Colombiaanse marine luchtvaart
Colombian Naval Aviation, the Colombian Navy’s Naval Aviation Command, is a small arm of about 28 patrol aircraft, transports and helicopters — CN-235s, King Airs, Bell 412s, Hueys and two Dauphins — that flies from Barranquilla and from frigate decks against drug trafficking on two coasts, and in 2026 is still waiting for decisions on new helicopters and patrol aircraft.
The Colombian Naval Aviation story: frigate decks, patrol aircraft and Dauphins over the Caribbean
A navy that flies: what Colombian naval aviation is
Colombian naval aviation is the flying arm of the Colombian Navy (Armada de la República de Colombia), organised as the Naval Aviation Command (Comando de Aviación Naval), one of the navy’s operational commands alongside the Caribbean, Pacific, Southern and Eastern naval forces, the Marine Infantry and the Coast Guard. Its jobs, as Wikipedia summarises them, are naval air support, surveillance, transport and logistics, and search and rescue. It is small. FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory credits the navy with 12 fixed-wing aircraft and 16 helicopters; Spanish Wikipedia says about 30 aircraft, the older English article about 17. It has no combat jets and no armed helicopters in the sources checked, and the air force and the army fly far more aircraft. There is no standalone English Wikipedia article on the service that could be reached for this page.
1983–1984: frigates with flight decks
The arm’s first lasting role at sea came with the four FS-1500 Almirante Padilla-class frigates, built in Germany and commissioned between 31 October 1983 and 27 July 1984. Each had a hangar and a landing platform aft for a light helicopter — the MBB Bo 105 CBS-5 or the Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec — to give the ship targeting beyond its own horizon. A Bo 105CB, ARC 202, survives in the History Museum of the Armed Forces at Tocancipá. Later the flight decks were lengthened by two metres so the ships could take the larger Bell 412. When the navy’s aviation was first formed as a separate branch, and what it flew before the frigates, could not be confirmed from the sources reached, and no date is given here.
Patrol aircraft for the Caribbean and the Pacific
Most of the flying is patrol and transport over two oceans and a river network that reaches the Amazon. In December 2002 the navy ordered two CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft for patrol and counter-drug work, and a third MPA-configured aircraft followed in July 2010, according to Wikipedia; in April 2012 the two older ones were contracted for new APS-143 OceanEye radars. FlightGlobal’s 2025 figures add a CN-235 transport, an ATR 42, three Cessna 208 Caravans, four King Airs including a 360ER bought in 2022, and a PA-31. Spanish Wikipedia notes that the fixed-wing aircraft also carry personnel to the navy’s scattered garrisons and supply units ashore. The weakness is depth: two or three patrol aircraft for two coastlines is very little.
Barranquilla: Dauphins, Bell 412s and a school
The helicopters are concentrated with the Caribbean Naval Air Group (Grupo Aeronaval del Caribe, GANCA) at Barranquilla, where the Naval Aviation School also trains pilots on the Cessna 206. Four navalised Bell 412EPs, ARC 225 to 228, carry FLIR and a Telephonics RDR-1700B radar and fly from the frigates and the OPV-80 patrol ships; Zona Militar recorded US$2.18 million of overhaul contracts in 2017 and 2018. On 25 January 2019 the navy received two AS365 Dauphins, ARC 251 and ARC 252, for US$13.19 million, to ease what Zona Militar called a shortage of embarked aircraft. A navy Bell 412 was lost on 6 January 2013, according to Wikipedia; the circumstances were not confirmed. Five UH-1Ns, a Fennec and a single Mi-8 complete FlightGlobal’s count.
2024–2026: drones, a medevac and a fleet waiting for decisions
Since 2024 the changes have been small and incremental. Zona Militar reported three V-BAT vertical take-off drones and RQ-11B Ravens with the navy in June 2025, and a home-built flight simulator prototype at the Naval Aviation School in October 2025. In July 2026 Infodefensa reported interest in two more King Air 360ERs, but no purchase; in August it reported that the navy was studying two HH-60A Black Hawks as a cheaper alternative to the MH-60R or MH-60S, and in September Zona Militar described a joint plan for 28 utility helicopters for all services to 2034. At UNITAS 2026 off Peru, Dauphin ARC 252 flew from ARC Almirante Padilla and made a real medical evacuation of a foreign sailor to Lima. Vice Admiral Javier Jaimes Pinilla became commander of the navy in August 2026.
What is missing from the record
The honest summary is that the record is thin. The navy’s own website could not be read for this page, and no official history of the Naval Aviation Command, its founding date, its current commander, its squadron structure or any Pacific air group was confirmed. Numbers differ between FlightGlobal and Wikipedia for almost every type, and those differences are shown in the fleet table rather than resolved by guesswork. What is clear is the shape of the force: a handful of patrol aircraft, two modern Dauphins and a group of ageing Bell and Huey helicopters supporting a navy whose daily war is against drug trafficking on the coasts and rivers, with replacement decisions still open in 2026.
The Colombian Naval Aviation in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Aviación Naval de ColombiaThe command is the Comando de Aviación Naval of the Armada de la República de Colombia. No standalone English Wikipedia article on the service could be reached; the English Colombian Navy article calls it the Navy Aviation Command
- Opgericht
- No founding date was found in the sources reached; flight-deck frigates entered service in 1983–1984
- Onderdeel van
- Colombian NavyOne of the navy’s operational commands
- Main air group
- Caribbean Naval Air Group (GANCA), BarranquillaHome of the Dauphins and the Bell 412EP overhaul work; the Naval Aviation School is also in Barranquilla
- Commander of the Navy
- V. Adm. Javier Jaimes PinillaNamed in August 2026; the commander of the Naval Aviation Command was not confirmed
Kracht
- Fleet (2025)
- About 28 aircraft12 fixed-wing and 16 helicopters in FlightGlobal 2025; Spanish Wikipedia says about 30, the older English article about 17
- Patrol and transport aircraft
-
- CN-235 MPA — 2
- CN-235 — 1
- King Air 90/350/360ER — 4
- Cessna 208 — 3
- ATR 42 — 1
- PA-31 — 1
Wikipedia records a third CN-235 MPA delivered in 2010
- Helikopters
-
- Bell 212/412 — 7
- UH-1N — 5
- AS365 N3 Dauphin — 2
- AS555 Fennec — 1
- Mi-8 — 1
Four of the Bells are navalised 412EPs
- Drones
-
- V-BAT 128 — 3
- RQ-11B Raven
Per Zona Militar, June 2025
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
- GeenNo armed fixed-wing aircraft in the sources checked
Infrastructuur
- Luchtstations
-
- Barranquilla — Caribbean Naval Air Group and Naval Aviation School
Other naval air stations were not confirmed in the sources reached
- Ships with flight decks
- Four FS-1500 frigates and OPV-80sAlmirante Padilla class commissioned 1983–1984; Dauphins also embark on survey ships
- Naval bases
-
- ARC Bolívar, Cartagena
- ARC Bahía Málaga, Pacific
- ARC Leguízamo
- ARC San Andrés
- ARC Puerto Carreño
The navy’s main bases; which have aviation detachments was not confirmed
How the Colombian Naval Aviation is organised
The flying arm of the Colombian Navy, organised as the Naval Aviation Command for patrol, transport and search and rescue. FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory counts about 28 aircraft — CN-235 patrol aircraft, King Airs, Caravans, Bell 412s, Hueys and two AS365 Dauphins — and no combat jets. Its founding date and its current commander were not confirmed in the sources reached.
Marine Luchtvaartcommando
One of the operational commands of the Colombian Navy, for naval air support, surveillance, transport and logistics and search and rescue. Its commander and founding date were not confirmed; the navy has been commanded since August 2026 by Vice Admiral Javier Jaimes Pinilla.
Fixed-wing fleet
Two CN-235 MPA, a CN-235 transport, an ATR 42, three Cessna 208s, four King Airs including a 360ER bought in 2022 and a PA-31 in FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory; Wikipedia records a third CN-235 MPA delivered in 2010. Home bases were not confirmed.
Caribbean Naval Air Group
Received the two AS365 Dauphins on 25 January 2019 and overhauls the four navalised Bell 412EPs, ARC 225–228, according to Zona Militar. The navy’s helicopters embark on the Almirante Padilla-class frigates and OPV-80 patrol ships.
Marine Luchtvaartschool
Trains navy pilots on the Cessna 206; a simulator prototype was shown in October 2025.
Drones
Three V-BAT 128 vertical take-off drones and RQ-11B Raven mini-drones, according to Zona Militar in June 2025; the operating unit was not confirmed.
What the Colombian Naval Aviation flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus (CASA) CN-235 MPA PersuaderIn dienst | Maritieme patrouille | 2 | 2003 | 2–3.
MeerFlightGlobal lists two CN235 MPA in 2025 plus one CN235 transport; Wikipedia records two MPA ordered in December 2002 and a third MPA delivered in July 2010, so the third may be the aircraft FlightGlobal counts as a transport. |
||
| Airbus (CASA) CN-235 transportIn dienst | Vervoer | 1 | One, per FlightGlobal 2025. | |||
| ATR 42In dienst | Vervoer | 1 | One, per FlightGlobal 2025. | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 90, 350 en 360ERIn dienst | Transport, patrol and ISR | 4 | Four King Air 90/350/360 in FlightGlobal 2025, one of them the King Air 360ER bought in 2022. | |||
| Cessna 208 CaravanIn dienst | Nutsvervoer | 3 | Three, per FlightGlobal 2025; an older Wikipedia table gives two. | |||
| Cessna 206In dienst | Trainer en contactpersoon | Number not published in the sources checked; FlightGlobal does not list the type. | ||||
| Piper PA-31 NavajoIn dienst | Licht transport | 1 | One, per FlightGlobal 2025. | |||
| Airbus Helicopters AS365 N3 DauphinIn dienst | Embarked SAR and utility helicopter | 2 | 2019 | Two, ARC 251 and ARC 252. | ||
| Eurocopter AS555SN FennecIn dienst | Aan boord gegaan van een lichte helikopter | 1 | One in FlightGlobal 2025; an older Wikipedia table gives two. | |||
| Bell 412EP and Bell 212In dienst | Embarked and utility helicopter | 7 | Seven Bell 212/412 in FlightGlobal 2025, including the four navalised 412EPs ARC 225–228 named by Zona Militar in 2019. | |||
| Bell UH-1N Twin HueyIn dienst | Hulphelikopter | 5 | Five, per FlightGlobal 2025 and Wikipedia. | |||
| Mil Mi-8/17 familyIn dienst | Transporthelikopter | 1 | One, listed as Mi-8 by FlightGlobal 2025; variant not confirmed. | |||
| Shield AI V-BAT 128In dienst | VTOL surveillance drone | 3 | Three, per Zona Militar in 2025. | |||
| AeroVironment RQ-11B RavenIn dienst | Hand-launched mini-drone |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint utility helicopter programme (AW139, H145 or Bell 412EP)Op bestelling | Geen bevel.
MeerThe armed forces plan 28 utility helicopters for all services to 2034, for 1.2 trillion pesos (about US$388 million); a choice between the AW139, H145 and Bell 412EP was expected in the second half of 2026. The navy’s share was not published. |
|||
| Sikorsky HH-60A Black Hawk (under study)Op bestelling | 2 | Not an order. Infodefensa reported on 25 August 2026 that the navy was analysing two HH-60As as a cheaper alternative to the MH-60R or MH-60S, with the government’s backing in principle. |
Every type the Colombian Naval Aviation has retired
3 types, from the MBB Bo 105CB to the MBB Bo 105CB. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBB Bo 105CB | Aan boord gegaan van een lichte helikopter | Two in an older Wikipedia table; number bought not confirmed. | ||||
| CASA C-212 Aviocar | Vervoer | 1 | One in an older Wikipedia table; not listed by FlightGlobal in 2025. | |||
| MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 | Hulphelikopter | 1 | One in an older Wikipedia table; not listed by FlightGlobal in 2025. |
Where Colombian Naval Aviation flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. The Caribbean Naval Air Group and the Naval Aviation School are at Barranquilla, on the airfield the air force also uses; the helicopters go to sea on frigates and patrol ships. Other naval air stations were not confirmed and carry no pin.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MalamboGeneraal-majoor Alberto Pauwels RodríguezAtlántico (Malambo, Barranquilla) | SKBQ | Actief | 05/233.000 m |
|
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Colombian Naval Aviation
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Only the Caribbean Naval Air Group and the Naval Aviation School could be placed on a base from published sources. Aircraft counts are FlightGlobal’s 2025 figures and Zona Militar’s reports.
- Caribbean Naval Air Group (Grupo Aeronaval del Caribe, GANCA)Naval air group · navy
- AS365 N3 Dauphin (2), Bell 412EP (4)
- Naval Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Naval, ESCAN)Flying school · navy
- Cessna 206
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Colombian Naval Aviation milestones, 1914 to today
31 October: ARC Almirante Padilla, first of four FS-1500 frigates with a hangar and helicopter deck, is commissioned.
Caldas (14 February), Antioquia (30 April) and Independiente (27 July) follow; the ships are fitted to carry a Bo 105 or a Fennec.
December: two CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft are ordered for patrol and counter-drug work.
July: a third MPA-configured CN-235 is delivered.
April: Telephonics is contracted to fit APS-143 OceanEye radars to the two older CN-235s.
6 January: a navy Bell 412 is lost, according to Wikipedia.
First overhaul contract for the navalised Bell 412EPs at the Caribbean Naval Air Group; a second follows in 2018.
25 January: AS365 Dauphins ARC 251 and ARC 252 are delivered for US$13.19 million.
A King Air 360ER is acquired. November: the Naval Aviation School presents a flight training device against spatial disorientation.
June: Zona Militar reports three V-BAT drones with the navy. October: a simulator prototype is shown at the Naval Aviation School, Barranquilla.
28 March: Petty Officer Yorladis Zamora is reported as the first woman with 3,000 safe flight hours in Naval Aviation.
28 July: interest in two more King Air 360ERs is reported. 22 August: V. Adm. Javier Jaimes Pinilla is named navy commander. 25 August: two HH-60As under study.
5 September: a joint plan for 28 utility helicopters to 2034 is reported. 10–24 September: UNITAS off Peru, with Dauphin ARC 252 aboard ARC Almirante Padilla.
Every war and operation Colombian Naval Aviation has flown in
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- Internal armed conflict and counter-narcotics operations 1983– Maritime patrol, interdiction support, transport and medical evacuation for the navy and the Marine Infantry
Who built the Colombian Naval Aviation fleet
Elk bedrijf dat betrokken is bij de vliegtuigen op deze pagina heeft zijn eigen pagina: het verhaal, elk type dat het heeft gebouwd, de aantallen en de andere luchtmachten die ermee vliegen.
Huidige vloot en bestellingen
Klok, Airbus, Cessna, ATR, AeroVironment, Airbus-helikopters, Beechcraft, Eurocopter, Mil, Pijper, Shield AI, Sikorsky
Voormalige vloot
Everything people ask about the Colombian Naval Aviation
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When was Colombian Naval Aviation founded?
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Read the aircraft the Colombian Naval Aviation flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- FlightGlobal: Wereldwijde luchtmachtgids 2025Colombian Navy entry: CN235 MPA 2; transport ATR 42 1, Cessna 208 3, CN235 1, King Air 90/350/360 4, PA-31 1; helicopters AS365 2, AS555 1, Bell 212/412 7, Mi-8 1, UH-1N 5.
- Zona Militar: La Armada Colombiana recibe sus dos nuevos helicópteros Dauphin (29 January 2019)AS365 Dauphins ARC 251 and ARC 252 delivered 25 January 2019 for US$13.19 million in two contracts; with the Grupo Aeronaval del Caribe (GANCA) in Barranquilla; for SAR and embarkation on frigates, OPVs and survey ships.
- Zona Militar: La Armada Colombiana inicia trabajos de mantenimiento de su helicóptero Bell 412EP, el ARC 228 (6 February 2019)Four navalised Bell 412EPs (ARC 225–228) with FLIR and RDR-1700B radar; overhaul at GANCA by Helicentro under contracts of 2017 and 2018 worth US$2.18 million; embarked on FS-1500 frigates and OPV-80s.
- Zona Militar: Conociendo el nuevo proyecto de simulador para entrenamiento de pilotos de la Armada Nacional de Colombia (26 October 2025)Naval Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Naval) in Barranquilla; Cessna 206 trainer; simulator prototype not yet in formal use.
- Diálogo Américas: Colombia: Simulador de vuelo de la Escuela Naval de Cadetes busca reducir accidentes de aviación (10 November 2022)Naval Aviation School (ESCAN) director Capt. (Frigate) Alberto Fierro Monje on spatial disorientation over the sea; flight training device built by naval officers.
- Zona Militar: AW139, H145 y Bell 412EP: las opciones que Colombia evalúa para renovar la flota de helicópteros utilitarios (5 September 2026)Joint programme for 28 utility helicopters to 2034, 1.2 trillion pesos (about US$388 million); AW139, H145 and Bell 412EP evaluated; decision expected in the second half of 2026; Bell types fly in all services including the navy.
- Zona Militar: La flota de drones y aeronaves no tripuladas de las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia (16 June 2025)Navy unmanned aircraft: three V-Bat 128 VTOL drones (10 h endurance) and RQ-11B Raven hand-launched drones.
- Zona Militar: Así fue la participación de la fragata misilera Almirante Padilla en el Ejercicio UNITAS 2026 en Perú (23 September 2026)UNITAS 2026 off Peru, 10–24 September; ARC Almirante Padilla embarked an AS365 Dauphin; cross-deck operations with Argentine and Chilean helicopters.
- Zona Militar: Especial mujeres de las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia: Armada de Colombia (28 March 2026)Naval Aviation flies the Cessna 206, Cessna 208 Caravan and ATR 42; Petty Officer Yorladis Zamora first woman to log 3,000 safe flight hours in Naval Aviation.
- Infodefensa: Un Dauphin de la Armada de Colombia realiza una evacuación médica real durante Unitas 2026 (1 October 2026)AS365 N3 Dauphin ARC 252 from ARC Almirante Padilla flew a real medical evacuation of a foreign crew member to Lima; about US$1 million in maintenance and Airbus support.
- Infodefensa: La Armada de Colombia analiza incorporar dos helicópteros HH-60A (25 August 2026)Two HH-60As considered as a cheaper alternative to the MH-60R/S, for interdiction, transport, SAR, medevac and Marine Infantry support; backed in principle by the government.
- Infodefensa: La Armada de Colombia muestra interés en adquirir dos nuevos King Air 360ER (28 July 2026)One King Air 360ER acquired in 2022; interest in two more for ISR, SAR and vessel tracking; no purchase process yet.
- Infodefensa: Colombia define la nueva cúpula de sus Fuerzas Militares (22 August 2026)Vice Admiral Javier Jaimes Pinilla named commander of the navy by President Abelardo de la Espriella.
- Infodefensa: Colombia – Armada news indexIndex of Colombian navy news used to find 2026 aviation items; checked 1 October 2026.
Cijfers geverifieerd op 1 oktober 2026. De pagina's van Order of Battle worden opnieuw gegenereerd vanuit één dataset; als een getal hier niet overeenkomt met een pagina in Book of Beasts, is deze pagina de meest recente van de twee.
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