Letecké síly španělské armády

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Letecké síly španělské armády

Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET)

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.

Národní značeníThe Spanish roundel: a red outer ring, a yellow ring and a red centre, with EJÉRCITO DE TIERRA titles
0Bojová letadla
7Aktivní letecké základny
1965Založeno
9Typy vyřazené z provozu
Photo: Enrique Freire from Cartagena, Murcia, España / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
ZeměŠpanělskoZaloženo1965PostaveníAktivníVelitelstvíColmenar Viejo
Příběh

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 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.Spanish Army Airmobile Force · verified 2026-09-30
Na první pohled

The Spanish Army Airmobile Force in numbers

Servis

Rodné jméno
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
Založeno
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
Část
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
Velitelství
Base Coronel Maté, Colmenar Viejo (Madrid)Founded as base Los Remedios; opened 29 June 1966 per the Army, 27 May 1966 per Spanish Wikipedia
Velitel
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

Pevnost

Útočné vrtulníky
  • Tigre HAD-E (HA.28) — 18

The six HAP-E were retired around the end of 2020

Transportní vrtulníky
  • 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

Na objednávku
  • 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

Personál
The Army’s FAMET pages give no personnel total; about 40 people serve with the Slovakia detachment (blog)

Infrastruktura

základny vrtulníků
  • 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
  • Base Santiago, El Aaiún — UHEL II, 1971–1975

The Sahara base was given up in December 1975

Oddíly
MelillaA permanent detachment in Melilla; Super Pumas from Seville support Ceuta, Melilla and the peñones
Výcvik
Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra (ACAVIET)The former CEFAMET, renamed in 2018 per Spanish Wikipedia; flies the EC135 at Colmenar Viejo
Údržba
PCMHEL, Colmenar ViejoThe helicopter maintenance park
Drony
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
Nasazení v zahraničí (2026)
Malacky, SlovenskoUHEL SVK with Tigre and NH90 since May 2025 (blog)
Struktura

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.

Velitelství

FAMET Headquarters

Cuartel General de las FAMET
Colmenar Viejo

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.

Útok

Attack Helicopter Battalion I (BHELA I)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I
Almagro

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.

Těžká doprava

Transport Helicopter Battalion V (BHELTRA V)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Transporte V
Colmenar Viejo

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

Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion III (BHELMA III)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra III
Agoncillo

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

Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion IV (BHELMA IV)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra IV
El Copero, Seville

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.

Emergencies

Emergency Helicopter Battalion II (BHELEME II)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Emergencias II
Bétera

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.

Kanárské ostrovy

Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion VI (BHELMA VI)

Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra VI
Los Rodeos, Tenerife

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.

Výcvik

Army Aviation Academy (ACAVIET)

Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra
Colmenar Viejo

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.

V provozu

What the Spanish Army Airmobile Force flies today

Každý typ na obvinění, propojený s jeho stránkou v Knize zvířat, kde nějaký existuje. Počty se vztahují na letadla v evidenci, nikoli na letadla dostupná v daný den.

Typ Role V provozu Od Jednotky Poznámky
Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigre HAD-E (HA.28)V provozu Útočný vrtulník 18 2007 18 HAD-E in service of 24 Tigres bought; the six HAP-E are retired.
Boeing CH-47F Chinook (HT.17)V provozu Těžký transportní vrtulník 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)V provozu Taktický transportní vrtulník 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)V provozu 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)V provozu 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)V provozu Cvičný a lehký užitkový vrtulník 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)V provozu Užitkový vrtulník 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.
Tigre HAD-E18
CH-47F17
NH9017
Puma17
Super Puma16
EC13516

Na objednávku

Typ Objednané První dodávka Poznámky
Airbus Helicopters H145M (HELIPO)Na objednávku 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.

Více

A 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)Na objednávku 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.

Více

Earlier Standard 3 aircraft of the second batch began arriving on 19 December 2025.
Airbus Helicopters Tigre Mk III (upgrade)Na objednávku 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.
Dříve provozováno

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). Špičkové hodnoty se vztahují na počet draků letadel převzatých do provozu po celou dobu jejich životnosti, nikoli na počet letadel v daný den.

Typ Role Vrchol Obsluhováno Nahrazeno Poznámky
Boeing CH-47C and CH-47D Chinook (HT.17) Těžký transportní vrtulník 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.

Více

One 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) Užitkový vrtulník 60 1971–2018 Cougar, NH90 60 acquired, according to Spanish Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page.
Bell UH-1B Iroquois Užitkový vrtulník 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 Tygr 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 Pozorovací, styčný a cvičný vrtulník 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.
Letecké základny

Where the Spanish Army Airmobile Force flies from

Černé špendlíky označují aktivní základny, duté špendlíky označují uzavřená letiště. 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.

Aktivní letecká základna Zavřeno nebo rezervovánoKliknutím na špendlík otevřete základní stránku

Španělsko

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.

Báze ICAO Postavení Dráha Jednotky a letadla
Armádní vrtulníková základna AgoncilloLa Rioja LELO Aktivní
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra III (BHELMA III): NHIndustries NH90 TTH (HT.29)
Základna armádních vrtulníků AlmagroKastilie-La Mancha (Ciudad Real) LEAO Aktivní
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (BHELA I): Vrtulníky Airbus Tigre HAD-E (HA.28), Tigre HAP-E (vyřazeny z provozu přibližně v letech 2020–2021)
  • letky BHELA I Bo 105: MBB Bo 105 (HA.15 / HR.15)
Bétera Army Helicopter BaseValencian Community (Valencia) LEBT Aktivní
Armádní vrtulníková základna Colmenar ViejoMadridské společenství LECV Aktivní
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Transporte V (BHELTRA V): CH-47F Chinook (HT.17); CH-47C a D předtím
  • Batallón de Cuartel General de las FAMET
  • Logistická skupina FAMET
  • Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra (ACAVIET): Vrtulníky Airbus EC135 (HE.26)
  • BHELEME II, podskupina lehkých vrtulníků: Vrtulníky Airbus EC135
  • Parque y Centro de Mantenimiento de Helicópteros (PCMHEL)
  • Unidad de Helicópteros XI a první jednotky Huey: Bell UH-1B a UH-1H Iroquois (HU.10)
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (prozatímní domov): MBB Bo 105 (HR.15 / HA.15)
Armádní vrtulníková základna El CoperoAndalusia (Seville) LEEC Aktivní
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra IV (BHELMA IV): Airbus Helicopters AS532UL Cougar (HT.27), NHIndustries NH90 (HT.29, from 2026), Aérospatiale AS332B1 Super Puma (HU.21)
  • UHEL II (after the Sahara): Bell UH-1H (HU.10)
Los Rodeos Army Helicopter BaseCanary Islands (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) GCXO Aktivní 12/303,171 m
  • Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra VI (BHELMA VI): Agusta-Bell AB 212 (HU.18), Aérospatiale AS332 Super Puma
Melilla Army Helicopter DetachmentMelilla Aktivní
Base Santiago, El AaiúnWestern Sahara (Spanish Sahara until 1975; its status is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front) Zavřeno 1975
  • Unidad de Helicópteros II (UHEL II): Bell UH-1H (HU.10), Bell OH-58 Kiowa, Aérospatiale Alouette III

Tomuto vyhledávání neodpovídá žádná letecká základna.

Pořadí bitvy

Who is stationed where in the Spanish Army Airmobile Force

Létající jednotky podle základny, aktuální jednotky jako první. 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.

Armádní vrtulníková základna Colmenar Viejo · LECVCuartel General de las FAMET
Batallón de Helicópteros de Transporte V (BHELTRA V)Heavy transport helicopter battalion · active
CH-47F Chinook (HT.17); CH-47C a D předtím
Batallón de Cuartel General de las FAMETVelitelský prapor · aktivní
Logistická skupina FAMETLogistic group · active
Academia de Aviación del Ejército de Tierra (ACAVIET)Army aviation academy · active
Vrtulníky Airbus EC135 (HE.26)
BHELEME II, podskupina lehkých vrtulníkůEmergency helicopter subgroup · active
Vrtulníky Airbus EC135
Parque y Centro de Mantenimiento de Helicópteros (PCMHEL)Skladiště pro údržbu vrtulníků · aktivní
Unidad de Helicópteros XI a první jednotky Huey1966–2018
Bell UH-1B a UH-1H Iroquois (HU.10)
Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (prozatímní domov)1980–1983
MBB Bo 105 (HR.15 / HA.15)
Základna armádních vrtulníků Almagro · LEAOBHELA I, Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra
Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque I (BHELA I)Attack helicopter battalion · active
Vrtulníky Airbus Tigre HAD-E (HA.28), Tigre HAP-E (vyřazeny z provozu přibližně v letech 2020–2021)
letky BHELA I Bo 1051980–2017
MBB Bo 105 (HA.15 / HR.15)
Agoncillo Army Helicopter Base · LELOBHELMA III, Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra
Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra III (BHELMA III)Manoeuvre helicopter battalion · active
NHIndustries NH90 TTH (HT.29)
El Copero Army Helicopter Base · LEECBHELMA IV, Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra
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)
Bétera Army Helicopter Base · LEBTBHELEME II, FAMET, under the operational control of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias
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
Los Rodeos Army Helicopter Base · GCXOBHELMA VI, Mando de Canarias
Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra VI (BHELMA VI)Manoeuvre helicopter battalion · active
Agusta-Bell AB 212 (HU.18), Aérospatiale AS332 Super Puma

Žádná jednotka neodpovídá tomuto vyhledávání.

Časová osa

Spanish Army Airmobile Force milestones, 1914 to today

1958

The Army buys 13 Bird Dogs, two H-19 and two OH-23C, but the Air Force flies them (Spanish Wikipedia).

1965

10 July: the Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra is created for the Brunete Armoured Division.

1966

Base Los Remedios, Colmenar Viejo, opens (29 June per the Army; 27 May per Spanish Wikipedia). 29 July: the first two UH-1B arrive.

1971

24 March: UHEL II is formed at El Aaiún in the Spanish Sahara; its 12 UH-1H follow at the end of the year.

1973

20 March: the unit is renamed Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET). The first CH-47C Chinooks arrive.

1975

19 December: the last UHEL II helicopters leave El Aaiún after the Madrid Accords.

1977

20 April: FAMET’s commander, Colonel Ángel Maté Sánchez, and six others die in a night crash near Los Remedios (Spanish Wikipedia).

1988

The helicopter units become battalions, including BHELA I (attack) at Almagro and BHELTRA V (Chinooks) at Colmenar Viejo.

1991

April: five Hueys and two Chinooks fly for the Kurds from Zakho, FAMET’s first multinational operation.

1997

The first of 22 SPAHEL rotations to SFOR in Bosnia, lasting to 2005.

2002

July: four Cougars land special forces on Perejil Island.

2005

16 August: a Cougar crashes in western Afghanistan and 17 Spanish soldiers die. December: the first EC135s arrive.

2007

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.

2013

Tigres deploy to Afghanistan; December: FAMET leaves Afghanistan after 20 ASPUHEL rotations.

2014

The first NH90 reaches BHELMA III at Agoncillo.

2018

18 June: Task Force Toro deploys to Iraq. 21 September: the CH-47F programme is approved. 12 December: the last UH-1H flight.

2021

June: three NH90s deploy to Mali. 25 November: the first CH-47F lands at Santander.

2025

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.

Bojový záznam

Každá operace, kterou španělské armádní letecké síly provedly

Výpady a ztráty tam, kde je statistika udává, a poctivá prázdnota tam, kde ne.

13konflikty
1971První
1Ztráta letadla
17Zabit
  • Španělská Sahara 1971–1975 Transport, patrol, liaison, observation, artillery fire adjustment, fire support and medical evacuation for the Sahara garrison
  • Operace Alfa-Kilo 1991 Air mobility, tactical and logistic transport and medical evacuation for the Kurdish refugee relief operation
  • Operace Charlie-Sierra (SFOR) 1997–2005 Air mobility for SFOR manoeuvre units, tactical and logistic transport and medical evacuation
  • Albánie a Kosovo 1999–2010 Refugee support in Albania in 1999; then tactical and logistic transport, training, medevac and command flights for KFOR
  • Operace India-Mike 2000 Initial support for the Spanish medical unit and delivery of emergency food aid

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Výrobci

Who built the Spanish Army Airmobile Force fleet

Každá společnost stojící za letouny na této stránce má svou vlastní stránku: příběh, každý typ, který postavila, čísla a další letectva, která s nimi létají.

Aktuální vozový park a objednávky

Vrtulníky Airbusu, NHIndustries, Aérospatiale, Agusta, Boeing

Otázky a odpovědi

Everything people ask about the Spanish Army Airmobile Force

What is the Spanish Army Airmobile Force called in Spanish?
Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, shortened to FAMET; that is the name on the Army’s official site, ejercito.defensa.gob.es. The English name follows the current English Wikipedia article title. It was created in 1965 as the Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra and took the FAMET name on 20 March 1973.
What helicopters does the Spanish Army fly in 2026?
The Army lists six types: the Tigre attack helicopter (HA-28), the CH-47 Chinook (HT-17, now all CH-47F), the NH90 (HT-29), the Cougar (HT-27), the Super Puma (HU-21) and the EC135 trainer (HE-26). A few AB-212s also fly in the Canaries. Specialist counts are about 18 Tigres, 17 Chinooks, 17–18 NH90s, 17 Cougars, 15–16 Super Pumas and 16 EC135s.
Is FAMET part of the Spanish Air and Space Force?
No. FAMET belongs to the Army (Ejército de Tierra) and flies only helicopters in support of land forces; the Air and Space Force and the Navy’s air arm have their own helicopters. The three services buy some types together, such as the NH90, and the Army’s Chinooks and Cougars have often deployed alongside Air Force aircraft.
Where are the Spanish Army’s helicopters based?
The headquarters and the Chinook battalion are at Colmenar Viejo, north of Madrid. The Tigres are at Almagro (Ciudad Real), the NH90 battalion at Agoncillo (La Rioja), a manoeuvre battalion at El Copero near Seville, the emergency battalion at Bétera (Valencia) and a battalion at Los Rodeos, Tenerife; there is also a detachment in Melilla.
Did the Spanish Army buy the Airbus H175M?
No. The six H175-based helicopters funded by Royal Decree 848/2025 (programme HACES) are for the Air and Space Force, to replace Ala 48’s Super Pumas and Cougars. FAMET’s share of the 2025 Airbus package is the HELIPO light twin, 45–54 depending on the source (a blog reports 50 H145M), and 13 more NH90s.
What happened to the Spanish Cougar in Afghanistan in 2005?
On 16 August 2005 a FAMET Cougar crashed in western Afghanistan and all 17 Spanish soldiers aboard were killed, the heaviest loss in the force’s history (English Wikipedia’s coalition casualty list; Spanish Wikipedia names the five crew). The sources reached for this page do not establish the cause, so none is given here.
Did FAMET fight in the Spanish Sahara?
Yes. From 1971 to 1975 the helicopter unit UHEL II at El Aaiún flew transport, patrol, observation, artillery adjustment and fire support for the garrison, according to the Army. The last helicopters left on 19 December 1975, after the Madrid Accords. Spanish Wikipedia says two Hueys evaded an SA-7 missile in May 1975; the Army’s summary does not mention it.
When did the Tigre enter Spanish service, and what is the Mk III?
Spain joined the Tiger programme in 2003 and ordered 24; English Wikipedia dates the HAD deliveries from 2007 (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), while a specialist blog says the first Tigres arrived in 2005. Six early HAP-E were retired around the end of 2020. The 18 HAD-E at Almagro are to be upgraded to Tigre Mk III with France, with deliveries from about 2030.
Which missions abroad has FAMET flown?
The Army lists Kurdistan (1991), Bosnia (1997–2005 and 2007–2008), Albania (1999), Kosovo, Mozambique (2000), Kyrgyzstan (2002–2003), Iraq (2003–2004 and 2018–2024), Afghanistan (2004–2013), Lebanon (2007–2013) and Mali (2021–2022), and before them the Sahara (1971–1975). Since 2025 Tigres and an NH90 have been in Slovakia.
Does FAMET fly drones?
Not as far as the official pages show. The Army’s tactical drones, such as the PASI (an IAI Searcher Mk IIJ), appear on the Army’s equipment pages without being assigned to FAMET. Spanish Wikipedia describes unmanned systems as a future plan for the force.

Zdroje a další četba

Každý fakt, ověřený

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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)