Uruguayan Air Force
The Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya) grew from a flying school founded at Los Cerrillos in 1913 into a separate service in 1953, lost a chartered transport in the Andes in 1972 in one of aviation’s best-known survival stories, gave its name to the 1973 pact that put the armed forces in power — and in 2026 retired its last jets, the A-37B, after almost 50 years, for six A-29 Super Tucanos of which two have arrived.
The Uruguayan Air Force story: a flying school in 1913, the Andes crash of 1972 and the end of the last jets
1913–1950: a flying school at Los Cerrillos
Uruguay’s air force dates itself to 17 March 1913, when a Military Aviation School opened at Los Cerrillos in Canelones under the French instructor Marcel Paillette. Its first ten pilots included Captain Juan Manuel Boiso Lanza and Lieutenant Cesáreo L. Berisso, who on 22 June 1913 flew the first solo by a Uruguayan, from Los Cerrillos to Malvín. Boiso Lanza was killed in training at Pau in France on 10 August 1918; that date is still kept as the day of the martyrs of military aviation, and two air bases carry the pair’s names. In the 1920s the school flew Avro 504Ks, Breguet 14s and 28 Nieuport 27s. In 1935 it became the Aeronáutica Militar, still part of the army, with Tiger Moths and IMAM Ro.37s, and the first brigade, Aeronáutica N° 1, formed at Carrasco in April 1936.
1950–1972: Mustangs, Shooting Stars and an independent air force
American aid shaped the next generation. T-6 Texans and Curtiss SNC-1 Falcons came in 1942, C-47s in 1947, and in 1949–1950 a package of 25 F-51D Mustangs, 11 B-25J Mitchells and three more C-47s. Law 12.070 of 4 December 1953 turned the Aeronáutica Militar into a separate service, the Fuerza Aérea Militar; it took the name Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya in 1956. On 23 October 1956 four T-33As landed at Carrasco to begin Uruguay’s jet age, and from 1958 F-80C Shooting Stars replaced the Mustangs. The military air transport service, TAMU, began in 1959 with C-47s. The country had no wars to fight; the air force’s purpose was sovereignty, transport and a modest deterrent.
1972–1985: the Andes and the dictatorship
On 13 October 1972 a TAMU Fairchild Hiller FH-227D, FAU 571, chartered by an amateur rugby team, the Old Christians, flew into a mountain in the Andes on its way from Montevideo via Mendoza to Santiago. The official investigation found controlled flight into terrain: the co-pilot began his descent believing they had passed Curicó. Twelve people died in the crash or within hours, eight more in an avalanche on 29 October, and 29 of the 45 aboard in all. The search was called off after eight days. Sixteen survivors were rescued on 22–23 December, after Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa walked out to find help. Months later, in February 1973, the commanders of the army and air force refused to accept a new defence minister; the resulting pact, signed at the Boiso Lanza air base on 12 February, created a National Security Council that English Wikipedia describes as a coup in fact. Parliament was dissolved on 27 June 1973.
1985–2017: transports, peacekeepers and an ageing strike force
The dictatorship lasted until 1985. A commission set up in 2000 documented Uruguayans kidnapped and killed in Uruguay and in Argentina, and English Wikipedia puts those killed in the 12 years at about 180, with more than 5,000 arrested for political reasons. The air force in those years bought eight new A-37B Dragonflies in 1976, ferried by Uruguayan pilots from McConnell Air Force Base, six IA-58 Pucarás and Bell 212 helicopters in 1981, and five Embraer Bandeirantes in 1975 — the first export sale in Embraer’s history. On 28 January 1984 an FH-227D became the first Uruguayan aircraft to land in Antarctica. Democracy brought C-130B Hercules and Pilatus PC-7s in 1992, the end of the T-33 in 1996, and a long run of peacekeeping: Bell 212s with the UN in the Congo, and C-212s in Haiti, where one crashed on 9 October 2009 killing six Uruguayans and five Jordanians.
2024–2026: the Super Tucano replaces the last jets
By the 2010s the combat force had aged out. The Pucará was retired in 2017, and Uruguay had to withdraw from Chile’s Salitre exercise in 2022 because of A-37 engine problems. Two ex-Spanish KC-130H Hercules replaced the C-130Bs in 2020, giving the FAU its first tanker. In late 2024 the government signed for six Embraer A-29 Super Tucanos, its first new combat aircraft since 1981, for about USD 100 million with a simulator and support. The first two, FAU 250 and 251, arrived at Durazno on 18 February 2026, escorted by the A-37s they were to replace, and on 13 May 2026 the Dragonflies were retired after almost 50 years. The four remaining Super Tucanos had no published delivery dates in April 2026; until they arrive, Uruguay polices its skies with two turboprops.
The Uruguayan Air Force in numbers
服务
- 本地名称
- Fuerza Aérea UruguayaAbbreviated FAU; the name adopted in 1956. Law 12.070 of 1953 had created it as the Fuerza Aérea Militar
- 创立
- 4 December 1953As a separate service by Law 12.070. Military flying began with the aviation school of 17 March 1913; the Aeronáutica Militar, still part of the army, dates from 1935
- 一部分
- Armed Forces of Uruguay, under the Ministry of National DefenceThe smallest and youngest of the three services
- 总部
- MontevideoAir Command general headquarters
- 三军统帅
- Gen. del Aire Fernando ColinaIn post at the A-29 presentation of February 2026 and the A-37 retirement of May 2026; date of appointment not confirmed
- 1973–1985
- Boiso Lanza pact, 12 February 1973Signed at the air base of that name after the army and air force commanders rejected a new defence minister; it created the National Security Council. Military-led rule followed until 1985
- 国防部长
- Sandra LazoAs of February–July 2026, under President Yamandú Orsi
力量
- 人员
- About 2,850English Wikipedia’s figure; not confirmed from an official source
- 战斗机
-
- Embraer A-29 Super Tucano — 2 delivered, 6 ordered
The A-37B was retired on 13 May 2026 and the IA-58 Pucará in 2017; Uruguay has no jet combat aircraft
- 运输
-
- Lockheed KC-130H Hercules — 2
- CASA C-212 Aviocar — 5
- Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia — 2
- Beechcraft Baron — 3
- Cessna U-206H — 6
Fleet numbers from English Wikipedia, KC-130H from Zona Militar
- 直升机
-
- Bell 212 — 5
- Bell UH-1H — 3
- Eurocopter AS365N2 Dauphin — 2
- Bell 206 — 3
Bell 212s have flown with the UN in the DR Congo since 2010
- 教练
-
- Pilatus PC-7U — 5
- SIAI-Marchetti SF.260EU — 6
Four PC-7s received digital cockpits in 2026
基础设施
- Air brigades
-
- Air Brigade I — Carrasco, Montevideo (transport, helicopters)
- Air Brigade II — Durazno (A-29, advanced training)
- Air Brigade III — Boiso Lanza, Montevideo
The two Wikipedias disagree on whether Squadron 7 belongs to Brigade I or III
- Military Aviation School
- Gen. Artigas air base, PandoOfficer training
- Jet-capable runways
- Carrasco and DuraznoCarrasco’s longest runway is 3,200 m, Durazno’s 2,285 m
- 博物馆
- Col. Jaime Meregalli Aeronautical MuseumAt the Carrasco air base
How the Uruguayan Air Force is organised
The smallest and youngest of Uruguay’s three services, commanded from Montevideo through three air brigades and a Military Aviation School at Pando. Since the A-37B Dragonfly was retired on 13 May 2026 its only combat aircraft are two A-29 Super Tucanos of Escuadrón Aéreo N° 2 at Durazno, the first of six ordered; the other four had no published delivery dates in April 2026. Air Brigade I at Carrasco flies the transports, among them two KC-130H tankers, and the helicopters.
Uruguayan Air Force
The smallest and youngest of Uruguay’s three services, separate from the army since Law 12.070 of 4 December 1953, under the Ministry of National Defence; the Air Command general headquarters is in Montevideo. Gen. del Aire Fernando Colina was Commander-in-Chief in February, May and July 2026; the date he took command was not confirmed. English Wikipedia gives about 2,850 personnel.
Escuadrón Aéreo N° 2 (Caza)
Air Brigade II’s squadron, 75 years old on 13 May 2026, the day its A-37B Dragonflies, Uruguay’s last jets, were retired after almost 50 years. It now flies two A-29 Super Tucanos, FAU 250 and 251, which arrived on 18 February 2026; the other four of six ordered had no published delivery dates in April 2026.
Escuadrón Aéreo N° 3 (Transporte)
Air Brigade I’s transport squadron, heir to the TAMU service of 1959, with two ex-Spanish KC-130H Hercules, the air force’s first tankers since 2020, CASA C-212s and EMB 120 Brasilias. The C-212s have flown maritime patrol and, with the UN in Haiti, lost FAU 531 on 9 October 2009.
Escuadrón Aéreo N° 5 (Helicópteros)
Air Brigade I’s helicopter squadron, with Bell 212s, UH-1Hs and AS365N2 Dauphins. Its Bell 212s have flown with the UN mission in the DR Congo since 2010; Zona Militar described the unit in 2023 as the only helicopter squadron in the mission able to fly at night, and a US-donated Bell 212 was received at Carrasco in July 2023.
Military Aviation School and Advanced Flight Squadron
The school at Pando traces its line to the aviation school founded at Los Cerrillos on 17 March 1913 and trains the officers on SF.260EU and PC-7U trainers; which types fly from Pando rather than Durazno was not confirmed. The Advanced Flight Squadron at Durazno trained two Paraguayan officers in 2025.
Air Brigade III
Headquartered at the Boiso Lanza air base in Montevideo, where the pact of 12 February 1973 was signed. Spanish Wikipedia lists the National Air Police and special operations under the brigade; English Wikipedia places Escuadrón Aéreo N° 7 (observation and liaison) here, Spanish Wikipedia at Carrasco.
What the Uruguayan Air Force flies today
每种收费类型都链接到其在《野兽之书》中的页面（如果存在）。. 统计的是登记在册的飞机数量，而不是某一天可用的飞机数量。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 在服役 | 自从 | 单位 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 巴西航空工业公司A-29超级巨嘴鸟在服役 | Light attack and interception | 2 | 2026 | — | Two delivered (FAU 250 and 251) of six ordered; four more without published dates in April 2026. | |
| 洛克希德KC-130H大力神在服役 | Transport and air-to-air refuelling | 2 | 2020 | — | Two, FAU 594 and 595, ex-Spanish Air Force. | |
| CASA C-212 航空器在服役 | 运输和海上巡逻 | 5 | 1981 | — | Five per English Wikipedia, four used for maritime patrol; five were bought in 1981. | |
| Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia在服役 | VIP and transport | 2 | — | Two, per English Wikipedia. | ||
| Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (C-95)在服役 | 光运输 | 1 | 1975 | — | Five bought in 1975; one left, in storage awaiting overhaul according to English Wikipedia. | |
| Beechcraft Baron 55/58在服役 | Liaison and multi-engine training | 3 | 1998 | — | Three; two Baron 58s were bought in 1998. | |
| Cessna U-206H Stationair在服役 | Light transport and liaison | 6 | 1998 | — | Six; ten were bought in 1998. | |
| 贝尔212在服役 | 通用直升机 | 5 | 1981 | — | Five per English Wikipedia; first bought in 1981, with two more donated by the US in 2021 and 2023. | |
| 贝尔UH-1H易洛魁在服役 | 通用直升机 | 3 | — | Three, per English Wikipedia. | ||
| Eurocopter AS365N2 Dauphin在服役 | 搜救直升机 | 2 | 1998 | — | Two, bought in 1998. | |
| 贝尔206在服役 | 训练直升机 | 3 | — | Three, per English Wikipedia. | ||
| Pilatus PC-7U在服役 | 基础和高级教练 | 5 | 1992 | — | Five; six were bought in 1992. | |
| SIAI-Marchetti / Aermacchi SF.260EU (T-260EU)在服役 | 主教练 | 6 | 1999 | — | Six per English Wikipedia; 13 T-260EU were bought in 1999. |
已下单
| 类型 | 已订购 | 首批交付 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 巴西航空工业公司A-29超级巨嘴鸟已下单 | 4 | 2026 | The remaining four of six; a 2024 plan foresaw two a year in 2025, 2026 and 2027, but no dates for the last four had been published by April 2026.
更多的Spanish Wikipedia’s claim of five further options exercised in 2025 was not confirmed and is not counted. |
Every type the Uruguayan Air Force has retired
18 types, from the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth to the Cessna A-37B Dragonfly. 峰值数字是指飞机在整个服役期内接收的机身数量，而不是任何某一天的机队规模。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 顶峰 | 已上菜 | 被替换为 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 塞斯纳A-37B蜻蜓 | Light attack jet | 8 | 1976–2026 | A-29 Super Tucano | Eight bought new in 1976 (FAU 270–277); English Wikipedia records fatal accidents in 2004 and 2016. | |
| 洛克希德C-130B大力神运输机 | 战术运输 | 3 | 1992–2020 | KC-130H Hercules | 三。. | |
| FMA IA-58A Pucará | Counter-insurgency attack | 6 | 1981–2017 | A-29 Super Tucano | Six, received in 1981. | |
| 洛克希德T-33A流星 | Jet trainer and fighter | 4 | 1956–1996 | — | Four arrived on 23 October 1956. | |
| 比奇T-34导师 | 教练 | — | — | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| 北美F-51D野马战斗机 | 战斗机 | 25 | 1950–1958 | — | 25. | |
| Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star | 战斗机 | — | 1958年— | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| North American B-25J Mitchell | 中型轰炸机 | 11 | 1950年— | — | 11. | |
| Fairchild Hiller FH-227D | 运输 | — | — | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain | 运输 | — | 1947年— | — | Number not confirmed; three C-47As came in 1949–1950. | |
| Gates Learjet 35A | VIP and photo survey | 1 | 1981– | — | 一。. | |
| 北美T-6德克萨斯人 | 教练 | — | 1942年 | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon | 教练 | — | 1942年 | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth | 教练 | — | 1935– | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| IMAM Ro.37 | 侦察 | — | 1935– | — | 号码未确认。. | |
| Avro 504K | 教练 | 16 | — | — | 16. | |
| Breguet 14 | 侦察机和轰炸机 | 13 | — | — | 13. | |
| Nieuport 27 | 战斗机 | 28 | — | — | 28. |
Where the Uruguayan Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the four listed has closed. Durazno, inaugurated in 1977 as Montevideo’s bad-weather alternate, is Uruguay’s combat base, where the A-29s arrived and the A-37Bs were retired in 2026; Air Brigade I shares Carrasco, Montevideo’s international airport, where Uruguay’s jet age began in 1956. Boiso Lanza, where the 1973 pact was signed, and the school at Pando have no published coordinates and carry no pin. Coordinates and runways are from English Wikipedia, as the DINACIA AIP could not be reached.
| 根据 | 国际民航组织 | 地位 | 跑道 | 部队和飞机 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiso LanzaMontevideo Department | SUBL | 积极的 | — |
|
| CarrascoCanelones Department | SUMU | 积极的 | 07/253200米01/192,250 m |
|
| DuraznoSanta BernardinaDurazno Department | SUDU | 积极的 | 03/212,285 米混凝土和沥青10/281,450 m |
|
| General Artigas, PandoCanelones Department | 积极的 | — |
没有找到符合搜索结果的空军基地。.
Who is stationed where in the Uruguayan Air Force
按基地排列飞行部队，当前部队优先。. Uruguayan squadrons are numbered Escuadrones Aéreos under three air brigades: N° 2 flies the A-29 at Durazno with Brigade II, N° 3 the transports and N° 5 the helicopters at Carrasco with Brigade I. Escuadrón Aéreo N° 1, which flew the Pucará until 2017, is listed as former. Where the English and Spanish Wikipedias disagree on a unit’s base, as for N° 7, the entry says so.
- Escuadrón Aéreo N° 2 (Caza)Fighter and light attack squadron · active
- A-29 Super Tucano (2 of 6), A-37B Dragonfly (1976–2026)
- Advanced Flight Squadron (Escuadrón de Vuelo Avanzado)Advanced training squadron · active
- Aircraft type not confirmed
- Escuadrón Aéreo N° 1 (Ataque)—
- FMA IA-58A Pucará
- Escuadrón Aéreo N° 3 (Transporte)运输中队 · 现役
- KC-130H Hercules, CASA C-212, EMB 120 Brasilia
- Escuadrón Aéreo N° 5 (Helicópteros)直升机中队 · 现役
- 贝尔212号, Bell UH-1H, AS365N2 Dauphin
- Air Brigade IIIAir brigade · active
- —
没有符合搜索条件的单位。.
Uruguayan Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
17 March: the Military Aviation School opens at Los Cerrillos. 22 June: Cesáreo L. Berisso flies the first solo by a Uruguayan.
10 August: Captain Juan Manuel Boiso Lanza is killed in training at Pau, France; the date becomes the day of the martyrs of military aviation.
The school becomes the Aeronáutica Militar, still part of the army.
April: Aeronáutica N° 1, today’s Air Brigade I, is formed at Carrasco.
25 F-51D Mustangs, 11 B-25J Mitchells and three C-47As arrive from the US in 1949–1950.
4 December: Law 12.070 creates the Fuerza Aérea Militar as a separate service; renamed Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya in 1956.
23 October: four T-33As land at Carrasco, Uruguay’s first jets.
13 October: FH-227D FAU 571 crashes in the Andes; 16 of 45 aboard are rescued on 22–23 December.
12 February: the Boiso Lanza pact is signed at the air base of that name. 27 June: parliament is dissolved; military-led rule lasts until 1985.
Eight new A-37B Dragonflies are ferried from McConnell AFB.
14 April: Santa Bernardina airfield at Durazno is inaugurated.
Six IA-58 Pucarás, Bell 212 helicopters and five C-212s join the fleet.
28 January: an FH-227D makes the first landing by a Uruguayan aircraft in Antarctica.
Three C-130B Hercules and six Pilatus PC-7Us arrive.
9 October: C-212 FAU 531 crashes in Haiti on a MINUSTAH mission, killing six Uruguayans and five Jordanians.
The IA-58 Pucará is retired.
Two ex-Spanish KC-130H Hercules replace the C-130Bs.
18 February: the first two A-29 Super Tucanos arrive at Durazno. 13 May: the A-37B is retired after almost 50 years.
The Uruguayan Air Force in combat and peacekeeping
记录中有出击次数和损失的地方都如实记录，没有记录的地方则保持空白。.
- The 1935 revolution 1935 English Wikipedia says Tiger Moths saw their first combat use in the 1935 revolution
- UN peacekeeping in the DR Congo 2010– Bell 212 utility helicopters supporting the UN mission
- UN peacekeeping in Haiti 2009 C-212 Aviocar transport and reconnaissance for the UN mission
Everything people ask about the Uruguayan Air Force
What is the Uruguayan Air Force called in Spanish?
What aircraft does the Uruguayan Air Force fly in 2026?
Does Uruguay have fighter jets?
When was the Uruguayan Air Force founded?
What was Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571?
What was the Boiso Lanza pact?
Why did Uruguay buy the Super Tucano?
Has the Uruguayan Air Force ever been to war?
Where are the Uruguayan Air Force bases?
Read the aircraft the Uruguayan Air Force flew
每种类型都在《野兽之书》中占有一席之地，先按服役年份，再按离开舰队的年份。.
所有事实均已核实
- IMPO: Ley N° 12.070 (4 December 1953)Primary text: creates the Fuerza Aérea Militar from the whole of the existing Aeronáutica Militar; promulgated 4 December 1953, published 22 December 1953.
- Zona Militar: Después de casi 50 años de servicio, la Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya retiró sus históricos A-37B Dragonfly (13 May 2026)A-37B retired at Durazno on the 75th anniversary of Escuadrón Aéreo N° 2; eight bought new in 1976 (FAU 270–277), ferried from McConnell AFB; Gen. del Aire Fernando Colina.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya presentó oficialmente en Durazno a sus dos nuevos aviones de ataque A-29 Super Tucano (25 February 2026)Six A-29 for USD 100 million with simulator, logistics and infrastructure; presentation with President Yamandú Orsi and Defence Minister Sandra Lazo.
- Zona Militar: Escoltados por los A-37 Dragonfly, los nuevos A-29 Super Tucano arribaron a la Base Aérea de Durazno (18 February 2026)FAU 250 and 251 arrived on 18 February 2026 escorted by two A-37s; contract of late 2024.
- Zona Militar: EE.UU. donará sensores de vigilancia y reconocimiento para los A-29 Super Tucano de la Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya (11 April 2026)US Embassy announced about USD 5 million of ISR sensors; four A-29 still to come, no dates.
- Zona Militar: Presente y futuro de las Fuerzas Armadas de Uruguay (12 September 2024)Six A-29 planned, two a year in 2025–2027; first combat aircraft purchase since 1981; Defence Minister Armando Castaingdebat.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya reincorporó a uno de sus Hércules KC-130H tras trabajos de PDM en Portugal (18 February 2025)Two KC-130H (FAU 594, 595) bought from Spain in 2020 to replace the C-130Bs of 1992; FAU 595 overhauled by OGMA in Lisbon.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya recibió un Bell 212 donado por los EE.UU. (11 July 2023)Second US-donated Bell 212 under GPOI; FAU Bell 212s with MONUSCO in the DR Congo since 2010.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya presentó las cabinas digitalizadas de sus Pilatus PC-7 y Cessna U-206H (28 July 2026)Four PC-7 plus two further aircraft given Garmin glass cockpits by CELCOL Aviation for USD 860,000; Lazo and Colina present.
- Zona Militar: Ejercicio Salitre: la Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya dirá presente en Chile (21 June 2026)Two Paraguayan officers completed advanced flight training at the Tte. 2° M. W. Parallada base in Uruguay in 2025.
- DINACIA (Uruguayan civil aviation authority)The AIP could not be reached from the authority’s site for this dataset; aerodrome data here are not from the AIP.
数据已于 2026 年 10 月 1 日核实。战斗序列页面由单个数据集重新生成；如果此处的数字与《野兽之书》页面不一致，则此页面为两者中较新的页面。.
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