Spanish Air Force

Ejercito del Aire
Spanish Air Force
Ejercito del Aire; Spanish Air Force
	; ;
Founded	7 October 1939
Country	Spain
Size	27,000 personnel; 650 aircraft
Command HQ	Cuartel General del Ejército del Aire (CGEA)
March	Spanish Air Force Anthem
Engagements	Rif War,; Spanish Civil War,; Ifni War ,; Yugoslav wars ,; Kosovo War
Commanders
General del Aire	José Jiménez Ruiz
Insignia
Roundel
High and Low visibility Fin flashes
Aircraft flown
Attack	Mirage F1, F/A-18
Fighter	F/A-18, Eurofighter
Patrol	P-3 Orion, Fokker F27
Reconnaissance	Falcon 20
Trainer	F-5, CASA C-101, Beechcraft Bonanza, King Air, Colibrí
Transport	Hercules, CASA C-295, CASA CN-235, 707, A310, Cougar

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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 as well as to maintain the international security in operations of peace and humanitarian help.

[edit] History

[edit] 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.

[edit] The Spanish Civil War

A Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 with FIAT CR.32 of the Nationalist Air Force

Polikarpov I-16 - Republican Air Force

During the Spanish Civil 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 Fiat CR-32 and Heinkel He-51 fighters were also deployed. These planes helped the army in revolt to gain full control of the air.

[edit] Post-Civil War

A Spanish Air Force EF-18A Hornet

The current Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire, or EdA) was not formed until October 7, 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War. The EdA was a successor to the Nationalist and Republican Air Forces. During World War II, one air section, the "Blue Squadron" (Escuadrilla Azul), operated alongside the Blue Division (Division Azul). The Blue Division was a Spanish volunteer group which 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-104G Starfighter, 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, both 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.

[edit] Air Bases

Main article: List of Spanish Air Force bases

[edit] Order of Battle

Royal Spanish Air Force Headquarters (Madrid)

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Aircraft identification

The planes used by the Spanish Air Force are identified with one or two letters followed by two numbers that are painted on the nose or fuselage. The first number corresponds to the unit to which they belong, and the second, to the order in which they entered service. Example: the fourth F-18 arriving at Ala 12 will have on the nose the code "12-04".

In addition, the Spanish Air Force has its own alphanumeric system for designating aircraft types. This forms a prefix to the airframe serial number, usually marked on the tail. 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, tanker; V, Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL); and U, utility.

An example would be that the F-18 with "C.15-08" on 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 example of this type to enter the SAF. On the nose or fuselage they have a numeral specific to the unit in which they are based.

Variants of planes in service, for example two-seater versions or tanker versions of transports planes, add another letter to differentiate their function, and have their own sequence of serial numbers separate from the primary versions. Example: "CE.15-02" will be the second F-18 two-seater (Fighter Trainer) delivered to the SAF.

[edit] Officer rank insignia

Pay grade	OF-10¹	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Insignia
Title	Capitán General	General del aire	Teniente General	General de División	General de Brigada	Coronel	Teniente Coronel	Comandante	Capitán	Teniente	Alferez
Equivalence	GOAF	Gen	Lt Gen	Maj Gen	Brig Gen	Col	Lt Col	Maj	Capt	1st Lt	2nd Lt
No periods are used in actual grade abbreviation, only in press releases to conform with AP standards.
NATO Code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
¹ Military grade of HM King Juan Carlos.

[edit] Aircraft Inventory

Further information: List of aircraft of the Spanish Air Force

Casa CN-235M-100 of the Spanish Air Force

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 650 aircraft.^[1]^{[dead link]} The Spanish Air Force is experiencing a process of great change with the goal of being a quantitatively small air force, but of very high quality. Today, the Spanish Air Force is a force smaller (almost 50% less) than when the previous generation of aircraft was in service , with an operating fleet reduced to about 650 aircraft as published in the Budget for 2009 and 27,000 troops, including 10,000 panels, more than 11,000 professional military troops and civilian personnel. 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 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 CASA C-101 (manufactured in Spain), Beechcraft Bonanza and Enaer T-35C, to meet training requirements.^[2] These air assets are supported by ground units and a sophisticated infrastructure^[3]

The "Future backbone" of the Spanish Air Force will be mainly composed of the new generation fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon.^[4]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service^[5]	Service entry^[6]	Units
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma	France	search and rescue helicopter	SA 330J SA 330L	2 2	1974	801 Esc.
Airbus A310	European Union	VIP transport	A310-304	2	2003	45 Grupo
Beechcraft Bonanza	United States	trainer	F33C	23	1974	42 Grupo Academia General del Aire
Beechcraft C-90 King Air	United States	liaison transport	C90	4	1990	42 Grupo
Boeing 707	United States	aerial refuelling & transport	707-300(KC)	3	1987	47 Grupo
IAI B-707	United States Israel	Intelligence	B707-351C Santiago	1	1997	408 Esc.
Canadair CL-215 Scooper	Canada	firefighting aircraft	CL-215T	14	1991	43 Grupo
Canadair CL-415 Superscooper	Canada	firefighting aircraft	CL-415	3 (of 10)	2006	43 Grupo
CASA C-101 Aviojet	Spain	jet-powered trainer	C-101EB-01	73	1980	Academia General del Aire Grupo de Escuelas de Matacán
CASA 127	Spain	liaison	C127	6		Ala 79
CASA C.212 Aviocar	Spain	tactical transport search & rescue Training	Series 100 Series 200 Series 300	74 T-12 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	Spain Indonesia	tactical transport Maritime Surveillance Training	Series 100 Series 200 Series 300	20	1988	Ala 35
CASA C-295	Spain	tactical transport	C-295M	13	2000	Ala 35
Cessna Citation V	United States	RECOA	C560	2	1992	Centro Cartográfico y Fotográfico
Dassault Falcon 20	France	NavAids Calibration	20D 20E	2 2	1970	47 Grupo
Dassault Falcon 900	France	VIP transport	900 900B	2 3	1988	45 Grupo
Dassault Mirage F1	France	fighter/attack	F1M F1BM	36 3	1975	Ala 14
ENAER T-35C Pillán	Chile	trainer	T-35C	37	1987	Academia General del Aire
Eurocopter EC 120 Colibri	European Union	light utility helicopter	EC 120B	15	2000	Ala 78
Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar	European Union	medium utility helicopter	AS 532UL	2 VIP	1982	Ala 46 Ala 48
Eurocopter Super Puma	European Union	medium utility helicopter	AS332B AS332B1 AS332M1	7 2 4		Ala 46 and 48
Eurofighter Typhoon	European Union	multirole fighter	EF2000 EF2000(T)	36 14	2003	Ala 11
Fokker F27 Maritime	Netherlands	maritime Reconnaissance	F27 Maritime	3	1979	802 Escuadrón
LET L-13 Blaník	Czechoslovakia	training glider	L-13	5		Ala 79
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	tactical transport	C-130H C-130H-30 KC-130H	6 1 5	1973	Ala 31
Lockheed P-3 Orion	United States	maritime patrol aircraft	P-3A P-3B P-3M	2 2 3	1973	Ala 11
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet	United States	multirole fighter	F-18M F-18A+	67 18	1986	Ala 12 Ala 15 Ala 46
Northrop F-5B	United States Spain	trainer	F-5BM	20	1970	Ala 23
PZL Bielsko SZD-30	Poland	training glider	SZD-30	4		Ala 79
Schiebe SF 28	Germany	training glider	SF-28A	1		Ala 79
Sikorsky S-76 Spirit	United States	mid size utility helicopter	S-76C	8	1991	Ala 78