Bolivian Air Force

Orden de batalla · Bolivia

Bolivian Air Force

Fuerza Aérea Boliviana

The Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Boliviana) dates itself to a flying school founded at El Alto on 12 October 1923, fought its only war over the Chaco against Paraguay in 1932–1935, kept the T-33 flying longer than anyone else on earth, until 2017, and today is a small transport, helicopter and training force whose only jets are a handful of Chinese K-8s.

Marcado nacionalRed outer ring, yellow ring, green centre.
0Aviones de combate
7bases aéreas activas
1923Fundado
18Tipos retirados
Photo: SSgt. Kenrick Thomas, USAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
PaísBoliviaFundado1923EstadoActivoSedeLa PazComandanteSergio Fernando Lora Arauz
La historia

The Bolivian Air Force story: a flying school on the Altiplano, the Chaco War and the last T-33s in the world

1916–1931: a flying school on the Altiplano

Bolivian military flying began on the high plateau above La Paz. President Ismael Montes sent officers to Argentina and Chile to learn to fly in 1916; on 17 April 1920 an American, Donald Hudson, made the first official flight in the country, ten minutes in a Curtiss triplane near what is now El Alto; and in November 1921 Juan Mendoza y Nernuldes became the first Bolivian pilot. On 12 October 1923 President Bautista Saavedra founded the Escuela Militar de Aviación at El Alto with seven Morane-Saulnier trainers — the date the air force still celebrates. Through the 1920s the army’s air arm bought what it could from Europe: Breguet 19s, Fokker C.Vs, two DH.9s, Junkers transports and, in 1929, Vickers Vespas. Its first war, though, would be fought far from the Altiplano, in the hot lowland scrub of the Chaco.

1932–1935: the Chaco War in the air

The Chaco War with Paraguay, from 9 September 1932 to 12 June 1935, was the air arm’s only war. Bolivia bought eight Curtiss Hawks, at least 20 Ospreys and six Falcons, and Junkers transports flew supplies to a front that roads barely reached. On 4 December 1932 Lieutenant Rafael Pabón shot down a Paraguayan Potez 25, a combat Bolivian accounts call the first aerial victory in the Americas; on 22 December a Vespa was lost to a Paraguayan gunboat at Bahía Negra, and in April 1933 six Ospreys bombed Puerto Casado. Air superiority did not win the war. The army commander, General Hans Kundt, dismissed reconnaissance reports of Paraguayan encirclements as airmen’s exaggerations; Pabón was killed in August 1934; and Paraguay, which credits its own Potez and Fiat squadrons with a large share of its victory, kept most of the Chaco under the 1938 treaty.

1945–1985: airline, independence and American surplus

After the war the air arm turned to transport. The first C-47s arrived on 15 June 1945 and became the core of Transportes Aéreos Militares, an air force airline that for decades flew to towns in the north and east that had no road. On 26 September 1957 the Fuerza Aérea Boliviana became an independent service. Combat equipment came from the United States: in 1967 Cavalier rebuilt nine F-51D and two TF-51D Mustangs for Bolivia under the Peace Condor programme, ground-attack aircraft for a country that had no air enemy. The air force’s part in Bolivia’s military governments of the 1960s to the early 1980s, and in the 1967 campaign against Che Guevara’s guerrillas, was not documented in the sources checked for this page and is left out; that gap is ours, not history’s.

1973–2017: the last T-33s in the world

The jet age arrived late and stayed long. Bolivia bought 15 Canadair T-33ANs in 1973–74, five more in 1977 and 18 French-surplus T-33SFs in 1985, and in 2000–2001 had 18 rebuilt in Canada with new avionics and renewed wings. The 24 Pilatus PC-7s delivered from 1979 became the trainer fleet. It was a cheap air force, and an accident-prone one: about 13 PC-7s were lost in crashes, by Spanish Wikipedia’s count. In January 2009 the T-33s were still the only jets, 18 of them, when the government announced a US$57.8 million purchase of six Czech L-159s for intercepting drug flights — a deal that depended on US licences for US-made components and did not happen. The T-33 was finally retired on 31 July 2017 after 44 years, the last in military service anywhere.

2009–2026: K-8s, helicopters and a hard year

Its successor came from China. Six Hongdu K-8VB jet trainers, built without US-controlled parts, arrived in June 2011 and were declared operational on the air force’s anniversary that October; one crashed into a house at Sacaba in 2021, and FlightGlobal counted four in 2026. The real spending of the 2010s went on helicopters and training: six Super Pumas on a 150-million-euro French credit, EC145s, nine DA40s and nine Zlín Z 242 Ls, and a Thales air defence radar network announced in 2016. 2026 was a hard year. On 27 February a TAB-operated C-130H ran off the runway at El Alto into a city avenue, killing between more than 10 and 22 people by different official and press counts; in June a Cessna crash killed six. The service’s publicised achievements that year were returning grounded aircraft to the flight line.

The Chaco War with Paraguay, from 9 September 1932 to 12 June 1935, was the air arm’s only war. Bolivia bought eight Curtiss Hawks, at least 20 Ospreys and six Falcons, and Junkers transports flew supplies to a front that roads barely reached.Bolivian Air Force · verified 2026-10-01
De un vistazo

The Bolivian Air Force in numbers

Servicio

Nombre nativo
Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (FAB)The Spanish name used by the Ministry of Defence, Infodefensa and the state news agency ABI. English Wikipedia’s title is Bolivian Air Force
Fundado
12 October 1923Founding of the Escuela Militar de Aviación at El Alto, the official anniversary. Independent service since 26 September 1957, the date in English Wikipedia’s infobox
Parte de
Armed Forces of BoliviaAlongside the army and navy, under the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence; the President is Captain General
Sede
La PazComando General de la Fuerza Aérea; the street address was not confirmed. The I Air Brigade is at El Alto
Commander general
General de Brigada Aérea Sergio Fernando Lora ArauzNamed as commander by Infodefensa and ABI in 2026; appointment date not confirmed. General Marcelo Zegarra held the post in June 2024
Ministro de Defensa
Ernesto Justiniano UrendaSworn in on 3 June 2026 by President Rodrigo Paz Pereira

Fortaleza

Personal
~8,000Spanish Wikipedia’s figure, citing a document filed with the UN Human Rights Committee; not confirmed on an official page
Combat-capable jets
4 K-8VBFlightGlobal 2026; six delivered in 2011, one lost in 2021
Zapatos de deporte
~14–20Four K-8s, two PC-7s and eight Z 242 Ls in FlightGlobal 2026, plus DA40s and a Cessna 172 not in that table
Transporte y misión especial
~15Two to three C-130s after the February 2026 loss, F27, two Jetstream 31s, five King Airs, Cessna 402, C212, Learjets, Falcon 900EX and Falcon 50
Helicópteros
24 (plus 6 R44 trainers)11 UH-1H, 6 AS332, 3 EC145, 2 AS350, 1 SA316, 1 R66 per FlightGlobal 2026
Presupuesto de defensa
US$659.2 million (2017)1.76 per cent of GDP; whole armed forces. No later figure was confirmed

Infraestructura

Air brigades
6I El Alto, II Cochabamba, III Santa Cruz, IV Tarija, V Trinidad, VI Cobija, as listed by Wikipedia
Locations used
14La Paz/El Alto, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Puerto Suárez, Tarija, Villamontes, Cobija, Trinidad, Riberalta, Roboré, Uyuni, Oruro, Sucre and Chimoré, per Wikipedia
entrenamiento de vuelo
Villamontes and Santa CruzGrupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21 at Villamontes flies the Z 242 L, DA40 and Cessna 172; the Z 242 Ls were handed over at the base beside El Trompillo, Santa Cruz
Transporte aéreo
TAM and TABTwo air force-linked carriers: TAM (passengers, now a public enterprise) and TAB (C-130 cargo)
Air defence radar
Thales systemPresident Morales announced an integrated air defence radar system from Thales in November 2016; its status today was not confirmed
Estructura

How the Bolivian Air Force is organised

A General Command in La Paz over six air brigades, from El Alto on the Altiplano to Cobija on the Brazilian border, with a flying training group at Villamontes and two air force-linked carriers, TAM and TAB. The only jets are Chinese K-8VB trainers, four by FlightGlobal’s 2026 count, in service since 2011 and alone since the T-33 was retired on 31 July 2017. The rest of the fleet is transports, about 24 helicopters and trainers, and no new combat aircraft has been ordered since the K-8.

SF

General de Brigada AéreaSergio Fernando Lora ArauzCommander General of the Bolivian Air Force (Comandante General de la Fuerza Aérea Boliviana)
Bolivian Air ForceFuerza Aérea Boliviana
Sede

General Command of the Bolivian Air Force

Comando General de la Fuerza Aérea
La Paz

Part of the Armed Forces of Bolivia alongside the army and navy, and an independent service since 26 September 1957. Infodefensa and the state news agency ABI named General de Brigada Aérea Sergio Fernando Lora Arauz as commander general in 2026; the date he took office was not confirmed. The Minister of Defence is Ernesto Justiniano Urenda, sworn in on 3 June 2026.

Air brigades

Air Brigades I to VI

Brigadas Aéreas
El Alto, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija, Trinidad and Cobija

Six air brigades as listed by Wikipedia: I at El Alto, II at Cochabamba, III at Santa Cruz, IV at Tarija, V at Trinidad and VI at Cobija. Their flying units and aircraft were not confirmed on an official page.

Primera línea

Hongdu K-8VB fleet

The only jets: six K-8VBs, built without US-controlled parts, arrived in June 2011 after a planned purchase of Czech L-159s did not go ahead, and were declared operational on 12 October 2011. One crashed at Sacaba in 2021, and FlightGlobal counted four in 2026. Their unit and base were not published in the sources for this page.

Capacitación

Training Air Group 21

Grupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21 “Teniente Aviación Augusto Escobar Quiroga”
Villamontes

Trains future military pilots on Zlín Z 242 Ls, Diamond DA40s and a Cessna 172, with two flight simulators; five of its aircraft returned to the flight line after maintenance in February 2026. The first Z 242 Ls were handed over at the air base beside El Trompillo, Santa Cruz, in November 2016.

Transporte

Transport Air Group 72 and TAB

Grupo Aéreo de Transporte 72

C-130 Hercules, three listed by FlightGlobal for 2026, flown by the group and by the air force’s cargo company Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos (TAB); the TAB-operated C-130H FAB-81 ran off the runway at El Alto into a city avenue on 27 February 2026. Transportes Aéreos Militares (TAM), born with the first C-47s in 1945, is now a public enterprise.

Transporte presidencial

Presidential Air Group

Grupo Aéreo Presidencial
El Alto

Listed at El Alto by Spanish Wikipedia. The air force flies a Falcon 900EX, acquired in 2010, and a Falcon 50, but which aircraft the group holds and where the Falcon 900EX is based were not confirmed.

Helicópteros

flota de helicópteros

24 helicopters by FlightGlobal’s 2026 count — 11 UH-1Hs, six Super Pumas delivered in 2014–2016 on a credit of 150 million euros, three EC145s, two AS350s, an SA316 and an R66 — plus six R44 trainers. The units that fly them were not published in the sources for this page.

En servicio

What the Bolivian Air Force flies today

Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.

Tipo Role En servicio Desde Unidades Notas
Hongdu K-8VB KarakorumEn servicio Entrenador a reacción y ataque ligero 4 2011 Four in FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2026. Six were delivered in 2011; FAB-663 was lost at Sacaba on 24 March 2021.
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerEn servicio Basic trainer and light attack 2 1979 Two in service in 2024–2026 of 24 bought in 1979–1981; Spanish Wikipedia counts about 13 lost in crashes and five preserved.
Zlín Z 242 LEn servicio Entrenador principal 8 2016 Nine bought; eight listed by FlightGlobal for 2026.
Diamond DA40En servicio Entrenador principal 2010 Nine delivered on 31 May 2010 for US$3.1 million, per Spanish Wikipedia; the current number was not confirmed, and FlightGlobal’s 2026 table as tabulated does not list the type.
Cessna 172 SkyhawkEn servicio Entrenador At least one (FAB-245); total not confirmed.
Neiva T-25 UniversalEn servicio Entrenador principal 2004 Six received from Brazil in 2004; Spanish Wikipedia records them in service into the 2020s. Current status not confirmed.
Lockheed C-130B/H HérculesEn servicio Transporte táctico 3 Three listed by FlightGlobal for 2026; Spanish Wikipedia gives five.

Más

The C-130H FAB-81 was destroyed at El Alto on 27 February 2026; whether the FlightGlobal count predates that loss is not clear.
CASA C-212 AviocarEn servicio Transporte ligero At least one; total not confirmed.
Fokker F27 FriendshipEn servicio Transporte 1 One, per FlightGlobal and Spanish Wikipedia.
BAe Jetstream 31En servicio Transporte ligero 2 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
Beechcraft King Air 90/200/250/350En servicio Light transport and liaison 5 All variants together, per FlightGlobal 2026.
Cessna 402En servicio Transporte ligero 1 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
Cessna T210 CenturionEn servicio Liaison and civic action Total not confirmed. FAB-409 was lost on 21 June 2026.
Learjet 35 and Learjet 25BEn servicio Reconnaissance and aerial survey 2 Two Learjet 35s listed by FlightGlobal; a Learjet 25B (FAB-008) of the National Aerophotogrammetry Service returned to service in April 2026.
Dassault Falcon 900EXEn servicio Transporte presidencial 1 2010 Acquired in 2010, per Spanish Wikipedia.
Dassault Falcon 50En servicio Transporte VIP 1 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
Airbus Helicopters AS332 C1e Super Puma (H215M)En servicio Helicóptero de transporte mediano 6 2014 Six, delivered 2014–2016 on a credit of 150 million euros.
Airbus Helicopters EC145 (H145)En servicio Helicóptero utilitario 3 2012 Four delivered 2012–2014 per Spanish Wikipedia; three listed by FlightGlobal for 2026.
Airbus Helicopters AS350 (H125M)En servicio Helicóptero ligero 2 2009 Two, from 2009.
Bell UH-1H IroquoisEn servicio Helicóptero utilitario 11 1975 11 listed by FlightGlobal for 2026; Spanish Wikipedia lists eight with the year 1975.
Aérospatiale SA316 Alouette IIIEn servicio Helicóptero ligero 1 2007 Two received from Venezuela in February 2007; one crashed on 28 June 2008. One listed by FlightGlobal for 2026.
Robinson R44En servicio Helicóptero de entrenamiento 6 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
Robinson R66En servicio Helicóptero ligero 1 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
RemoEye-006 unmanned aircraftEn servicio Small unmanned aircraft 2 Per FlightGlobal 2026.
UH-1H11
Z 242 L8
AS3326
R446
King Air5
K-8VB4
C-1303
EC1453
Anteriormente operado

Every type the Bolivian Air Force has retired

18 types, from the Morane-Saulnier MS.35 to the Lockheed / Canadair T-33 (T-33AN, T-33SF, AT-33). Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.

Tipo Role Cima Servido Reemplazado por Notas
Lockheed / Canadair T-33 (T-33AN, T-33SF, AT-33) Entrenador a reacción y ataque ligero 38 1973–2017 K-8VB 15 Canadair T-33AN in 1973–74, five more in 1977 and 18 French-surplus T-33SF in 1985 (Wikipedia). 18 were still in service in January 2009 (Infodefensa).
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor Entrenador principal 23 2000–2012 12 from Uruguay (about 1999–2000) and 11 from Venezuela by 2004.
Junkers Ju 52 Transporte 4 1932–1935 Four, per English Wikipedia’s Chaco War article.
Cavalier F-51D and TF-51D Mustang Ground-attack fighter 11 Nine single-seat F-51D and two dual-control TF-51D rebuilt in 1967, per Wikipedia; the size of the earlier Mustang fleet was not confirmed.
Aérospatiale AS532 Cougar Helicóptero de transporte 2 2006– Two received from Venezuela in 2006; one crashed on 20 July 2008.
Douglas C-47 Transporte 1945–
Curtiss P-6S Hawk Combatiente 8 1932– Delivered December 1932 to January 1933.
Curtiss-Wright C-14 Osprey cazabombardero 20 1933– At least 20, per both Wikipedias.
Curtiss Falcon Observation and attack 6 1933– Chaco War purchase.
Curtiss-Wright CW-16 Entrenador 3 1933– Chaco War purchase.
Vickers Type 143 and Vespa III Fighter and army co-operation 6 1929– Six Vespa III from 1929 per Spanish Wikipedia; the number of Type 143 fighters was not confirmed.
Vickers Vendace Entrenador 3 1929–
Junkers W 34, A 50 and F 13 Transport and training 1925– Three W 34 (1929), three A 50 trainers (1930) and two F 13 donated in 1925.
Breguet 19 A2 Bombardeo y reconocimiento 7 1924–
CV de Fokker Reconocimiento 5 1925–
Aire acondicionado DH.9 Bombardeo 2 1925–
Morane-Saulnier MS.35 Entrenador 7 1923– The first aircraft of the 1923 aviation school.
Caudron C.97 Entrenador 5 1924–
bases aéreas

Where the Bolivian Air Force flies from

Black pins are active bases. El Alto, at about 4,061 metres on the Altiplano above La Paz, is where Bolivian military flying began in 1920–1923 and the seat of the I Air Brigade; the other brigades are in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija, Trinidad and Cobija, mapped at the cities’ airports, although their exact locations on those airfields were not confirmed. Villamontes, in the Chaco where the war of 1932–1935 was fought, is home to the flying training group. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Base aérea activa Cerrado o reservadoHaz clic en un marcador para abrir la página principal.
Base OACI Estado Pista Unidades y aeronaves
CobijaCapitán Aníbal ArabPando Department SLCO Activo 02/202.600 m
  • VI Brigada Aérea (Sixth Air Brigade)
CochabambaJorge WilstermannCochabamba Department SLCB Activo 14/323,798 m04/222,649 m
  • II Brigada Aérea (Second Air Brigade)
El AltoLa Paz Department SLLP Activo 10R/28L4.000 metros10L/28R2.050 mcésped
  • I Brigada Aérea (First Air Brigade)
  • Grupo Aéreo Presidencial
  • Base Aérea Bartolina Sisa: Not applicable
Santa CruzEl TrompilloSanta Cruz Department SLET Activo 15/332,787 m
  • III Brigada Aérea (Third Air Brigade)
  • Air force flying training at El Trompillo: Zlín Z 242 L (handover, 2016)
TarijaCapitán Oriel Lea PlazaTarija Department SLTJ Activo 13/313.050 m
  • IV Brigada Aérea (Fourth Air Brigade)
TrinidadTeniente Jorge Henrich ArauzBeni Department SLTR Activo 14/322.400 mpavimentado
  • V Brigada Aérea (Fifth Air Brigade)
VillamontesTarija Department Activo
  • Grupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21 "Teniente Aviación Augusto Escobar Quiroga": Zlín Z 242 L, Diamond DA40, Cessna 172

Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.

Orden de batalla

Who is stationed where in the Bolivian Air Force

Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. The Bolivian Air Force is organised in air brigades numbered I to VI, with flying groups (grupos aéreos) such as Grupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21 at Villamontes and Grupo Aéreo de Transporte 72 with the Hercules. Which squadrons and aircraft each brigade holds was not confirmed on an official page, and the entries say where a placement rests on Wikipedia alone.

El Alto Air Base · SLLPI Brigada Aérea, Bolivian Air Force
I Brigada Aérea (First Air Brigade)Air brigade · active
Grupo Aéreo PresidencialPresidential transport group · active
Base Aérea Bartolina SisaAir base unit · active
Not applicable
Cochabamba (Jorge Wilstermann) · SLCBII Brigada Aérea
II Brigada Aérea (Second Air Brigade)Air brigade · active
Santa Cruz (El Trompillo) · SLETIII Brigada Aérea
III Brigada Aérea (Third Air Brigade)Air brigade · active
Air force flying training at El TrompilloTraining · active
Zlín Z 242 L (handover, 2016)
Villamontes · Grupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21
Grupo Aéreo de Entrenamiento 21 "Teniente Aviación Augusto Escobar Quiroga"Flying training group · active
Zlín Z 242 L, Diamond DA40, Cessna 172
Tarija (Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza) · SLTJIV Brigada Aérea
IV Brigada Aérea (Fourth Air Brigade)Air brigade · active
Trinidad (Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz) · SLTRV Brigada Aérea
V Brigada Aérea (Fifth Air Brigade)Air brigade · active
Cobija (Capitán Aníbal Arab) · SLCOVI Brigada Aérea
VI Brigada Aérea (Sixth Air Brigade)Air brigade · active

No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.

Cronología

Bolivian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1916

President Ismael Montes sends Bolivian officers to Argentina and Chile to train as pilots.

1920

17 April: the American Donald Hudson makes the first official flight in Bolivia, ten minutes in a Curtiss 18 triplane near today’s El Alto.

1923

12 October: President Bautista Saavedra founds the Escuela Militar de Aviación at El Alto, the date the Bolivian Air Force counts as its birthday. Seven Morane-Saulnier MS.35 trainers are bought.

1932

4 December: Lieutenant Rafael Pabón, in a Vickers Type 143, shoots down a Paraguayan Potez 25 over the Chaco, killing both crew. 22 December: three Vickers Vespas attack Bahía Negra; one is shot down by the gunboat Tacuary.

1933

20 Curtiss Ospreys, eight Hawks and six Falcons arrive from the United States. 27 April: six Ospreys bomb Puerto Casado.

1934

12 August: Pabón is killed while chasing a Paraguayan reconnaissance aircraft near Campo Florida.

1935

12 June: the Chaco War ends in a ceasefire; the 1938 treaty gives Paraguay most of the disputed Chaco.

1945

15 June: the first C-47s arrive, the start of the air transport service that becomes Transportes Aéreos Militares (TAM).

1957

26 September: the air arm becomes the Fuerza Aérea Boliviana, a service in its own right alongside the army and navy.

1967

Cavalier rebuilds nine F-51D and two TF-51D Mustangs for Bolivia under the US Peace Condor programme.

1973

The first of 15 Canadair T-33AN jets arrive; 18 French T-33SF follow in 1985.

1979

The first of 24 Pilatus PC-7 trainers arrive (deliveries to 1981).

2009

January: a US$57.8 million deal for six Czech L-159s is announced; it does not go ahead, and Bolivia approves six Chinese K-8s instead.

2011

June: six K-8VB jet trainers arrive; they are declared operational on 12 October.

2017

31 July: Bolivia retires the T-33 after 44 years, the last air force in the world to fly it.

2024

26 June: army troops under General Juan José Zuñiga occupy Plaza Murillo in a failed coup attempt; the air force commander tells President Arce he will withdraw.

2026

27 February: the C-130H FAB-81 runs off the runway at El Alto into a city avenue; the dead are counted as between more than 10 and 22, most of them on the ground. 21 June: a Cessna T210 crashes in Cochabamba department, killing six.

historial de combate

Every war the Bolivian Air Force has fought

Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.

1conflictos
1932Primero
0Avión perdido
0Delicado
  • The Chaco War 1932–1935 Reconnaissance, bombing and fighter combat against the Paraguayan Military Aviation, and air supply of the front

Abrir el registro completo de combate

De la revista

Bolivian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Bolivian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Esta lista se actualiza automáticamente: las nuevas historias de Afterburner aparecen aquí de forma automática.

Todas las historias en Afterburner

Preguntas y respuestas

Everything people ask about the Bolivian Air Force

What is the Bolivian Air Force called in Spanish?
Fuerza Aérea Boliviana, usually shortened to FAB; that is the name used by the Ministry of Defence and the state news agency ABI. English Wikipedia titles its article "Bolivian Air Force". Spanish is the official name used here; Bolivia’s other official languages were not checked for an official rendering.
When was the Bolivian Air Force founded?
The air force counts its birthday as 12 October 1923, when President Bautista Saavedra founded the Escuela Militar de Aviación at El Alto. It remained part of the army through the Chaco War and became an independent service, the Fuerza Aérea Boliviana, on 26 September 1957 — the date English Wikipedia gives as its founding.
What jets does the Bolivian Air Force fly?
Only one jet combat type: the Chinese Hongdu K-8 Karakorum jet trainer and light-attack aircraft. Six were delivered in 2011 and one was lost in 2021; FlightGlobal counted four in 2026. Bolivia has no supersonic fighters, and the K-8s replaced the T-33.
Was Bolivia the last country to fly the T-33?
Yes. Bolivia retired its last T-33s on 31 July 2017 after 44 years, the last military operator of the type in the world. It had bought 15 Canadair T-33ANs in 1973–74, five more in 1977 and 18 ex-French T-33SFs in 1985, and had 18 upgraded in Canada in 2000–2001.
Did Bolivia fly P-51 Mustangs?
Yes. Under the US Peace Condor programme Cavalier rebuilt nine single-seat F-51D and two dual-control TF-51D Mustangs for Bolivia in 1967, as ground-attack aircraft. When the last of them left service was not confirmed in the sources checked.
What did the Bolivian air arm do in the Chaco War?
It flew reconnaissance, bombing and fighter missions against Paraguay from 1932 to 1935, mainly with Curtiss Ospreys and Hawks and Vickers biplanes, and Junkers transports supplied the front. Bolivian accounts credit Lieutenant Rafael Pabón with shooting down a Paraguayan Potez 25 on 4 December 1932, which Bolivian sources call the first aerial victory in the Americas; Pabón was killed in August 1934. Paraguay won the war, and its own air arm is credited with an important share in that victory.
What was the air force’s role in the 2024 coup attempt?
The coup attempt of 26 June 2024 was led by the army commander, General Juan José Zuñiga, with armoured vehicles at Plaza Murillo in La Paz. According to Wikipedia’s account of press reports, the air force commander, General Marcelo Zegarra, was present when President Luis Arce ordered the commanders to withdraw and answered that he would, while Zuñiga and the navy commander refused; Zuñiga later cited the lack of air force support. Zuñiga said Arce had ordered the action; Arce denied it. A new high command was appointed.
What is TAM, the Bolivian military airline?
Transportes Aéreos Militares (TAM) grew out of the air transport squadron formed when the first C-47s arrived on 15 June 1945, and for decades flew passengers to remote towns as part of the air force. It was turned into a public enterprise under the Ministry of Defence; sources disagree on when flights stopped (December 2016 or 2019) and restarted (31 May 2024 per Spanish Wikipedia, 25 April 2026 per Infodefensa), but in 2026 it flies an Avro RJ70. A separate company, Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos (TAB), flies the air force’s C-130 Hércules freighters.
What happened in the El Alto Hercules crash of February 2026?
On 27 February 2026 the C-130H FAB-81, operated by TAB and carrying currency for the Central Bank from Santa Cruz, ran off the runway at El Alto on landing and into an avenue outside the airport, hitting vehicles. Infodefensa reported 22 dead and 37 injured on 2 March; the state news agency ABI wrote in April of more than 10 dead and at least 28 injured. Most victims were on the ground. An accident board is investigating.
Who commands the Bolivian Air Force?
General de Brigada Aérea Sergio Fernando Lora Arauz is commander general of the FAB, as named by Infodefensa and ABI in 2026. The date of his appointment was not confirmed in the sources checked. His predecessor at the time of the June 2024 coup attempt was General Marcelo Zegarra.

Fuentes y lecturas adicionales

Todos los datos, verificados

Cifras verificadas el 1 de octubre de 2026. Las páginas de Orden de Batalla se regeneran a partir de un único conjunto de datos; si algún número aquí no coincide con el de una página del Libro de las Bestias, esta página es la más reciente de las dos.

Photographs: Photo: SSgt. Kenrick Thomas, USAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Gordon Leggett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Pedro Aragão / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Rjcastillo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Kecko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Mztourist / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Matthias Zepper / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Guilherme Borges dos Santos / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Sovxx / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Mateo33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: PHCS R. L. LAWSON / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Tobias Nordhausen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Julian Herzog / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Peter Gronemann / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: simon butler from halesowen, uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)