Every war the Bolivian Air Force has fought
The air arm’s only war was fought against Paraguay over the Gran Chaco, as part of the army. Its air-combat claims, among them Lieutenant Rafael Pabón’s victory over a Paraguayan Potez 25 on 4 December 1932, which Bolivian accounts call the first aerial victory in the Americas, come mainly from Bolivian accounts as summarised by Wikipedia; the Paraguayan versions were not found. Paraguay, which won the war, credits its own airmen with an important part in its victory. The air force’s part in Bolivia’s military governments and in the 1967 campaign against Che Guevara’s guerrillas was not documented in the sources checked and is not listed. Where a consolidated sortie or loss figure exists in the official record it is given here; where accounts disagree, the range is shown and the disagreement named. Blank cells are blank because no figure could be verified, not because the fighting was small.
The Chaco War of 1932–1935, the air arm’s only war.
| Conflicto | Años | Contra | Avión principal | Salidas | Avión perdido | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Chaco WarGuerra del ChacoBolivian military aviation (Cuerpo de Aviación, part of the army) | 1932–1935 | Paraguay | Curtiss-Wright C-14 Osprey, Curtiss P-6S Hawk, Curtiss Falcony 2 más | |||
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Reconnaissance, bombing and fighter combat against the Paraguayan Military Aviation, and air supply of the front. Bolivia went to war with the larger air force on paper. To the Vickers and Breguets of the 1920s it added, from December 1932, eight Curtiss Hawk fighters, at least 20 Curtiss Osprey fighter-bombers, six Falcons and Junkers transports; an attempt to bring in Curtiss Condor bombers failed when Peru intercepted them. On 4 December 1932 Lieutenant Rafael Pabón, flying a Vickers Type 143, shot down a Paraguayan Potez 25 and killed its two crew; the Spanish Wikipedia article on him calls it the first air combat and first aerial victory in the history of the Americas, a claim that rests on Bolivian accounts. On 22 December three Vespas attacked Bahía Negra and one was shot down by the gunboat Tacuary; on 27 April 1933 six Ospreys bombed Puerto Casado, but diplomatic pressure stopped further raids on the river. On 26 November 1934 Bolivian aircraft attacked the Brazilian steamer Paraguay by mistake. The air arm’s reconnaissance was valuable, but the army commander, General Hans Kundt, dismissed reports of Paraguayan encirclements as exaggerations by over-eager airmen. Pabón claimed a second victory on 18 June 1934 and was killed on 12 August 1934 chasing a Paraguayan reconnaissance aircraft flown by Captain Carmelo Peralta; Bolivian sources say its gunner hit him and his parachute failed. Paraguay, whose Military Aviation flew Potez 25s and Fiat CR.20bis fighters, credits its airmen with an important part in its victory. Resultado Ceasefire on 12 June 1935. The 1938 peace treaty, signed in Buenos Aires, gave Paraguay about three quarters of the disputed Gran Chaco. Air-combat claims come mainly from Bolivian accounts as summarised by Wikipedia (citing Hagedorn and Sapienza, Aircraft of the Chaco War); the Paraguayan versions of the 4 December 1932 and 18 June 1934 combats were not found. Some specialists, per the same article, long doubted that Pabón was brought down by Paraguayan fire; wreckage was recovered in June 2018. The type of the aircraft Pabón claimed on 18 June 1934 is given as a "FIAT" and was not confirmed. The Ju 52s may have been flown by or for the airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano.
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Cada cifra, verificada
Cifras verificadas el 1 de octubre de 2026. Back to the Bolivian Air Force.