Ecuadorian Air Force
The Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana) grew from a 1920 flying school into the only Latin American Jaguar operator, fought Peru over the Cordillera del Cóndor in 1981 and 1995 — where it claims Latin America’s first air combat victories, which Peru disputes — and today, with its last fighters grounded, flies Super Tucanos, transports and drones in Ecuador’s internal war on organised crime.
The Ecuadorian Air Force story: a 1920 flying school, Jaguars and Mirages over the Cenepa and an air force for the internal war
1913–1941: a shooting club, an Italian ace and a war fought with six aircraft
Ecuadorian military flying grew out of a sporting club. After the 1910 crisis with Peru, the Club de Tiro de Guayaquil took up aviation, and on 29 September 1913 the renamed Club Guayas de Tiro y Aviación bought the country’s first aircraft, Patria I. Its hero was Cosme Rennella Barbatto — a Guayaquil pilot to the FAE, an Italian pilot living in Guayaquil to English Wikipedia — who flew for Italy in the First World War: 152 combat sorties by Wikipedia’s count, 152 air combats by the FAE’s. On 27 October 1920 President José Luis Tamayo signed the decree creating a military aviation school, the date the Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE) still counts as its birthday, and on 4 November 1920 Elia Liut flew El Telégrafo I over the Andes from Guayaquil to Cuenca. The school moved to Latacunga in January 1930. When war with Peru broke out in July 1941 (each side blames the other), Spanish Wikipedia counts three CW-19R trainers and three Ro.37 biplanes against 43 Peruvian aircraft; pilots such as Major Leonidas Hidalgo and Lieutenant Bolívar Pico flew 53 hours that month, and could change nothing.
1942–1977: Meteors, Canberras and a base in the rice fields at Taura
The defeat, and the Rio Protocol that followed, shaped everything after it. American aid arrived from 1942 with PT-22s, CW-22s, PT-19s and AT-6s, and the FAE entered the jet age with twelve ex-RAF Gloster Meteor FR.9s (December 1954 according to Spanish Wikipedia, February 1955 according to the service) and six Canberra bombers in 1955. Construction of Taura, a fighter base on the flat land 24 km east of Guayaquil, began on 28 August 1955. The service also built a transport arm that tied a country of mountains and jungle together: Ala de Transportes 11 was formed in Quito on 19 May 1961, the rescue wing in Guayaquil on 6 June 1962, and on 4 December 1962 the air force started its own airline, TAME, to fly where commercial carriers would not. In 1975 twelve Cessna A-37s arrived at Taura.
1977–1995: Jaguars, Mirages, Kfirs and two wars in the Cordillera del Cóndor
The oil years paid for the most ambitious combat fleet in the region’s smaller air forces. Ecuador became the only Latin American customer for the SEPECAT Jaguar, forming its first supersonic squadron on 14 January 1977; Manta opened as a second combat base with Strikemasters on 24 October 1978; sixteen Mirage F1JAs and two F1JEs followed in 1979–1980, and Israeli Kfirs in 1982 after Washington, which had twice vetoed a larger sale, approved the deal. They were bought with Peru in mind. In the Paquisha clash of January–February 1981 the FAE says it flew 179 combat missions, but Peru retook the outposts. In the Cenepa war of 1995 the service claimed two Peruvian Su-22s shot down by Mirage F1s and an A-37B by a Kfir on 10 February. Ecuador calls it the first air combat victory in Latin America; Peru says one Su-22 fell to ground fire and the other to an engine fire. Both versions are given below.
1998–2012: peace with Peru, Angostura, and a costly shopping list
The Brasilia Presidential Act of 26 October 1998 ended the border dispute, and Peru, the enemy every Ecuadorian fighter had been bought to fight, gradually became a partner. Other problems took its place. From 1999 to 2009 Manta hosted a US Forward Operating Location for counter-drug flights, until a new constitution banned foreign bases. On 1 March 2008 Colombian forces bombed a FARC camp at Angostura, inside Ecuador, killing Raúl Reyes; Ecuador called it a violation of its sovereignty and broke off relations, and Colombia said it was acting against terrorism. A buying spree followed: seven Indian Dhruv helicopters ordered in June 2008, 18 Embraer Super Tucanos (the order cut from 24 to free money for fighters), Chinese radars, and twelve ex-South African Atlas Cheetahs to replace the Mirage F1s, which retired in 2011 after more than 33,000 hours.
2012–2023: the fighter force runs dry
Much of that spending turned out badly. The Dhruvs crashed one after another, the first during a military parade over Quito on 28 October 2009, and after four losses Ecuador grounded the fleet and cancelled the contract in October 2015. The Kfirs, five of which had been lost in accidents by 2005 according to English Wikipedia, were retired in 2012, according to Spanish Wikipedia. The Cheetahs, delivered around 2011–2012 with only five years of support, were short of spares almost from the start: Spanish Wikipedia says they were deactivated in 2021, English Wikipedia that their squadron flew until 28 July 2024. Either way the FAE no longer has a supersonic fighter. The money that did work went to transport and training: CASA C-295s, AW119 and H145 helicopters (six H145s ordered, the first two delivered in October 2020) and Grob G 120TP trainers.
2024–2026: an air force for the internal war
Since President Daniel Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” on 9 January 2024 and listed criminal gangs as terrorist organisations, the FAE’s war is at home: airlift, surveillance drones, the disabling of clandestine airstrips, guarding prisons and supporting troops in coastal cities. Its 17 Super Tucanos at Manta are the only combat aircraft. Cooperation with the United States has deepened — Reuters reported a joint US–Ecuador bombing of a camp near the Colombian border on 6 March 2026, and US Marines were working at Taura in September 2026 — even though about 61 per cent of voters rejected allowing foreign bases in November 2025. In September 2026 the FAE hosted the Peruvian Air Force at Manta for the fifth UNIDOS exercise: a sign of how far the old rivalry has come.
The Ecuadorian Air Force in numbers
Servicio
- Nombre nativo
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE)The name as spelled on the service’s official website. Spanish is the official language used by the state; the English name is Ecuadorian Air Force, the current title of the English Wikipedia article
- Fundado
- 27 October 1920Date of President José Luis Tamayo’s decree creating a military aviation school. The first aircraft, Patria I, was bought by a Guayaquil shooting and flying club on 29 September 1913; the aviation school (today ESMA) dates itself to 1921
- Parte de
- Armed Forces of Ecuador, under the Ministry of National DefenceMinister of National Defence Gian Carlo Loffredo and Joint Command chief Henry Delgado were named at a January 2026 handover
- Sede
- Comando General, QuitoThe Comando General has had its own building since 1979. Operations run through the Comando de Operaciones Aéreas y Defensa (also styled Operaciones Aéreas y Espaciales), created in 2007
- Commander General
- Mauricio MachucaNamed as commander general of the FAE by the Ministry of Defence in January 2026; his rank and appointment date were not stated. English Wikipedia still names Geovanny Espinel, who held the post in early 2022; FAE news names Gabriel García Urbina in 2022–2023 and General del Aire Celiano Cevallos Calderón in 2025
- Lema
- Soberanía, seguridad y desarrollo aeroespacial al servicio de todos los ecuatorianosMission line on the official website
Fortaleza
- Personal
- About 6,200Cifra de la Wikipedia en inglés; no confirmada en una página oficial.
- Aviones de combate
-
- A-29 (EMB 314) Super Tucano — 17 in service (18 delivered 2010–2011)
No supersonic fighter remains: the Cheetah was retired (2021 or 2024, sources differ), the Kfir in 2012 and the Mirage F1 in 2011
- Transporte y VIP
-
- C-130H / L-100-30 Hercules — 3
- CASA C-295 — 3
- DHC-6 Twin Otter — 3
- Boeing 737 — at least 1 (737-500 FAE 640 added January 2026)
- Boeing 727 — 1
- Gulfstream II, Sabreliner, King Air 350, PA-34 — 1 each
Counts from English Wikipedia’s inventory except the January 2026 Boeing 737-500 announced by the Ministry of Defence
- Helicópteros
-
- Airbus H145 (EC145) — 6
- AW119 Koala — 4
- Bell 206 / TH-57 — 4
Six H145s were ordered; the first two arrived in October 2020 and the rest by May 2021
- Zapatos de deporte
-
- Diamond DA20 Katana — 19 (one lost November 2024)
- Grob G 120TP — 8
Primary training at the aviation academy in Salinas
- Defensa aérea terrestre
- Osa (2), Igla MANPADS (222), M167 VADS (28)English Wikipedia’s table; not confirmed officially. Ecuador’s Igla teams claimed Peruvian helicopters in 1995
- Drones
- UAV crews in service; models not publishedFAE UAV crews flew ISR in PANAMAX 2026 and new drone pilots graduated in September 2026
Infraestructura
- alas voladoras
-
- Ala de Transportes 11 — Cotopaxi, Latacunga
- Ala de Combate 21 — Taura
- Ala de Combate 22 — Guayaquil
- Ala de Combate 23 — Manta
All four report to the Comando de Operaciones Aéreas y Defensa
- Support bases
-
- Mariscal Sucre, Quito
- Cotopaxi, Latacunga
- Lago Agrio, Sucumbíos
- Galápagos (Baltra)
Logistic bases under the Comando General
- Flying academy
- ESMA “Cosme Rennella B.”, SalinasInside Base Aérea Salinas, Santa Elena province
- Closed runways
- Old Mariscal Sucre airport, Quito (closed 19 February 2013)The airport closed when Quito’s new airport opened at Tababela in February 2013; the air force base in Quito survives as a support base. Closure date per Wikipedia’s article on the old airport, cited in the stations file
- bases extranjeras
- Banned by the constitutionArticle 5 prohibits foreign military bases; about 61% voted against lifting the ban in November 2025. The US used Manta as a Forward Operating Location from 1999 to 2009, and US Marines were working at Taura in September 2026, which Ecuador says does not make it a US base
How the Ecuadorian Air Force is organised
A General Command in Quito, an Air Operations and Defence Command created in 2007 over four flying wings, logistic bases from Quito to the Galápagos and a flying academy at Salinas. With the last fighters grounded, the 17 A-29 Super Tucanos of Ala de Combate 23 at Manta are Ecuador’s only combat aircraft, while Ala de Transportes 11 at Latacunga flies the transports and Ala de Combate 22 at Guayaquil the rescue helicopters. English Wikipedia’s table also lists Osa, Igla and M167 ground-based air defence systems, not confirmed officially.
General Command
Part of the Armed Forces of Ecuador under the Ministry of National Defence, with its own building in Quito since 1979. The Ministry of National Defence named Mauricio Machuca as commander general of the FAE in January 2026; his rank and the date he took command were not given. The chief of staff is Brig. Gen. Luis Fierro (March 2026), and the Minister of National Defence is Gian Carlo Loffredo.
Air Operations and Defence Command
Created in 2007 and also styled Operaciones Aéreas y Espaciales, it runs operations and has the four flying wings under it: Ala de Transportes 11 at Latacunga and Alas de Combate 21, 22 and 23 at Taura, Guayaquil and Manta.
23rd Combat Wing
Ecuador’s only combat aircraft: 17 A-29 Super Tucanos in service of 18 delivered in 2010–2011, flown by Escuadrones 2311 “Dragones” and 2313 “Halcones”; the wing’s official page also lists Escuadrón 2312 “Tiburones”. Created on 24 October 1978 with Strikemasters, it hosted the Peruvian Air Force for the UNIDOS V exercise in September 2026.
21st Combat Wing
Ecuador’s fighter wing since 1955, home of the Jaguars, Mirage F1s, Kfirs and Cheetahs. The Cheetahs were grounded for lack of spares — deactivated in 2021 according to Spanish Wikipedia, flying until 28 July 2024 according to English Wikipedia — and which aircraft the wing holds today was not stated on the official page. US Marines were reported doing recovery work at Taura in September 2026.
22nd Combat Wing
Flying since 6 June 1962, first for search and rescue, today also medevac and transport, with the motto “Para que otros puedan vivir”: six H145s, four AW119 Koalas, Bell TH-57s of Escuadrón 2212 and Cessna 206s of Escuadrón 2211, per English Wikipedia. The Boeing 737-500 FAE 640 handed over in January 2026 is also based at Guayaquil.
11th Transport Wing
Formed in Quito on 19 May 1961 and now at Base Aérea Cotopaxi, with Escuadrones 1111 (C-130 Hercules), 1112 (C-295), 1113 (Twin Otter) and 1114 (Sabreliner) according to English Wikipedia, as well as Boeing 737 and 727 transports. Its motto is “A cualquier hora y en cualquier lugar”.
Military Aviation Academy
The academy, which dates itself to 1921 and sits inside Base Aérea Salinas, trains officer pilots, technicians and specialists; English Wikipedia gives it 19 Diamond DA20 Katanas, one of them lost in November 2024. The FAE also flies eight Grob G 120TPs, but whether they are based at Salinas was not confirmed.
What the Ecuadorian 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer EMB 314 (A-29) Super TucanoEn servicio | Light attack and counter-insurgency | 17 | 2010 | 17 in service per English Wikipedia; 18 delivered. | ||
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules and L-100-30En servicio | Transporte táctico | 3 | English Wikipedia lists three C-130E/H; the FAE page lists Hercules with Escuadrón 1111. | |||
| Airbus (CASA) C-295MEn servicio | Transporte y búsqueda y rescate | 3 | Escuadrón 1112. The FAE lists the C-295M among the types integrated between 2010 and 2021. | |||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterEn servicio | Transporte de utilidad | 3 | Escuadrón 1113 at Latacunga; serves short jungle and island strips. | |||
| Boeing 737-500 and 737En servicio | Transporte y VIP | 2 | English Wikipedia lists one 737; the Ministry of Defence announced a 737-500, FAE 640, in January 2026. The total of two is a minimum count from these two sources. | |||
| Boeing 727En servicio | Transporte y VIP | 1 | Listed by English and Spanish Wikipedia with the transport squadron. | |||
| North American SabrelinerEn servicio | Utility and special mission | |||||
| Gulfstream II, Beechcraft King Air 350 and Piper PA-34 SenecaEn servicio | VIP and utility | 3 | One of each per English Wikipedia. | |||
| Cessna 206 / T206HEn servicio | Utility and liaison | |||||
| Airbus Helicopters H145 (EC145)En servicio | Utility and rescue helicopter | 6 | 2020 | Six ordered; English Wikipedia lists six. | ||
| Leonardo AW119Ke / AW119 Mk II KoalaEn servicio | Helicóptero utilitario ligero | 4 | Integrated between 2010 and 2021 according to the FAE. | |||
| Bell 206 / TH-57 Sea RangerEn servicio | Entrenador de helicópteros | 4 | Escuadrón 2212 of Ala 22. | |||
| Grob G 120TPEn servicio | Entrenador básico | 8 | Integrated between 2010 and 2021 according to the FAE. | |||
| Diamond DA20 KatanaEn servicio | Entrenador principal | 19 | 19 per English Wikipedia, which notes one lost in an accident in November 2024. |
Every type the Ecuadorian Air Force has retired
23 types, from the Patria I to the Atlas (Denel) Cheetah C and D. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas (Denel) Cheetah C and D | Combatiente | 12 | 2011–2024 | 10 Cheetah C and 2 Cheetah D, ex-South African Air Force. | ||
| HAL Dhruv | Helicóptero utilitario | 7 | 2009–2015 | Seven ordered in June 2008 for US$50.7 million; five delivered February 2009, two in 2012. | ||
| IAI Kfir C.2, TC.2 and C.10 (Kfir CE) | Combatiente | 18 | 1982–2012 | Cheetah | 12 in 1982–1983, four more in 1996 and two new C.10s from 1999 (English Wikipedia); five lost by 2005 (four per Spanish Wikipedia). | |
| Dassault Mirage F1JA and F1JE | Interceptador | 18 | 1979–2011 | Cheetah | 16 F1JA and 2 F1JE. | |
| SEPECAT Jaguar International ES/EB and GR.1 | luchador de ataque | 15 | 1977– | 10 ES and 2 EB ordered in 1974, plus three ex-RAF GR.1s as attrition replacements in 1991. | ||
| Dassault Mirage 50EV/DV | Combatiente | |||||
| Cessna A-37B Dragonfly | Ataque ligero | 12 | 1975– | A-29 Super Tucano | 12 delivered in 1975 per the FAE; later aircraft served at Manta. | |
| BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk 89/89A | Light attack and jet trainer | 28 | 1978– | A-29 Super Tucano | 22 Mk 89 and 6 Mk 89A. | |
| Lockheed AT-33A | Entrenador armado | 1981– | ||||
| Gloster Meteor FR.9 | Fighter-reconnaissance | 12 | 1955– | 12 ex-RAF aircraft. | ||
| English Electric Canberra | Bombardeo | 6 | 1955– | Six new-build aircraft. | ||
| Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star | Combatiente | |||||
| Republic P-47 Thunderbolt | cazabombardero | |||||
| Consolidated PBY Catalina | Transporte de anfibios | |||||
| Troyano T-28 norteamericano | Entrenador | |||||
| Tweet del Cessna T-37B | Entrenador a reacción | |||||
| Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor | Entrenador | DA20, G 120TP | ||||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | Transporte | |||||
| Aérospatiale Alouette III and Bell 212 | Rescue and utility helicopters | H145, AW119 | ||||
| Bell H-13 Sioux | Helicóptero ligero | |||||
| Ryan PT-22, Curtiss-Wright CW-22, Fairchild PT-19A and North American AT-6A | Zapatos de deporte | 18 | 1942– | Three PT-22s, six CW-22s, six PT-19As and three AT-6As arrived in March 1942 (English Wikipedia). | ||
| Curtiss-Wright CW-19R and IMAM Ro.37 | Trainer and reconnaissance biplane | 6 | Three of each in July 1941 (Spanish Wikipedia). | |||
| Patria I | First aircraft | 1 | 1913– | Bought by the Club Guayas de Tiro y Aviación. |
Where the Ecuadorian Air Force flies from
Los pines negros son bases activas. Taura, begun in 1955 on flat land east of Guayaquil, was Ecuador’s fighter base from the Jaguars of 1977 to the grounded Cheetahs; Manta, opened on 24 October 1978, now holds the only combat wing and was a US counter-drug Forward Operating Location from 1999 to 2009. Latacunga, at 2,890 metres in the Andes, is the oldest active base, and the base in Quito survives as a support unit after the old Mariscal Sucre airport closed on 19 February 2013. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Ecuador
One of the 8 bases above sits outside Ecuador, 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 | OACI | Estado | Pista | Unidades y aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotopaxi, LatacungaCotopaxi province | SELT | Activo | 01/193,712 m |
|
| Galápagos, BaltraGalápagos province | SEGS | Activo | 14/322,401 m | |
| Lago AgrioSucumbíos province | SENL | Activo | 06/242,310 m |
|
| MantaEloy AlfaroManabí province | SEMT | Activo | 05/232,860 m |
|
| Mariscal Sucre, QuitoPichincha province | SEQU | Activo |
|
|
| SalinasSanta Elena province | SESA | Activo | 13/312.630 metros08/261,130 m |
|
| Simón Bolívar, GuayaquilGuayas province | SEGU | Activo | 03/212.790 metros |
|
| TauraGuayas province, canton of Yaguachi | SETA | Activo | 02/203,040 m |
|
Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.
Who is stationed where in the Ecuadorian Air Force
Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. FAE flying units are wings (alas) — Ala de Transportes 11 and Alas de Combate 21, 22 and 23 — with four-digit squadrons that begin with the wing’s number, such as Escuadrón 2311 “Dragones” of Ala 23. Ala de Combate 31 at Lago Agrio, converted into a logistic support base in 2007, is listed as a former unit. Where a squadron or its aircraft rest on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Ala de Combate No. 21Combat wing · active
- Escuadrón de Combate 21111977–
- SEPECAT Jaguar ES/EB
- Escuadrón de Combate 21121979–2024
- Dassault Mirage F1JA/JE (1979–2011), Atlas Cheetah C/D
- Escuadrón de Combate 21131982–2012
- IAI Kfir C.2/TC.2/CE
- Ala de Combate No. 23Combat wing · active
- Embraer A-29 Super Tucano
- Escuadrón de Combate 2311Dragones · Light attack squadron · active
- Embraer A-29 Super Tucano
- Escuadrón de Combate 2313Halcones · Light attack and training squadron · active
- Embraer A-29 Super Tucano
- Escuadrón de Combate 2312Tiburones · Combat squadron · active
- Ala de Combate No. 22Rescue and helicopter wing · active
- Airbus H145, AW119 Koala, Bell TH-57, Cessna 206
- Escuadrón de Combate 2211Utility squadron · active
- Cessna 206
- Escuadrón de Combate 2212Escuadrón de helicópteros · activo
- Bell TH-57
- Ala de Transportes No. 11Ala de transporte · activa
- C-130H / L-100-30 Hercules
- Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación “Cosme Rennella B.” (ESMA)Flying academy · active
- Diamond DA20 Katana
- Ala de Transportes No. 11 (origin)1961–
- Ala de Combate No. 311992–2007
No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.
Ecuadorian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
29 September: the Club Guayas de Tiro y Aviación buys Ecuador’s first aircraft, Patria I.
27 October: President José Luis Tamayo’s decree creates a military aviation school, the FAE’s founding date. 4 November: Elia Liut flies El Telégrafo I across the Andes from Guayaquil to Cuenca.
15 January: the military aviation school moves from Durán to Latacunga.
July: war with Peru; three CW-19Rs and three Ro.37s face 43 Peruvian aircraft.
Meteor FR.9s (the first jets) and Canberra bombers arrive; construction of Taura begins on 28 August.
19 May: Ala de Transportes 11 is formed in Quito; Galápagos is placed under the air force by a reserved decree the same day.
6 June: the rescue wing (today Ala 22) starts flying in Guayaquil. 4 December: the air force’s airline TAME begins operations.
14 January: the first Jaguar squadron, Ecuador’s first supersonic unit, is formed.
24 October: Ala de Combate 23 opens at Manta with Strikemasters.
26 June: first Mirage F1 flight at Taura (Spanish Wikipedia).
22 January–21 February: the Paquisha clash with Peru; FAE and Peruvian A-37Bs meet on 28 January. The FAE says it flew 179 combat missions.
First Kfir C.2s delivered from Israel.
26 January–28 February: the Cenepa war. 10 February: Ecuador claims two Su-22s and an A-37B shot down; Peru disputes the Su-22 claims.
26 October: the Brasilia Presidential Act settles the border with Peru.
1 March: Colombian forces strike a FARC camp at Angostura in Ecuador. June: seven Dhruv helicopters ordered.
17 July: the last US counter-drug mission leaves Manta, ending the Forward Operating Location.
The last Super Tucano of 18 is delivered; the Mirage F1 is retired; the Cheetah replaces it.
9 January: President Noboa declares an internal armed conflict. 28 July: the Cheetah squadron’s last date of operation according to English Wikipedia.
Every war and armed action of the Ecuadorian Air Force
Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.
- The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War 1941 Reconnaissance and liaison with a handful of light aircraft; no effective opposition to Peru’s air arm
- The Paquisha War 1981 Ground attack and combat air patrol in support of three border outposts
- The Cenepa War 1995 Interception, escort, ground attack and helicopter support; the army’s MANPADS teams fought the air battle on the ground
- The Angostura raid and the Andean crisis 2008 None in the air: the raid was carried out by Colombian forces and the FAE did not engage
- The internal armed conflict 2024– Airlift, surveillance, drones, interdiction of airstrips, troops in prisons and cities, and, by Reuters’ account, air strikes alongside US forces
Everything people ask about the Ecuadorian Air Force
What is the Ecuadorian Air Force called in Spanish?
When was the Ecuadorian Air Force founded?
Does Ecuador still have fighter jets?
Did Ecuador shoot down Peruvian jets in 1995?
What happened at Paquisha in 1981?
Why did Ecuador buy Jaguars, Mirages and Kfirs?
What did the Ecuadorian Air Force do during the 2008 Angostura raid?
Is there a US base in Ecuador?
What went wrong with Ecuador’s Dhruv helicopters?
What is the Ecuadorian Air Force doing in the internal armed conflict?
Read the aircraft the Ecuadorian Air Force flew
Cada tipo tiene una página en el Libro de las Bestias, primero en servicio y luego por el año en que abandonó la flota.
Todos los datos, verificados
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: official websiteOfficial name as spelled by the service; motto; news index for 2026.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: HistoriaFounding decree of 27 October 1920; Patria I (1913); Liut flight 4 November 1920; Meteor 1955, A-37 at Taura 1975, Jaguar squadron 14 January 1977; 10 February 1995 described as the first air combat victory in Latin America; aircraft integrated 2010–2021.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: UnidadesComando General (own building since 1979); COAD created 2007 replacing the Comando Aéreo de Combate; COED created 2007.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Comando de Operaciones Aéreas y DefensaSubordinate units: Ala de Transportes 11, Alas de Combate 21, 22 and 23, special operations group, two sector operations centres.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Ala de Combate Nro. 21Created 1955; Yaguachi, Guayas, km 24.5 of the Durán–Tambo road; counter-air, counter-surface and reconnaissance mission; heir to the Paquisha and Alto Cenepa traditions. (The page URL says nro-11 but the content is Ala 21.)
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Ala de Combate Nro. 23Created 24 October 1978 at Base Aérea Eloy Alfaro, Manta; Strikemaster (1978), A-37B, AT-33 (March 1981), A-29 Super Tucano; squadrons 2311, 2312, 2313.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Ala de Transportes Nro. 11Created 19 May 1961 in Quito, now at Base Aérea Cotopaxi; squadrons 1111–1114; Boeing, Hercules, Twin Otter and CASA.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Ala de Combate Nro. 22Began operations 6 June 1962 in Guayaquil as a search and rescue unit; rotary-wing combat rescue, SAR, medevac and transport.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Comando General unitsLogistic bases BAMAS, BACO, BALAG and BAGAL under the logistics directorate.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Base Aérea Mariscal SucreQuito; created 1960; support base; 2016 earthquake response.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Base Aérea CotopaxiLatacunga; airfield construction authorised 10 May 1929; aviation school moved there from Durán 15 January 1930; home of Ala de Transportes 11.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Base Aérea Lago AgrioFormerly Ala de Combate 31 (1992); converted to a logistic base by Registro Oficial of 12 July 2007.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Base Aérea GalápagosBaltra; Decreto Reservado No. 32 of 19 May 1961; first logistic flight and inauguration 7 June 1963.
- Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación Cosme Rennella B.Founded 1921; inside Base Aérea Salinas, Santa Elena province.
- FAE: Comandante general de la FAE supervisó operaciones en el CPL La Roca (7 August 2025)General del Aire Celiano Cevallos Calderón as commander general in 2025, visiting troops at the La Roca prison, Guayaquil. Earlier FAE news names Geovanny Espinel Puga (early 2022) and Gabriel García Urbina (2022–2023).
- FAE: Ecuador condecora a comandante general de la Fuerza Aérea del Perú (19 May 2025)Ecuador’s air force commander decorates his Peruvian counterpart for inter-institutional cooperation.
- FAE: Renovación del mando y 60 años de gloria operacional, Ala de Combate Nro. 23 (7 August 2026)Change of command at Manta presided by Brig. Gen. Mauro Bedoya Avilés; 60th anniversary of Escuadrón de Combate 2313 Halcones.
- FAE: Fuerzas Aéreas de Ecuador y Perú … ejercicio UNIDOS V 2026 (14 September 2026)Fifth Ecuador–Peru air force exercise, Manta, 14–19 September 2026: organised crime, SAR and communications.
- FAE: La FAE despliega sus sistemas UAV en el ejercicio multinacional PANAMAX 2026 (4 August 2026)FAE UAV crews flew ISR with the special operations component; models not named.
- FAE: Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana inhabilita pista clandestina en Guayas (6 May 2026)Air force disables a clandestine airstrip in Guayas.
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional: Mega entrega histórica: nuevo avión multipropósito para Fuerzas Armadas (January 2026)Boeing 737-500 FAE 640 handed over at Base Aérea Simón Bolívar, Guayaquil; names Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo and FAE commander general Mauricio Machuca.
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional: Ecuador y Estados Unidos refuerzan alianza estratégica para fortalecer la seguridad aérea (6 March 2026)FAE chief of staff Brig. Gen. Luis Fierro meets AFSOUTH commander Maj. Gen. David Mineau at Davis-Monthan.
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional: Blindados, presencia en territorio y vigilancia aérea refuerzan el cerco militar en Durán (29 June 2026)Drones and air surveillance in Durán under Brig. Gen. Mauro Bedoya Avilés of the FAE air operations command; 13,000 troops in four coastal provinces.
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional: Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, 102 años al servicio del país (28 October 2022)Names Brig. Gen. Gabriel García Urbina as commander in 2022.
- Infodefensa: La presencia militar de EEUU en la base aérea de Taura reabre el debate (30 September 2026)US Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 8 doing recovery work at Taura with UH-60M and RQ-20B; about 61% rejected lifting the foreign-base ban in November 2025; Ecuador says Taura is not a US base.
- Infodefensa: Estados Unidos prepara el despliegue de drones MQ-9A Reaper en Sudamérica con Ecuador como posible destino (21 September 2026)CNN report, six sources; Manta named as a possible operating location; unconfirmed.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea de Ecuador forma nuevos pilotos de drones (28 September 2026)Headline and date from Infodefensa’s Ecuador index; FAE trains new drone pilots for day and night missions.
- Zona Militar: F-18 Super Hornet del portaaviones Nimitz se adiestraron con A-29 Super Tucano de la Fuerza Aérea de Ecuador (9 April 2026)Southern Seas 2026, 7–8 April 2026: VFA-137 Super Hornets and FAE A-29s.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana recibe sus dos primeros helicópteros Airbus H145 de un pedido de 6 (27 October 2020)Order for six H145; first two October 2020, remaining aircraft in Guayaquil by May 2021 (headlines in the Zona Militar index).
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana emplea sus Super Tucano en misiones de interdicción (24 April 2022)Headline: Super Tucanos used for interdiction.
- Zona Militar: Arriban a Guayaquil los restantes helicópteros H145 (6 May 2021) and related reportsHeadline: remaining H145s arrive in Guayaquil, May 2021.
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: César Muñoz/ANDES / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: ChaosInABottle / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Arpingstone / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Bengt Oberger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: SSgt. Gus Garcia, USAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Photographer’s Name: TSgt. Lou Hernandez / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Rjcastillo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photos: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Aztonyx / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)