Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya

Comando Aéreo de Operaciones

The unit was formed in 1960 as Comando Aero-Táctico at Base Aérea Cap. Boiso Lanza-Montevideo with three Bases Aeronáuticas which in 1965 were renamed as Brigada Aéreas. The command received its present name in 1990.

The unit was formed in 1935 as Base Aeronáutica No.1 at Aeródromo Militar “Cap. Boiso Lanza” and moved to Base Aérea Gral. Berisso Carrasco-Montevideo in 1947. Base Aeronáutica No.1 became Brigada Aérea I in 1965.

Escuadrón Aéreo 3 (Transporte)

The unit was formed in 1994 with personnel and equipment which came from the former Regimiento Táctico No.1 and the old Grupos de Aviación 3, 4 and 6 (Transporte). The Grupo de Aviación 3 (Transporte) was formed in 1947 as Grupo Aeronáutico 3 with the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Beech AT-11 Kansan. In 1950 the unit received the North American B-25J Mitchell and was renamed Grupo de Aviación 3 (Bombardeo) and in 1951 the C-47 formed a new transport unit, the Grupo de Aviación 4 (Transporte). Grupo de Aviación 3 (Bombardeo) was renamed Grupo de Aviación 3 (Transporte) in 1964 and merged with Grupo de Aviación 4 (Transporte).

AT-11 1942-, C-45 1943-, C-47 1946-1988, B-25 1950-1963, AC680 1957-2017, C210 1969-2014, B.A65 1969-1970, F-27 1970-2000, FH-227 1971-1994, EMB-110 1975-1976, C212 from 1981, C170B 1988-, C182 1991-2004, C172C 1991-, C-130B from 1992, EMB-120 from 1999 & C-130H from 2021

Escuadrón Aéreo 5 (Helicopterós)

The unit was formed in 1955 as Agrupamiento Provisorio de Búsqueda y Rescate with two Bell OH-13G. In July 1964 the unit received two Hiller OH-23F Raven (UH-12E). In 1965 the name was changed to Grupo de Aviación No.5 (Búsqueda y Rescate) with the addition of two Hiller OH-23F and one Cessna U-17A Skywagon. From 1970 the unit received eight UH-1H Iroquois. By 1975, another six ex-USAF, utility role UH-1B were obtained. The unit received its present name in 1994.

Aircraft operated: OH-13G 1955-1963, PA-18 1958-1991, L-17B 1958-1975, OH-23F 1964-1994, U-17A 1965-, UH-1B/H from 1970, B212 from 1980, Wessex 1997-2007 & SA365N from 1997

Escuadrón Aéreo 7 (Observación y Enlace)

See Brigada Aérea III below.

The unit was formed in 1935 as Base Aeronáutica No.2 at Aeródromo Militar “Cap. Boiso Lanza” and moved in 1939 to the newly built base at Durazno, which received the name Aeródromo Militar “Tte. 2do. Mario W. Parallada” in 1939. In 1955 the first operational unit of the Base Aeronáutica No.2, the Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Reconocimiento Táctico), later Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Instrucción y Entrenamiento) and Escuadrón Aéreo No.1 (Ataque) and Escuadrón Aéreo de Vuelo Avanzado, were formed. Base Aeronáutica No.2 became Brigada Aérea II in 1965.

In 1978 a reorganisation took place in Brigada Aérea II and the Regimiento Táctico No.2 with the Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Instrucción y Entrenamiento) and the Grupo de Aviación No.2 (Caza) was formed as part of Brigada Aérea II.

Escuadrón Aéreo 1 (Ataque)

The unit was formed as Grupo de Aviación No. 1 (Reconocimiento Táctico) in 1955 with the AT-6 Texan. From 1958 on the unit operated the North American F-51D Mustang, which were formerly operated by the Grupo de Aviación No.2 (Caza) at Base el Aeropuerto de Carrasco. From 1978 the Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Instrucción y Entrenamiento), as the unit was known from 1961, operated T-34A/B Mentor. In 1981 the Centro de Instrucción y Entrenamiento (origin of the Escuadrón de Vuelo Avanzado) was formed with the T-34A/B Mentor, while the Grupo de Aviación No.1 received FMA IA-58 Pucará and the name of the unit changed to Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Ataque) in 1981. The unit received its present name in 1995.

AT-6 1955-1990, DHC-1 1958-1960, F-51D 1958-1961, U-17A 1965-, T-34B 1978-1981 & IA-58 1981-2017

Escuadrón Aéreo 2 (Caza)

The unit was formed as Escuadrilla de Caza in 1924 with a pair of SPAD 13.C1 and was later renamed Escuadrilla de Caza 2 and reequipped with Waco JDH. In 1941 the unit was disbanded and the Waco JDH were assigned to the Escuadrilla de Información of Base Aeronáutica No.1.

The unit was reformed as Grupo de Aviación No.2 (Caza) in 1951 as part of Base Aeronáutica No.1 with the newly arrived F-51D Mustang. In 1978 the unit became part of Brigada Aérea II and received its current name after a reorganisation of the FAU in 1994.

F-51D 1950-1959, AT-6C 1951-1990, AT-33A 1956-1996, F-80C 1958-1971 & A-37B from 1976

Escuadrón de Vuelo Avanzado 4

The unit was formed in 1995. The squadron traces back its history to the Centro de Entrenamiento e Instrucción (C.E.I.), which was part of Base Aérea Nº 2 from 1953 till 1961 with the AT-6 Texan. In 1961 the Grupo de Aviación Nº 1 (Instrucción y Entrenamiento) was formed and from 1981 the group was split in the Centro de Instrucción y Entrenamiento de Vuelo Avanzado (C.I.E.V.A.), part of the Regimiento Táctico Nº 2, and the Grupo de Aviación No.1 (Ataque). The unit operated the Beech T-34A/B Mentor from 1978. From 1991 the Centro was renamed Escuela de Vuelo Avanzado. The unit received its present name in 1995.

AT-6 1953-1961, T-34 1977-1991 & PC-7U from 1992

Escuadrilla de Enlace

The unit was formed in 1991.

U-17A 1991-, PA-18 1991-2018 & CU206H from 1998

The unit traces back its history to the Policía Militar del Aeródromo Militar “Cap. Boiso Lanza”, which was formed in 1962 to protect the recently formed Comando General. Later the unit was renamed Unidad del Servicio del Aeródromo “Cap. Boiso Lanza” (USACBL) and after another reorganisation became known as Brigada de Seguridad Terrestre (BST) from 1979. The unit received its present name in 1999. While the unit was headquartered at Base Aérea Cap. Boiso Lanza, the Escuadrón Aéreo 7 (Observación y Enlace) operated from Aeropuerto Internacional Angel San Adami in Montevideo. This facility closed in 2021 and Escuadrón Aéreo 7 now operates from Montevideo-Carrasco under Brigada Aérea I.

Escuadrón Aéreo 7 (Observación y Enlace)

The unit was formed in 1999.

CU206H from 1998, T-41D 2001-2004 & B55 from 2021

Servicio de Sensores Remotos Aeroespaciales

Since the 1950s the Sección Fotografía, which was founded in the 1920s as part of the Escuela Militar de Aviación, with the North American AT-6 and Aero Commander 680 were part of the Grupo de Aviación 3 (Transporte). In 1978 the Grupo Fotográfico was formed as an independent unit outside of the Brigada Aérea structure and received its present name in 1991.

AT-6 1942-1978, AC680 1957-2017 & EMB-110 1975-

The unit was formed in 1960 as Comando Aéreo de Entrenamiento. The command received its present name in 1990.

Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica

The unit was formed at Los Cerrillos as Escuela Militar de Aviación (EMA) in 1913 with one Framan and one Bleriot XI aircraft. Due to lack of funds the school closed later that year but was reactivated in 1916 in the Paso de Mendoza zone of Montevideo. In 1935 the unit received five Tiger Moth, which were operated by the División Servicios of the EMA. In 1935 the school received its present name.

AT-6 1942-1978, L-17B 1949-1951, DHC-1 1955-1958, T-41D 1969-1999, T-34 1977-1999, B58 from 1998 & SF260EU from 2000

Aviation Press would like to thank the Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya for their generous hospitality and Forest Aviation Tours, Jacqui Rodgers and Ecuador Aviation Photography for their assistance with the visit.