Spanish Army Airmobile Force
The Spanish Army Airmobile Force (FAMET) began in July 1965 as a light aviation unit of the Brunete Armoured Division with a handful of American Hueys, flew its first operation in the Spanish Sahara in 1971–1975, has since sent helicopters to every major Spanish deployment from Kurdistan to Afghanistan and Mali, and in 2026 is rebuilding around the Tigre Mk III, the CH-47F, a growing NH90 fleet and a planned fleet of light H145M twins.
The Spanish Army Airmobile Force story: Hueys in the Sahara, a Cougar lost in Afghanistan and a hundred Airbus helicopters
1958–1973: from borrowed Bird Dogs to an army air arm
Spain’s army did not get its own aircraft easily. In 1958, according to Spanish Wikipedia, it bought 13 Bird Dog light aircraft, two H-19 and two OH-23C helicopters, only for the Air Force to fly them in its 99 Escuadrilla de Enlace at Alcalá de Henares. The real start came on 10 July 1965, when a staff instruction created the Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra, a light aviation unit for the Brunete Armoured Division. The Army’s own page dates the base at Los Remedios, Colmenar Viejo, to 29 June 1966; Spanish Wikipedia gives 27 May 1966. On 29 July 1966 the first two Bell UH-1B Iroquois arrived. On 20 March 1973 the unit took the name it still has, Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, under Colonel Ángel Maté Sánchez, whose name the Colmenar Viejo base now carries.
1971–1975: the Sahara, the first real test
The first test came in Africa. On 24 March 1971 the helicopter unit UHEL II was formed at El Aaiún in the Spanish Sahara; its 12 new UH-1H (HU-10) were carried south, according to Spanish Wikipedia, in the carrier Dédalo that December. The Army’s mission summary lists transport, patrol, liaison, observation, adjustment of artillery fire and fire support, and many medical evacuations for the local population, from the base Santiago at El Aaiún and with the Legion at Smara. Spanish Wikipedia adds three armed OH-58 Kiowas and three Alouette IIIs with AS.11 missiles in 1975, and says two UH-1Hs evaded an SA-7 missile on 13 May 1975; the Army summary does not mention that attack. After the Green March and the Madrid Accords of 14 November 1975, the last UHEL II helicopters left El Aaiún on 19 December 1975.
1973–1998: Chinooks, Bölkows and the battalion structure
At home the 1970s and 1980s built the force’s shape. The first CH-47C Chinooks arrived in 1973 (a fiftieth anniversary was marked in April 2023), and the Chinook has been the heavy lifter at Colmenar Viejo ever since, upgraded to CH-47D from 1989. Helicopter units followed at Agoncillo (1974), El Copero near Seville (1975) and Los Rodeos in Tenerife (1977). The Bölkow Bo 105 gave FAMET an anti-tank helicopter with HOT missiles, plus armed scouts; Agusta-Bell 212s came in 1981 and Super Pumas in the mid-1980s. Accidents were part of the cost: Spanish Wikipedia records a UH-1B hitting power lines on 28 December 1966 with four killed, and a crash near Los Remedios on 20 April 1977 that killed seven, among them Colonel Maté. In 1988 the units became battalions: BHELA I for attack at Almagro, manoeuvre battalions, and BHELTRA V for the Chinooks.
1991–2013: from Kurdistan to Afghanistan, and the worst day
In April 1991 five Hueys and two Chinooks flew for the Kurds from Zakho, and from then on, the Army says, Spanish army helicopters were almost continuously abroad: SFOR in Bosnia from 1997 to 2005 (22 rotations and 4,674 flying hours), Albania and Kosovo in 1999–2000, Kyrgyzstan for combat search and rescue in 2002–2003, and Diwaniya in Iraq in 2003–2004. In July 2002 four Cougars landed special forces on Perejil Island, the islet also claimed by Morocco. Afghanistan was the longest and hardest: from September 2004 to December 2013, 20 ASPUHEL rotations flew from Kabul and then Herat in support of Spain’s reconstruction team at Qala-i-Naw. On 16 August 2005 a Cougar crashed in western Afghanistan and 17 Spanish soldiers died, the heaviest loss in FAMET’s history; the sources reached for this page do not establish the cause.
2007–2024: Tigre, NH90 and the new Chinook
The new century brought European helicopters. Spain joined the Tiger programme in 2003 and ordered 24, with HAD deliveries from 2007 according to English Wikipedia (the Army’s own BHELA I history has the first three HAP arriving on 14 April 2007 and the first HAD at Almagro on 18 December 2014); three Tigres flew convoy escort in Afghanistan in 2013, during the withdrawal from Qala-i-Naw to Herat. The six early HAP-E Tigres were retired around the end of 2020 rather than upgraded, and the 18 HAD-E are to become Tigre Mk III from about 2030. NH90s (HT.29) arrived at Agoncillo from 2014, and three flew for EUTM Mali from Bamako in 2021–2022. A programme approved in 2018 turned the Chinook fleet into 17 CH-47F, the last of them delivered in October 2024. Task Force Toro carried coalition troops and cargo in Iraq from June 2018, first from Taji and then Al Asad. EC135s have trained army pilots at Colmenar Viejo since December 2005.
2025–2026: a hundred Airbus helicopters, and what they do not buy
In 2025–2026 the money arrived. Royal Decree 848/2025 of 23 September 2025 lent Airbus 3.68 billion euros for six programmes, including a third NH90 batch of 32 for the three services and the HELIPO light twin for the Army to replace the EC135; the contract followed on 18 December 2025, and a specialist blog reports that FAMET gets 50 H145M and 13 NH90. The H175M in the same package is for the Air and Space Force, not FAMET. The first NH90 Standard 3 arrived in December 2025 and the type reached BHELMA IV in Seville in September 2026. Since May 2025 Tigres and an NH90 have flown on NATO’s eastern flank from Malacky in Slovakia. The weak points remain: old Super Pumas, Cougars and AB-212s, and no army drone that the official pages assign to FAMET.
The Spanish Army Airmobile Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET)The name used on the Army’s official site. The Army publishes it only in Spanish, not in Catalan, Basque or Galician. The English name follows the current English Wikipedia article title
- Founded
- 10 July 1965As the Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra, a light aviation unit for the Brunete Armoured Division; the Army’s page gives the year only, the day comes from Spanish Wikipedia. Named FAMET on 20 March 1973
- Part of
- Ejército de Tierra (Spanish Army)Under the División San Marcial since September 2020, according to Spanish Wikipedia. Its stated mission is to increase the operational capacity of ground units by combat, combat support and logistic actions flown close to the ground
- Headquarters
- Base Coronel Maté, Colmenar Viejo (Madrid)Founded as base Los Remedios; opened 29 June 1966 per the Army, 27 May 1966 per Spanish Wikipedia
- Commander
- A brigadier generalThe name of the present General Jefe was not confirmed on an official page in this research
- Missions abroad
- 13 listed by the Army, 1971–2024From the Sahara to Iraq; plus Slovakia since 2025 (blog source) and Perejil 2002
Strength
- Attack helicopters
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- Tigre HAD-E (HA.28) — 18
The six HAP-E were retired around the end of 2020
- Transport helicopters
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- CH-47F Chinook (HT.17) — 17
- NH90 TTH (HT.29) — about 17–18 in service, 39 ordered
- AS532 Cougar (HT.27) — 17
- AS332B1 Super Puma (HU.21) — 15–16
- AB-212 (HU.18) — a few, being topped up with ex-Navy aircraft
Blog counts for 2025–2026; the Army’s pages do not publish fleet numbers. One NH90 was damaged in an accident on 19 February 2025
- Training and light helicopters
-
- EC135 T2+ (HE.26/HU.26) — 16
12 HE.26 trainers at the Aviation Academy (ACAVIET) and 4 HU.26 with the emergency battalion for the UME
- On order
-
- H145M (HELIPO) — 45–54
- NH90 phase 3 — 13 for the Army
- Tigre Mk III — 18 upgrades
HELIPO: 54 in the Royal Decree, 50 H145M in a blog report of the December 2025 contract, 45 in an earlier blog report
- Personnel
- The Army’s FAMET pages give no personnel total; about 40 people serve with the Slovakia detachment (blog)
Infrastructure
- Helicopter bases
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- Colmenar Viejo — HQ, BHELTRA V (Chinook), academy
- Almagro — BHELA I (Tigre)
- Agoncillo — BHELMA III (NH90)
- El Copero, Dos Hermanas — BHELMA IV
- Bétera — BHELEME II (emergencies)
- Los Rodeos, Tenerife — BHELMA VI
The Canary Islands battalion BHELMA VI sits under the Canary Islands Command, not directly under FAMET, according to Spanish Wikipedia
- Closed or left
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- Base Santiago, El Aaiún — UHEL II, 1971–1975
The Sahara base was given up in December 1975
- Detachments
- MelillaA permanent detachment in Melilla; Super Pumas from Seville support Ceuta, Melilla and the peñones
- Training
- Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra (ACAVIET)The former CEFAMET, renamed in 2018 per Spanish Wikipedia; flies the EC135 at Colmenar Viejo
- Maintenance
- PCMHEL, Colmenar ViejoThe helicopter maintenance park
- Drones
- None assigned to FAMET on official pagesThe Army’s PASI (IAI Searcher Mk IIJ) and SIVA systems are listed as Army equipment without a FAMET unit; Spanish Wikipedia describes unmanned systems as a future plan
- Deployed abroad (2026)
- Malacky, SlovakiaUHEL SVK with Tigre and NH90 since May 2025 (blog)
How the Spanish Army Airmobile Force is organised
A headquarters at Colmenar Viejo, commanded by a brigadier general, over one attack battalion, one heavy transport battalion, two manoeuvre battalions, an emergency battalion and the Army aviation academy. The only combat unit is BHELA I with the Tigre at Almagro; the Chinooks fly from Colmenar Viejo, the NH90s from Agoncillo and now Seville, and the emergency helicopters from Bétera for the Military Emergencies Unit. The Canary Islands battalion answers to the Canary Islands Command; naval aviation and the Air and Space Force are separate services and are not counted here.
FAMET Headquarters
Commanded by a brigadier general, the General Jefe de las FAMET, whose name could not be confirmed on an official page; under the División San Marcial since September 2020, according to Spanish Wikipedia. The headquarters battalion and the logistic group are at the same base.
Attack Helicopter Battalion I (BHELA I)
The Army’s only attack helicopter battalion, which the Army calls FAMET’s only combat unit: 18 Tigre HAD-E, to be upgraded to Tigre Mk III from about 2030. Formed in January 1980 with the Bo 105 and at Almagro since February 1983; two of its Tigres have flown from Malacky in Slovakia since May 2025.
Transport Helicopter Battalion V (BHELTRA V)
The Army’s only heavy-lift unit, with every Spanish Army Chinook since January 1973: 17 CH-47Fs, the last delivered on 15 October 2024, after the last CH-47D retired on 1 April 2024.
Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion III (BHELMA III)
The first battalion to receive the NH90, in 2014, and FAMET’s specialists in mountain flying in the Pyrenees: about 200 personnel and some 40 pilots with 15 NH90s, according to the Army.
Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion IV (BHELMA IV)
Cougars since 1998 and Super Pumas, specialising in special operations infiltration, casualty evacuation and combat search and rescue; its Super Pumas also support Ceuta, Melilla and the peñones. The first NH90 arrived on 22 September 2026, according to a specialist blog.
Emergency Helicopter Battalion II (BHELEME II)
Created on 12 December 2008 to fly for the Military Emergencies Unit (UME): rescue, fire-fighting and disaster relief. Its Cougars are at Bétera and its EC135s at Colmenar Viejo.
Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion VI (BHELMA VI)
AB 212s and Super Pumas in Tenerife, joined by former Navy AB 212s from April 2025. It answers to the Canary Islands Command, not to FAMET; the Army lists it as a related unit.
Army Aviation Academy (ACAVIET)
The former CEFAMET, which trains the Army’s helicopter pilots and unmanned-aircraft operators on 12 EC135s; they had flown 50,000 hours by November 2022, and the H145M is to replace them.
What the Spanish Army Airmobile 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigre HAD-E (HA.28)In service | Attack helicopter | 18 | 2007 | 18 HAD-E in service of 24 Tigres bought; the six HAP-E are retired. | ||
| Boeing CH-47F Chinook (HT.17)In service | Heavy transport helicopter | 17 | 2021 | 17 CH-47F, the 17th delivered on 15 October 2024 (blog); an 18th is reported for 2027. Spanish Wikipedia describes the programme as 13 conversions plus 4 new-build. | ||
| NHIndustries NH90 TTH (HT.29)In service | Tactical transport helicopter | 17 | 2014 | About 17–18 in service (blog: 14 plus one at the factory from the first batches, plus 3 Standard 3; one damaged on 19 February 2025). 39 ordered in three batches of 16, 10 and 13. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters AS532 UL/AL Cougar (HT.27)In service | Medium transport, rescue and medevac helicopter | 17 | 1998 | 17 in service of 21 bought (15 UL, 6 AL), per a specialist blog; Spanish Wikipedia gives 17 UL and 3 AL. Losses include the 16 August 2005 crash in Afghanistan. | ||
| Aérospatiale AS332B1 Super Puma (HU.21)In service | Medium transport, command and VIP helicopter | 16 | 1987 | 16 in service of 18 bought, two of them VIP (blog); Spanish Wikipedia gives 15. Two were lost in fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000, according to Spanish Wikipedia. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+ (HE.26 / HU.26)In service | Training and light utility helicopter | 16 | 2005 | 12 HE.26 trainers with ACAVIET and 4 HU.26 with BHELEME II for the UME (blog). | ||
| Agusta-Bell AB 212 (HU.18)In service | Utility helicopter | 1981 | Six bought in 1981; Spanish Wikipedia gives three left before ex-Navy aircraft began to arrive in 2025 (first, ET-281, in April 2025). A current total was not confirmed. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Helicopters H145M (HELIPO)On order | 50 | 2028 | Royal Decree 848/2025 funds 54 light twin-engined multi-role helicopters for the Army (920 million euros; prototype 2027, deliveries 2028–2034) to replace the EC135.
MoreA specialist blog reports the contract of 18 December 2025 as 50 H145M for FAMET, for pilot training, light attack with the HForce kit, public-service and relief work; an earlier blog report said 45. Range 45–54. |
|
| NHIndustries NH90 TTH, phase 3 (HT.29)On order | 13 | 2025 | Part of the NH-90-3 programme of 32 helicopters for the three services (1,000 million euros, deliveries to 2030) in Royal Decree 848/2025; the blog gives 31 in all, 13 of them for FAMET.
MoreEarlier Standard 3 aircraft of the second batch began arriving on 19 December 2025. |
|
| Airbus Helicopters Tigre Mk III (upgrade)On order | 18 | 2030 | Upgrade of the 18 HAD-E, agreed with France in 2022; deliveries expected 2030–2035 at a cost of 1,185 million euros (blog). English Wikipedia also gives deliveries from 2030. |
Every type the Spanish Army Airmobile Force has retired
9 types, from the Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog, Sikorsky H-19 and Hiller OH-23C to the Boeing CH-47C and CH-47D Chinook (HT.17). 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing CH-47C and CH-47D Chinook (HT.17) | Heavy transport helicopter | 1973–2024 | CH-47F | Spanish Wikipedia counts 9 CH-47C (1973–1975) and 9 CH-47D (1982–1986), about 17 in service before conversion; the blog gives different batch sizes.
MoreOne was lost in 1973 and one (ET-413) in 1985, according to Spanish Wikipedia. |
||
| Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigre HAP-E | Escort and support helicopter | 6 | 2005–2020 | Tigre HAD-E | Six, withdrawn without upgrade and kept for spares. | |
| Bell UH-1H Iroquois (HU.10) | Utility helicopter | 60 | 1971–2018 | Cougar, NH90 | 60 acquired, according to Spanish Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page. | |
| Bell UH-1B Iroquois | Utility helicopter | 6 | 1966– | UH-1H | Two on 29 July 1966 and four more on 11 August 1966 (Spanish Wikipedia). | |
| MBB Bo 105 ATH/GSH/LOH (HA.15 / HR.15) | Anti-tank, armed scout and observation helicopter | 70 | Tigre | Spanish Wikipedia gives 73 received (28 HOT anti-tank, 31 with 20 mm cannon, 9 unarmed trainers, which adds up to 68); figure contested, 68–73. | ||
| Bell OH-58A Kiowa | Reconnaissance helicopter | 12 | 1975– | 12 bought in 1975, per Spanish Wikipedia. | ||
| Aérospatiale Alouette III | Armed patrol and anti-tank helicopter | 3 | 1974– | Three acquired in 1974, per Spanish Wikipedia. | ||
| Bell OH-13S Sioux and Agusta-Bell 47G-3 | Observation, liaison and training helicopter | 8 | 1966– | EC135 (training) | Six OH-13S from the United States and two Italian-built 47G-3, per Spanish Wikipedia. | |
| Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog, Sikorsky H-19 and Hiller OH-23C | Liaison aircraft and helicopters (pre-FAMET) | 17 | 1958– | 13 Bird Dogs, two H-19 and two OH-23C bought by the Army in 1958, per Spanish Wikipedia. |
Where the Spanish Army Airmobile Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. FAMET’s first base abroad, Base Santiago at El Aaiún in the Spanish Sahara, was given up on 19 December 1975, and its helicopters withdrew to El Copero. Los Rodeos in Tenerife sits beside Tenerife North airport, while Colmenar Viejo and Almagro are military heliports outside the civil AIP España. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Spain
One of the 5 bases above sits outside Spain, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas base.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agoncillo Army Helicopter BaseLa Rioja | LELO | Active |
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| Almagro Army Helicopter BaseCastile-La Mancha (Ciudad Real) | LEAO | Active |
|
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| Bétera Army Helicopter BaseValencian Community (Valencia) | LEBT | Active |
|
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| Colmenar Viejo Army Helicopter BaseCommunity of Madrid | LECV | Active |
|
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| El Copero Army Helicopter BaseAndalusia (Seville) | LEEC | Active |
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| Los Rodeos Army Helicopter BaseCanary Islands (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) | GCXO | Active | 12/303,171 m |
|
| Melilla Army Helicopter DetachmentMelilla | Active | |||
| Base Santiago, El AaiúnWestern Sahara (Spanish Sahara until 1975; its status is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front) | Closed 1975 |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Spanish Army Airmobile Force
Flying units by base, current units first. FAMET battalions carry a Roman numeral and a code for their role — BHELA for attack, BHELTRA for transport, BHELMA for manoeuvre, BHELEME for emergencies — and several keep the number of the helicopter unit, the UHEL, they grew out of. Where a date rests on Spanish Wikipedia or a specialist blog alone, the entry says so.
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Transporte V (BHELTRA V)Heavy transport helicopter battalion · active
- CH-47F Chinook (HT.17); CH-47C and D before
- Batallón de Cuartel General de las FAMETHeadquarters battalion · active
- Grupo Logístico de las FAMETLogistic group · active
- Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra (ACAVIET)Army aviation academy · active
- Airbus Helicopters EC135 (HE.26)
- BHELEME II, light helicopter subgroupEmergency helicopter subgroup · active
- Airbus Helicopters EC135
- Parque y Centro de Mantenimiento de Helicópteros (PCMHEL)Helicopter maintenance depot · active
- Unidad de Helicópteros XI and the first Huey units1966–2018
- Bell UH-1B and UH-1H Iroquois (HU.10)
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (provisional home)1980–1983
- MBB Bo 105 (HR.15 / HA.15)
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (BHELA I)Attack helicopter battalion · active
- Airbus Helicopters Tigre HAD-E (HA.28), Tigre HAP-E (retired about 2020–2021)
- BHELA I Bo 105 squadrons1980–2017
- MBB Bo 105 (HA.15 / HR.15)
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra III (BHELMA III)Manoeuvre helicopter battalion · active
- NHIndustries NH90 TTH (HT.29)
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra IV (BHELMA IV)Manoeuvre helicopter battalion · active
- Airbus Helicopters AS532UL Cougar (HT.27), NHIndustries NH90 (HT.29, from 2026), Aérospatiale AS332B1 Super Puma (HU.21)
- UHEL II (after the Sahara)1975–1979
- Bell UH-1H (HU.10)
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Emergencias II (BHELEME II)Emergency helicopter battalion · active
- Airbus Helicopters AS532AL Cougar
- UHEL II / BHELMA II1971–2008
- Bell UH-1H (HU.10) and later types
- Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra VI (BHELMA VI)Manoeuvre helicopter battalion · active
- Agusta-Bell AB 212 (HU.18), Aérospatiale AS332 Super Puma
No unit matches that search.
Spanish Army Airmobile Force milestones, 1914 to today
The Army buys 13 Bird Dogs, two H-19 and two OH-23C, but the Air Force flies them (Spanish Wikipedia).
10 July: the Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra is created for the Brunete Armoured Division.
Base Los Remedios, Colmenar Viejo, opens (29 June per the Army; 27 May per Spanish Wikipedia). 29 July: the first two UH-1B arrive.
24 March: UHEL II is formed at El Aaiún in the Spanish Sahara; its 12 UH-1H follow at the end of the year.
20 March: the unit is renamed Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET). The first CH-47C Chinooks arrive.
19 December: the last UHEL II helicopters leave El Aaiún after the Madrid Accords.
20 April: FAMET’s commander, Colonel Ángel Maté Sánchez, and six others die in a night crash near Los Remedios (Spanish Wikipedia).
The helicopter units become battalions, including BHELA I (attack) at Almagro and BHELTRA V (Chinooks) at Colmenar Viejo.
April: five Hueys and two Chinooks fly for the Kurds from Zakho, FAMET’s first multinational operation.
The first of 22 SPAHEL rotations to SFOR in Bosnia, lasting to 2005.
July: four Cougars land special forces on Perejil Island.
16 August: a Cougar crashes in western Afghanistan and 17 Spanish soldiers die. December: the first EC135s arrive.
First Tigres (HAP) delivered; English Wikipedia dates HAD deliveries from this year, the Army from December 2014. July: LISPUHEL starts flying for UNIFIL in Lebanon.
Tigres deploy to Afghanistan; December: FAMET leaves Afghanistan after 20 ASPUHEL rotations.
The first NH90 reaches BHELMA III at Agoncillo.
18 June: Task Force Toro deploys to Iraq. 21 September: the CH-47F programme is approved. 12 December: the last UH-1H flight.
June: three NH90s deploy to Mali. 25 November: the first CH-47F lands at Santander.
May: Tigres and an NH90 deploy to Slovakia. 23 September: Royal Decree 848/2025 funds HELIPO and NH90 phase 3; the contract is signed on 18 December.
Every operation the Spanish Army Airmobile Force has flown
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Spanish Sahara 1971–1975 Transport, patrol, liaison, observation, artillery fire adjustment, fire support and medical evacuation for the Sahara garrison
- Operation Alfa-Kilo 1991 Air mobility, tactical and logistic transport and medical evacuation for the Kurdish refugee relief operation
- Operation Charlie-Sierra (SFOR) 1997–2005 Air mobility for SFOR manoeuvre units, tactical and logistic transport and medical evacuation
- Albania and Kosovo 1999–2010 Refugee support in Albania in 1999; then tactical and logistic transport, training, medevac and command flights for KFOR
- Operation India-Mike 2000 Initial support for the Spanish medical unit and delivery of emergency food aid
Who built the Spanish Army Airmobile 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
Airbus Helicopters, NHIndustries, Aérospatiale, Agusta, Boeing
Former fleet
Bell, Cessna, Hiller, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), Sikorsky
Everything people ask about the Spanish Army Airmobile Force
What is the Spanish Army Airmobile Force called in Spanish?
What helicopters does the Spanish Army fly in 2026?
Is FAMET part of the Spanish Air and Space Force?
Where are the Spanish Army’s helicopters based?
Did the Spanish Army buy the Airbus H175M?
What happened to the Spanish Cougar in Afghanistan in 2005?
Did FAMET fight in the Spanish Sahara?
When did the Tigre enter Spanish service, and what is the Mk III?
Which missions abroad has FAMET flown?
Does FAMET fly drones?
Read the aircraft the Spanish Army Airmobile 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
- Ejército de Tierra: FAMET unit pageCreated in 1965 as a light aviation unit of the Brunete Armoured Division; base at Los Remedios established 29 June 1966; commanded by a brigadier general; battalions and locations; list of missions abroad.
- Ejército de Tierra: FAMET, HelicópterosCurrent types HA-28, HU-21, NH-90, HT-27, HE-26, HT-17 with roles, units and bases.
- Ejército de Tierra: FAMET, Organización y misiónMission statement and the three kinds of unit (aeromobile, attack, manoeuvre/reconnaissance/transport).
- Ejército de Tierra: FAMET, Misiones en el exteriorOfficial list of FAMET operations abroad, 1971–2024, each with a PDF summary.
- FAMET mission summary: Sahara (Aaiún) 1971–1975UHEL II with 12 HU-10 at base Santiago, El Aaiún; missions; last aircraft left 19 December 1975.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Alfa-Kilo (Kurdistan) 1991Five HU-10 and two HT-17 at Zakho with Agrupación Táctica Alcalá; more than 550 flying hours.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Charlie-Sierra (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 1997–2005SPAHEL, 22 rotations of HU-10 and HU-21, 4,674 flying hours for SFOR.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Alfa-Romeo (Albania) 1999April–July 1999; Chinook unit at Tirana; 264 Spanish personnel in all.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Sierra-Kilo (Kosovo) 2000–2010KSPUHEL with four HU-10 and KSPAHEL with two HU-21; more than 800 flying hours.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation India-Mike (Mozambique) 2000One HU-21L Cougar, flown out in an An-124; flood relief.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Lima-Delta (Kyrgyzstan) 2002–2003Two HU-21 at Manas for CSAR; 450 hours in 300 missions; three rotations.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation India-Foxtrot (Iraq) 2003–2004Two HU-21 and two HU-21L at Diwaniya; more than 1,100 flying hours.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Romeo-Alfa (Afghanistan) 2004–2013ASPUHEL from September 2004, 20 rotations; Kabul then Herat; Cougar, Chinook, Tigre; withdrawal December 2013.
- FAMET mission summary: EUFOR Althea (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 2007–2008ALTUHEL with HR-15 Bölkow and a HU-10 MEDEVAC element at Mostar; more than 940 hours.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Libre-Hidalgo (Lebanon) 2007–2013LISPUHEL with two HU-21 or HU-10 at Marjayoun from July 2007; more than 2,000 hours in 10 rotations.
- FAMET mission summary: EUTM Mali 2021–2022MASPUHEL with three NH90 and 62 personnel at Bamako, 22 June 2021 to 17 September 2022.
- FAMET mission summary: Operation Inherent Resolve (Iraq)Task Force Toro from 18 June 2018: two HT-27 and three HT-17 at Taji, moved to Al Asad on 1 August 2020; more than 7,000 hours.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, HA-28 TigreData sheet: two MTR390 engines, 30 mm cannon, Mistral, rockets; based at Almagro.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, HT-17 ChinookData sheet: 30 passengers, three M240 guns; based at Colmenar Viejo.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, NH90Data sheet: 20 passengers, CT7-8F5 engines; based at Agoncillo.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, HT-27 CougarData sheet: 24 passengers, Makila 1A1 engines.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, HU-21 Super PumaData sheet: 20 passengers, Makila 1A1 engines.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, HE-26 (EC135)Data sheet: training helicopter, Arrius 2B2 engines, Colmenar Viejo.
- Ejército de Tierra: material, PASI (Searcher Mk IIJ)Army tactical UAS; the page does not assign it to FAMET.
- BOE: Real Decreto 848/2025, de 23 de septiembreZero-interest loans of 3,680 million euros to Airbus for six programmes, including NH-90-3 (32 helicopters, 1,000 million), HELIPO (54 light twins for the Army to replace the EC135, 920 million) and HACES (six H175-based helicopters for the Air and Space Force).
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): battalions, types and bases.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: NH-90 FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): HT.29 batches of 16, 10 and 13; first to Agoncillo 2014; ET-802 accident 19 February 2025; first Standard 3 on 19 December 2025; first to El Copero 22 September 2026.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: EC-665 Tigre FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): 6 HAP and 18 HAD; HAP withdrawn about 2021; Afghanistan 2013; Mk III agreement and 1,185 million euro cost.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: CH-47F Chinook FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): CH-47C/D/F history; programme approved 21 September 2018; 17th CH-47F delivered 15 October 2024; last D retired 1 April 2024.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: AS532 Cougar FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): 21 bought (15 UL, 6 AL), 17 in service; AL from 2009.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: AS332 Super Puma FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): 18 bought including 2 VIP, 16 in service, from 1987; support to Ceuta, Melilla and the peñones.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: EC-135 FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): 16 EC135 (12 ACAVIET, 4 UME); 50,000 fleet hours on 14 November 2022.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: 20 años del EC-135 en las FAMET (11 December 2025)Specialist blog (secondary): first two EC135 in December 2005; eight more under a 2013 contract; H145 to replace them.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: AB-212 FAMETSpecialist blog (secondary): HU.18 from 1981, six bought; BHELMA VI; ex-Navy aircraft from 2025.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: Los nuevos 100 helicópteros de Airbus (19 December 2025)Specialist blog (secondary): contract of 18 December 2025; FAMET to receive 50 H145M and 13 NH90; the six H175M go to the Air and Space Force.
- Aeronaves Militares Españolas: Las FAMET en EslovaquiaSpecialist blog (secondary): UHEL SVK at Malacky from late May 2025 with Tigre and NH90; 1,000 hours by 1 May 2026.
- Ejército de Tierra: FAMET, LocalízanosAddress of Base Coronel Maté (Ctra. de Guadalix km 1.8, Colmenar Viejo), about 31 km from the Puerta del Sol; no coordinates published.
- Ejército de Tierra: BHELA I unit pageBHELA I at Base Coronel Sánchez Bilbao, Almagro, with the HA-28 Tigre; described as FAMET’s only combat unit.
- Ejército de Tierra: Historia del BHELA I (PDF)Formed January 1980; first Bo 105 on 29 September 1980; move to Almagro February 1983; base inaugurated 26 April 1983; Tigre arrivals 2007–2020; operations to 2025.
- Ejército de Tierra: BHELTRA V unit pageBHELTRA V with the CH-47F (HT.17) at Base Coronel Maté, km 1.8 of the Colmenar Viejo–Guadalix de la Sierra road.
- Ejército de Tierra: Historia del BHELTRA V (PDF)Chinook chronology: first two CH-47C in January 1973, six by 1974, nine by 1978, conversion to D from 1991, first CH-47F on 28 January 2022, last D retired 1 April 2024.
- Ejército de Tierra: BHELMA III unit pageBHELMA III at the Héroes del Revellín barracks, Agoncillo; about 200 personnel, about 40 pilots, 15 NH90 (HT.29); mountain-flying specialists.
- Ejército de Tierra: BHELMA IV unit pageBHELMA IV at El Copero, Carretera de Isla Menor, Dos Hermanas (Seville); Cougar (HT.27); special operations support.
- Ejército de Tierra: Historial del BHELMA IV (PDF)UHEL IV formed 1975 with 12 UH-1H and 3 OH-58A; El Copero transferred from the Air Force on 30 September 1975; Bo 105 1980–2017; AB 212 1981–1988; renamed BHELMA IV 1987; Cougar from 1998.
- Ejército de Tierra: BHELEME II unit pageMedium helicopter subgroup at Base Jaime I, Bétera; light helicopter subgroup at Base Coronel Maté; supports the Military Emergencies Unit (UME).
- Ejército de Tierra: Historia del BHELEME II (PDF)Formed at El Aaiún 24 March 1971; arrived at El Copero 25 December 1975; occupied the new Base Santiago at Bétera 29 August 1979; BHELMA II from June 1988; dissolved 31 January 2008; BHELEME II created 12 December 2008.
- Ejército de Tierra: Grupo Logístico FAMET unit pageLogistic group at Base Coronel Maté: fuel, fire-fighting, night-vision and survival equipment for all Army helicopter units.
- Ejército de Tierra: Historia del GL FAMET (PDF)Created 28 November 1979 as the Unidad de Apoyo Logístico; ULOG-FAMET 1998; GL FAMET 2007.
- Ejército de Tierra: Academia de Aviación del Ejército de TierraArmy aviation academy: helicopter and unmanned aircraft training; EC135 as the teaching helicopter.
- Ejército de Tierra: ACAVIET, HistorialCIAFAM 20 March 1973; teaching centre 9 May 1975; CEFAMET 14 June 1976; ACAVIET 6 October 2017; standard presented 7 May 2021.
- AIP España (ENAIRE), index pageCycle 03-SEP-26 (AIRAC 08/26, AMDT 410/26). The civil AIP lists no AD 2 entry for the Army heliports of Colmenar Viejo, Almagro, Bétera or El Copero; their data are in the military AIP, not reached.
- AIP España, AD 2 LERJ LogroñoCivil airport at Agoncillo (Aena): ARP 422738N 0021914W, elevation 352 m, runway 11/29 2,200 x 45 m asphalt; refers to the neighbouring military base.
- AIP España, AD 2 GCXO Tenerife NorteCivil airport (Aena): ARP 282858N 0162030W, elevation 633 m, runway 12/30 3,171 x 45 m asphalt; military aircraft reach the apron through the Sector Aéreo.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. 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: Enrique Freire from Cartagena, Murcia, España / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Ryre Arciaga / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Armando Vasquez / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Ank kumar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Contando Estrelas from Vigo, España / Spain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Don Ramey Logan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Chitrapa at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Alf van Beem / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Michael Burgholzer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Artaxerxes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)