Honduran Air Force
The Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Hondureña) was founded on 14 April 1931, fought in 1969 what is described as the last war in which piston-engined fighters met in combat — Honduras credits its Corsair pilot Fernando Soto with three Salvadoran aircraft on 17 July 1969 — received twelve supersonic F-5E/F Tiger IIs in 1987, shares its main base at Soto Cano with the largest US military presence in Central America, and in 2026 still flies four refurbished F-5s and its A-37s while it looks at the Super Tucano.
The Honduran Air Force story: Corsairs in the 1969 war, F-5s from 1987 and the Americans at Soto Cano
1921–1945: a flying school and wartime patrols
Military flying in Honduras began with a Bristol F.2b flown by an American pilot on 18 April 1921, according to English Wikipedia, and in the civil war of 1924 rebels hired foreign pilots to attack Tegucigalpa. The air force dates itself to 14 April 1931, when Decree 198 under President Vicente Mejía Colindres created a National Aviation School. President Tiburcio Carías Andino made it an instrument of his long rule: three Stinson Detroiters arrived in 1933, the first nine military pilots graduated in 1938, and the school was renamed Escuela Militar de Aviación y Fuerza Aérea Hondureña. In the Second World War Honduras flew anti-submarine patrols over the Caribbean and received five P-38 Lightnings, five P-63 Kingcobras and ten BT-13As, according to Spanish Wikipedia. In July 1947 Colonel Hernán Acosta Mejía became the first Honduran commander, holding the post until 1955.
1947–1969: Corsairs and the Hundred Hours War
The post-war backbone was the Vought F4U Corsair: 19 arrived in six lots from March 1956, alongside T-6 Texans, C-47s and three P4Y-2 Privateer patrol bombers. Corsairs were deployed in the Mosquitia dispute with Nicaragua in 1957, and on 14 July 1969 war came with El Salvador. The Salvadoran Air Force struck Honduran airfields that evening, Toncontín first, where, English Wikipedia says, the FAH kept half its aircraft. Honduras answered on 15 July with Corsair raids on Ilopango and the oil installations at Acajutla and Cutuco; English Wikipedia says El Salvador lost 20 per cent of its fuel reserves. Honduran accounts credit Captain Fernando Soto, in Corsair FAH-609, with a Mustang and two Corsairs on 17 July; El Salvador’s official figures give three of its aircraft destroyed in all. A ceasefire took effect at midnight on 18 July. It is described as the last war in which piston-engined fighters fought each other.
1970–1990: Sabres, Super Mystères and the first F-5s
The war taught Honduras to buy jets. Spanish Wikipedia lists six F-86K Sabres from Venezuela in 1970, ten Canadair Sabre Mk 4s from Yugoslavia in 1976 and 21 ex-Israeli Dassault Super Mystère B2s from 1976 to 1978 (English Wikipedia says 16), which served until 1996. Cessna A-37B Dragonflies came in three lots from 1975, Embraer Tucanos and CASA C-101 Aviojets for training, five C-130s in 1985 and ten Bell 412s in 1986. In 1987, Infodefensa reports, Honduras received twelve ex-US F-5E/F Tiger IIs — ten E and two F — through US cooperation; Spanish Wikipedia dates the delivery to 1989. Infodefensa still described the restored F-5s in 2024 as giving Honduras back its regional air power.
Soto Cano and the Americans
The FAH’s most important base is shared. Palmerola, near Comayagua, now José Enrique Soto Cano Air Base, houses the Air Force Academy and, since the 1980s, US Joint Task Force-Bravo. English Wikipedia says the US built the base in 1984–1985 and that the task force, authorised in 1983, began with a mission against Soviet influence that included training Honduran and Guatemalan forces and some indirect support for the Nicaraguan Contras; it now concentrates on disaster relief and counter-narcotics. US troops are there under what English Wikipedia calls a handshake agreement annexed to a 1954 military assistance accord, because the Honduran constitution forbids a permanent foreign presence. Their number is given as 1,200–1,800 by different Wikipedia articles. Since October 2021 the base has also been Palmerola International Airport.
2009–2026: a crisis, the F-5s revived and new helicopters
On 28 June 2009 soldiers removed President Manuel Zelaya from his residence, took him to an air force base and flew him to Costa Rica. The Supreme Court said the armed forces had acted to defend the rule of law; the UN, the Organization of American States and the European Union condemned the removal as a military coup, and President Obama called it not legal. The F-5s, grounded for about six years, were brought back: Infodefensa reported in May 2024 that four had been refurbished in 2023 with US approval and moved to La Ceiba for air interdiction, and one flew at an air show at San Pedro Sula in June 2026. New Airbus H145 helicopters arrived in 2024 and 2026. In June 2026 Embraer presented the Super Tucano to President Nasry Asfura as a replacement for the ageing A-37s; no order has been announced.
The Honduran Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Fuerza Aérea Hondureña (FAH)The Spanish name used by the Secretariat of Defence and Infodefensa. English Wikipedia’s article title is Honduran Air Force; Spanish is the only official language
- Founded
- 14 April 1931The date in English Wikipedia; Spanish Wikipedia cites Decree 198 of 1931 creating the National Aviation School. The first military flight was on 18 April 1921
- Part of
- Armed Forces of HondurasAlongside the army and navy, under the Joint Staff and the Secretariat of National Defence
- Headquarters
- TegucigalpaBase Aérea Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía at Toncontín; the exact seat of the command was not confirmed on an official page
- Commander
- Gen. Walter Yanuario Paz LópezNamed by Infodefensa on 3 June 2026; Brig. Gen. Guillermo Augusto Rosales Rubio held the post in March 2025
- Secretary of Defence
- Enrique Rodríguez BurchardNamed by Infodefensa in June 2026 under President Nasry Asfura
Strength
- Personnel
- English Wikipedia’s infobox gives 16,500 personnel and 86 aircraft; the personnel figure looks like a whole-armed-forces number and was not confirmed for the air force alone
- Fighters
- 4 operational F-5E/FInfodefensa: four of the twelve F-5E/Fs delivered in 1987 were refurbished in 2023. FlightGlobal 2024 lists nine F-5E (one stored) and two F-5F, which counts airframes rather than flyable aircraft
- Light attack
- 9 A-37BFlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2024, as tabulated by English Wikipedia and the A-37 article (December 2022). Infodefensa calls them antiquated (vetustos)
- Trainers
- ~14Eight EMB-312 Tucanos and six Maule MX-7s in the 2024 count, plus the two F-5Fs
- Transport and surveillance
- ~12Five Cessna 208s, three Turbo Commanders, a King Air 200 surveillance aircraft, an L-410, a PA-31 and a PA-34 in the 2024 count
- Helicopters
- ~16Six Bell 412, five UH-1H, one Bo 105 in the 2024 count, plus four Airbus H145D3 delivered 2024–2026
Infrastructure
- Main air bases
- 4Hernán Acosta Mejía (Toncontín, Tegucigalpa), Soto Cano (Palmerola, Comayagua), Armando Escalón Espinal (La Lima, San Pedro Sula) and Héctor Caraccioli Moncada (La Ceiba)
- Forward operating locations
- 3Catacamas, Alto Aguán and Puerto Lempira, per English Wikipedia; a radar station on La Mole peak
- Fighter base
- La CeibaThe refurbished F-5E/Fs were deployed to the Héctor Caraccioli Moncada base at La Ceiba in 2024
- Foreign presence
- US Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano1,200–1,500 (Soto Cano article) or about 1,800 (Palmerola airport article) US personnel, under a handshake agreement
- Air Force Academy
- Soto CanoAcademia Militar de Aviación, moved from Toncontín
How the Honduran Air Force is organised
One of the three Armed Forces of Honduras, flying from four main air bases — Toncontín, Soto Cano, San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba — with forward operating locations at Catacamas, Alto Aguán and Puerto Lempira. Four refurbished F-5E/F Tiger IIs at La Ceiba are the front line, backed by nine A-37Bs that Infodefensa calls antiquated; Embraer presented the Super Tucano as their replacement in June 2026, but no order has been announced. The US Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano is a foreign force and is not counted here.
Honduran Air Force Command
One of the Armed Forces of Honduras, alongside the army and navy, under the Joint Staff and the Secretariat of National Defence. Infodefensa named Gen. Walter Yanuario Paz López as commander in June 2026; the date he took command was not confirmed, and in March 2025 the post was held by Brig. Gen. Guillermo Augusto Rosales Rubio. The exact seat of the command at Tegucigalpa was not confirmed on an official page.
F-5E/F detachment
Four F-5E/F Tiger IIs, refurbished in 2023 with US approval after about six years grounded, were deployed to the Héctor Caraccioli Moncada base at La Ceiba for air surveillance and interdiction, according to Infodefensa; the unit name was not published. Twelve, ten F-5Es and two F-5Fs, arrived in 1987 by Infodefensa’s account and in 1989 by Spanish Wikipedia’s.
Colonel Armando Escalón Espinal Air Base
Created in 1969 as Comando Norte and renamed in 1974; Spanish Wikipedia lists the A-37B Dragonfly here with a counter-narcotics focus, not confirmed on an official page. FlightGlobal’s 2024 count gives nine A-37Bs, which Infodefensa calls antiquated; Embraer presented the Super Tucano as their replacement in June 2026, with no order announced.
Colonel Hernán Acosta Mejía Air Base
Created in the 1974 reorganisation on Tegucigalpa’s Toncontín airport, which Spanish Wikipedia describes as the transport hub, with fire-fighting helicopters from 2003; types by unit were not confirmed. The four Airbus H145s delivered in 2024 and 2026 join six Bell 412s, five UH-1Hs and a Bo 105 in the 2024 count.
Air Force Academy
Moved to Soto Cano from Toncontín. It flies the EMB-312 Tucano, eight in the 2024 count, according to Spanish Wikipedia, which also lists CASA C-101s and Hughes TH-55s at the base; only the Tucano is in FlightGlobal’s count.
What the Honduran Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIIn service | Fighter and air interdiction | 4 | 1987 | Four refurbished in 2023 and operational, per Infodefensa; twelve (10 F-5E, 2 F-5F) were delivered. FlightGlobal 2024 lists nine F-5E (one in storage) and two F-5F. | ||
| Cessna A-37B DragonflyIn service | Light attack | 9 | 1975 | Nine in FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2024, as tabulated by English Wikipedia and in December 2022 per the A-37 article.
MoreSpanish Wikipedia counts 17 delivered in three lots: six in 1975, six in 1982 and five in September 1984; English Wikipedia says six new in the mid-1970s. |
||
| Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (AT-27)In service | Armed trainer | 8 | Eight in the 2024 count; English Wikipedia says twelve new aircraft were delivered. | |||
| Maule MX-7In service | Primary trainer | 6 | 2008 | Six in the 2024 count; Spanish Wikipedia lists eight M-7s from 2008–2012. | ||
| Beechcraft Super King Air 200In service | Surveillance | 1 | One in the 2024 count. | |||
| Cessna 208 CaravanIn service | Utility transport | 5 | Five in the 2024 count. | |||
| Rockwell Turbo CommanderIn service | Transport | 3 | Three in the 2024 count. | |||
| Let L-410 TurboletIn service | Transport | 1 | One in the 2024 count. | |||
| Piper PA-31 NavajoIn service | Liaison | 1 | One in the 2024 count. | |||
| Piper PA-34 SenecaIn service | Liaison | 1 | One in the 2024 count. | |||
| Bell 412SP/EPIn service | Utility helicopter | 6 | 1986 | Six in the 2024 count; Spanish Wikipedia lists ten delivered in 1986. | ||
| Bell UH-1H IroquoisIn service | Utility helicopter | 5 | Five in the 2024 count. | |||
| Airbus Helicopters H145 (H145D3 / H145M)In service | Multi-role helicopter | 4 | 2024 | Four: two handed over in Germany in October 2024 and two more delivered on 11 February 2026, which Infodefensa describes as completing a fleet of four for over US$40 million.
MoreInfodefensa had earlier reported six ordered under a contract of 9 May 2023 worth about US$23.8 million, and FlightGlobal 2024 lists two plus four on order; whether two more will follow is unresolved. |
||
| MBB Bo 105In service | Light helicopter | 1 | One in the 2024 count. | |||
| Embraer Legacy 600In service | VIP transport | 1 | 2014 | One received in October 2014, valued at US$14 million; not in the 2024 count, so its status is unconfirmed. |
Every type the Honduran Air Force has retired
19 types, from the Bristol F.2b Fighter to the Dassault Super Mystère B2. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Super Mystère B2 | Fighter-bomber | 21 | 1976–1996 | F-5E/F | Spanish Wikipedia counts 21 in three lots (5 in 1976, 8 in 1977, 8 in 1978); English Wikipedia says 16 ex-Israeli. Range 16–21. | |
| Sikorsky S-55 | Utility helicopter | 5 | 1965–1988 | Three in September 1965 and two in June 1967. | ||
| Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk 4 | Fighter | 10 | 1976–1986 | Ten ex-Yugoslav aircraft in 1976, FAH-3001 to FAH-3010. | ||
| Douglas C-54 Skymaster | Transport | 3 | 1958–1983 | Three in 1958. | ||
| Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer | Maritime patrol bomber | 3 | 1956–1973 | Three in 1956. | ||
| Bristol F.2b Fighter | First military aircraft | 1 | 1921– | The first military flight, 18 April 1921. | ||
| Stinson Detroiter | Liaison and transport | 3 | 1933– | Three in 1933. | ||
| North American NA-16 | Trainer | 3 | 1938– | Three in 1938. | ||
| Lockheed P-38 Lightning | Fighter | 5 | 1942– | F4U Corsair | Five, per Spanish Wikipedia. | |
| Bell P-63 Kingcobra | Fighter | 5 | 1942– | F4U Corsair | Five, per Spanish Wikipedia. | |
| Vultee BT-13A Valiant | Trainer | 10 | 1942– | Ten. | ||
| North American T-6 Texan | Trainer and light attack | 13 | 1947– | Six arriving on 27 November 1947 and seven T-6Gs on 9 March 1954. | ||
| Vought F4U Corsair | Fighter-bomber | 19 | 1956– | Sabre and Super Mystère | Nineteen in six lots from 7 March 1956 to 1961. | |
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain | Transport and improvised bomber | |||||
| North American T-28A/B Trojan | Trainer and light attack | 15 | 1967– | Fifteen in 1967. | ||
| North American F-86K Sabre | Interceptor | 6 | 1970– | Six from Venezuela in 1970, FAH-1100 to FAH-1105. | ||
| CASA C-101 Aviojet | Jet trainer | 4 | Four, per Spanish Wikipedia. | |||
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules | Tactical transport | 5 | 1985– | Five in 1985, per Spanish Wikipedia. | ||
| MD Helicopters MD 500 Defender | Armed helicopter | 5 | 1987– | Five in 1987. |
Where the Honduran Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the four mapped here has closed. Soto Cano, near Comayagua and still widely called Palmerola, holds the Air Force Academy and, since the 1980s, US Joint Task Force-Bravo, and since October 2021 it has also been Palmerola International Airport. Toncontín, in Tegucigalpa, was the main target of the Salvadoran air raids of 14 July 1969, when the FAH kept half its aircraft there, according to English Wikipedia. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La CeibaHéctor Caraccioli MoncadaAtlántida Department | MHLC | Active | 07/252,950 m |
|
| San Pedro SulaArmando Escalón EspinalCortés Department | MHLM | Active | 04/222,886 mconcrete |
|
| Soto CanoComayagua Department | MHPR | Active | 17/352,441 m |
|
| ToncontínHernán Acosta MejíaFrancisco Morazán Department | MHTG | Active | 02/202,163 m |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Honduran Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Honduran flying units are organised by air base, each named after a colonel — Hernán Acosta Mejía, Armando Escalón Espinal, Héctor Caraccioli Moncada and José Enrique Soto Cano — and the F-5 unit at La Ceiba has no published name. The US units of Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano are listed and marked as not Honduran. Where a disposition rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Academia Militar de Aviación (Air Force Academy)Flying academy · active
- Embraer EMB-312 Tucano
- Joint Task Force-Bravo (United States Southern Command)US joint task force (foreign tenant) · foreign
- US Army helicopters of 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment
- Base Aérea Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía (HAM)Air base · active
- Transport aircraft and helicopters
- F-5E/F detachmentFighter unit · active
- Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II
- Base Aérea Coronel Armando Escalón EspinalAir base · active
- Cessna A-37B Dragonfly
No unit matches that search.
Honduran Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
18 April: first military flight in Honduras, a Bristol F.2b flown by an American pilot.
14 April: the National Aviation School is created (Decree 198); the FAH’s founding date.
The first nine military pilots graduate; the school becomes the Escuela Militar de Aviación y Fuerza Aérea Hondureña.
Anti-submarine patrols over the Caribbean begin (to 1944–1945); P-38s and P-63s follow.
July: Colonel Hernán Acosta Mejía becomes the first Honduran commander.
7 March: the first of 19 F4U Corsairs arrive; three P4Y-2 Privateers follow.
Corsairs deployed in the Mosquitia dispute with Nicaragua.
14–18 July: war with El Salvador; Honduras credits Fernando Soto with three Salvadoran aircraft on 17 July.
Ten ex-Yugoslav Sabres and the first Super Mystère B2s arrive.
The US Congress authorises the joint task force that becomes JTF-Bravo at Palmerola.
Twelve F-5E/F Tiger IIs arrive, according to Infodefensa (1989 in Spanish Wikipedia).
The Super Mystères are retired.
Hurricane Mitch: the FAH and JTF-Bravo fly relief.
28 June: President Zelaya is flown out of the country from an air force base.
October: Palmerola International Airport opens at Soto Cano.
Four F-5E/Fs are refurbished after about six years grounded; 9 May: Airbus H145 contract.
October: first two H145s handed over in Germany.
11 February: two more H145D3s arrive; 3 June: Embraer presents the Super Tucano at Toncontín.
Every war the Honduran Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Second World War Caribbean patrols 1942–1945 Anti-submarine patrols
- Mosquitia dispute with Nicaragua 1957 Corsairs deployed during a border clash
- The 1969 war with El Salvador (Football War) 1969 Air defence, counter-air strikes on Ilopango, strikes on Salvadoran oil installations, close support
- Air interdiction against drug flights 1980s–present Surveillance and interception of illegal flights
Who built the Honduran Air Force fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Current fleet and orders
Bell, Cessna, Embraer, Piper, Airbus Helicopters, Beechcraft, Let Kunovice, Maule, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), Northrop, Rockwell International
Honduran Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Honduran Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Honduran Air Force
What is the Honduran Air Force called in Spanish?
When was the Honduran Air Force founded?
What aircraft does the Honduran Air Force fly in 2026?
Has Honduras retired the F-5?
Who was Fernando Soto?
Was the Football War really the last piston-engine dogfight?
Is there a US base in Honduras?
Will Honduras buy the Super Tucano?
What role did the air force play in the 2009 crisis?
Read the aircraft the Honduran Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Infodefensa: tag Fuerza Aérea HondureñaHeadline list including Bell 412SP modernisation by E&S Aviation, six H145 and two Bell 412 for US$54 million, H145s for environmental battalions.
- Infodefensa: La FAH desplegará sus cazas F-5E/F repotenciados en una base del Atlántico (Alberto López, 3 May 2024)Four of twelve F-5E/F (10 E, 2 F, acquired 1987) refurbished; grounded about six years; to La Ceiba.
- Infodefensa: La FAH despliega un Northrop F-5 en un show aéreo en San Pedro Sula (Alberto López, 23 June 2026)FAH 4008 at Armando Escalón Espinal; four refurbished in 2023; based at La Ceiba.
- Infodefensa: Embraer presenta el A-29 Super Tucano a la Fuerza Aérea de Honduras (Alberto López, 3 June 2026)At Hernán Acosta Mejía, Toncontín; President Asfura, Secretary Rodríguez Burchard, Gen. Valerio Ardón, FAH commander Gen. Walter Yanuario Paz López; A-37 antiquated.
- Infodefensa: Embraer emprende nueva ofensiva en Centroamérica con el Super Tucano (Alberto López, July 2026)Embraer visit in early June 2026; FAH interest in four to six.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea de Honduras completa su flota de cuatro helicópteros Airbus H145D3 (Alberto López, 14 February 2026)Two delivered 11 February 2026; fleet of four; over US$40 million.
- Infodefensa: Centroamérica continúa con las inversiones en equipamiento (Alberto López, 30 December 2024)First two H145 in October 2024; six ordered on 9 May 2023 for about US$23.8 million.
- Infodefensa: Brasil condecora al comandante de la Fuerza Aérea de Honduras (Alberto López, 9 March 2025)Brig. Gen. Guillermo Augusto Rosales Rubio, 5 March 2025.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: FAHAirForce1921 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Nelson Mejía / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo: ZLEA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Bob Adams from Amanzimtoti, South Africa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Carlos E. Perez S.L / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Don Ramey Logan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bengt Oberger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Markus Eigenheer from Genève / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photos: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Photo: Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: User:Bernardo Moncada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: United States Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: JoachimKohler-HB / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: SteveTheAirman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: MSGT Herbert Cintron / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: VynedJ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)