The Air Force of El Salvador
The Salvadoran Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña) is the air force component of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, and is an independent branch from the army and navy.
The Air Force of El Salvador History
The Salvadoran Army Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea de El Salvador) was formed on 20 March 1923 during a period of heavy interest in aviation in El Salvador. In 1947, after signing the treaty of Rio (which was a mutual defense treaty among the states of America including the U.S.), El Salvador gained a new US air mission and the United States increased transfers of aircraft to the nation.
The Salvadoran Air Force first saw action in the 1969 Football war against Honduras equipped with F4U Corsairs and P-51 Mustangs. From the late 1970s, isolated guerilla actions rapidly developed into a civil war. US aid to El Salvador in 1980 consisted of six UH-1Hs and four in 1981; they were used as gunships. Other deliveries brought that number of UH-1Hs in service up to 40. In February 1982 onwards the United States delivered eight A-37B Dragonflies, 12 UH-1Hs, four O-2As and three C-123Ks. On 6 May 2013, in celebration of the 189th anniversary of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, the Salvadoran Government announced the planned purchase of 10 A-37 aircraft from Chile.
A four-engined Douglas DC-6B provided long-range logistical capability between 1975 and its retirement in 1998. It was used on supply flights to and from the United States. In December 1984, two AC-47s were delivered to be in service with the other three C-47s in use. The civil war ended in mutual exhaustion in 1990 and the Air Force was geared for internal security.
In September 2016 it was reported that the Air Force of El Salvador in cooperation with the Colombian Air Force was finalizing negotiations on modernizing The Bell UH-1H helicopters to the Huey 2 standard.
Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Military and Security
Military and security forces
The Armed Force of El Salvador (La Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Army of El Salvador (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Navy of El Salvador (Fuerza Naval de El Salvador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS); Ministry of Justice and Public Security: National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil, PNC) (2021)
Note: supporting the National Police (Ministry of Interior) in countering gang violence and drug trafficking is a primary mission for the FAES
Military expenditures
1.2% of GDP (2019) - 1.1% of GDP (2018) - 1% of GDP (2017) - 1% of GDP (2016) - 1% of GDP (2015)
country comparison to the world: 111
Military and security service personnel strengths
The Armed Force of El Salvador (FAES) has approximately 22,000 active troops (17,500 Army; 1,500 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
The FAES is dependent on a mix of mostly older imported platforms, largely from the US; since 2010, the FAES has received small amounts of equipment from Chile, Israel, Spain, and the US (2020)
Military deployments
170 Mali (MINUSMA) (Jan 2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2012)
Military - note
in recent years, about half of the Army was reportedly deployed on internal security duties in support of the National Civil Police to combat gang violence, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking, as well as assisting with border security (2021)
Source: CIA
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