equip the newly formed Grupo Aéreo de Caza 16 at El Libertador Airbase.^[2][3]

In the 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts, elements of the Venezuelan Air Force were key instigators of the rebellion. FAV units concentrated at El Libertador Air Base under the command of Brig. General Visconti seized control of the airbase and then launched an attack on the capitol. OV-10s, AT-27 Tucanos, and Mirage III fighters under his command bombarded targets in the capitol and loyalist air bases, destroying 5 CF-5 fighters on the ground. Two loyalist pilots escaped with F-16 fighters and shot down 2 OV-10s and 1 Tucano, claiming air superiority for the government . Two more rebel OV-10s were lost to ground fire. As the tables turned on the coup attempt, General Visconti and his allies fled in two C-130s, 2 Mirages, 1 OV-10 Bronco, and several SA.330 helicopters.^[4]

Modernization

The AMV purchased 24 Sukhoi Su-30 planes from Russia in July 2006, as a result of the United States embargo on spare parts for their F-16 force.^[5] In 2008, Venezuela was reported for a potential acquisition of a number of Su-35 fighter aircraft and a second batch of aircraft 12-24 Sukhoi Su-30 from Russia.^[6][7] It did not proceed further.

In October 2015, Venezuela announced the purchase of 12 more Su-30MK2 from Russia for $480 million.^[8][9]

Combat organization

The current organization includes an Air Group 17 with Mil Mi-17^[10]

Aircraft inventory

As of December 2014, the Venezuelan Air Forces consists of the following aircraft models and numbers:^[11]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[11]	Notes
Fighter aircraft
Sukhoi Su-30MKV Flanker-G	Russia	multirole strike fighter	SU-30 MK2	23	24 originally delivered. One crashed during an intercept mission of an unidentified intruding aircraft from Colombia on 17 September 2015.[12] In October 2015, Venezuela announced the purchase of 12 more Su-30MK2 from Russia for $480 million.[13][14]
Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon	USA	fighter trainer	F-16A/B Block 15OCU	12	10 F16 A and 2 F16B
Counter-insurgency
Hongdu K-8VV Karakorum	China	light attack/trainer	K-8VV	22	-One was lost in an accident of 2010, a second one on Nov 27th 2012 during a ceremony on national television, and a third was lost during a night exercise on July 26, 2013.[15]
Hongdu L-15	China	light attack/trainer	L-15	0	24 on order.
Trainer aircraft
Embraer EMB 312 T-27 Tucano	Brazil	trainer/light attack	EMB 312 T-27	12
Aermacchi SF.260	Italy	trainer	SF-260EV	12
SKYLANECessna 182	USA	trainer	182 SKYLANE	12
Diamond DA 40	Austria	trainer	DA 40	0
Quad City Challenger	USA	trainer	Quad City Challenger	7
Transport and aerial refueling
Boeing 707	USA	transport/fuel Tanker		1
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	USA	transport	C-130H	4
Shaanxi Y-8	China	transport	Y-8F-200VV	8	Order completed Nov 2013.[16]
Short 360	UK	transport	360-300	2
Dornier Do 228	GER	logistical support	228 NG		10 in order.[17][18]
Utility transport and VIP transport
Airbus A-319CJ	European Union	transport	A-319CJ	1	Presidential Aircraft (air force one)
Boeing 737	USA	VIP transport	737-2N1	1
Cessna Citation X	USA	VIP transport	Cessna Citation X	1
Dassault Falcon 50	France	VIP	Falcon-50EX	3
Dassault Falcon 900	France	VIP	Falcon 900	2
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan	USA	transport air ambulance	208B	2 2
Cessna Citation II	USA	transport	Citation II	1
Cessna T206H Stationair	USA	transport	T206H Stationair	15
Beechcraft B200 Super King Air	USA	transport;air ambulance		4
Special operations
Dassault Falcon 20	France	Electronic warfare VIP	Falcon-20DC	1 3
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner	USA	Electronic Warfare transport	C-26B	1 1	ELINT
Helicopters
Eurocopter AS 332 Super Puma	France	transport helicopter		8
Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar	France	AS-532AC AS-532UL	transport VIP	6 2
Kazan Mi-17	Russia	Transport helicopter	Mi-17V-5 Mi-171VIP	5 2	6 Mi-17V-5; 2 Mi-171VIP purchased. One lost to crash.
Enstrom 480B	USA	trainer helicopter	Enstrom 480B
UAV
Ghods Mohajer/Saint Arpia	Iran/ Venezuela	observation UAV		12+[19]	12 drones bought directly from Iran. More to be produced locally in Venezuela.[20]
Cavim ANT-3X Venezolano	Venezuela	observation UAV		4

References

1. "Sukhoi Su-30 story in colours. Sukhoi Su-30 fighter worldwide camouflage and painting schemes". Mars.slipsk.pl. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
2. "F-16s for Venezuela". F-16.net. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
3. "Venezuelan F-16s". Airtoaircombat.com. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
4. Cooper, Tom. "Venezuelan Coup Attempt, 1992". ACIG.org. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
5. Archived 14 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
6. https://web.archive.org/20090628125548/http://www.itar-tass.com:80/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13081489&PageNum=0. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
7. "Venezuela buys Russian aircraft, tanks to boost power". UPI. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
8. "Venezuela allocates $480m to buy Sukhoi aircraft from Russia". airforce-technology.com. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
9. "Pese a la crisis económica, Venezuela compra doce cazas rusos". Clarín. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
10. https://web.archive.org/20120306075035/http://www.aviacion.mil.ve/modules/news/article.php?storyid=49. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
11. World Air Forces 2013 - Flightglobal.com, pg 30, December 11, 2012
12. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Air-Force-Fighter-Jet-Crashes-near-Colombian-Border-20150918-0001.html
13. "Venezuela allocates $480m to buy Sukhoi aircraft from Russia". airforce-technology.com. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
14. "Pese a la crisis económica, Venezuela compra doce cazas rusos". Clarín. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
15. Venezuelan K-8W light fighter trainer crashes - Janes.com, 29 July 2013
16. "First 2 Y-8 Transport Aircraft headed to Venezuela". Defenseupdates.blogspot.com. November 10, 2012.
17. "to deliver 10 Dornier 228 aircraft to Venezuela". RUAG. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
18. "RUAG delivers first Dornier 228 to Venezuela". Business Air. 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
19. "La Fuerza Aérea Venezolana exhibe sus vehículos aéreos no tripulados ANT-1X". Infodefensa.com. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
20. "The Aviationist » Iranian Mohajer-2 drone appears in Venezuela. Chavez's building his own drone fleet with the help of Tehran.". The Aviationist. Retrieved 30 October 2014.

External links

• (Spanish) Sitio oficial de la Aviación Militar de Venezuela
• U.S. Arms Sales to Venezuela from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives