Força Aérea Portuguesa

Ordem de batalha · Portugal

Força Aérea Portuguesa

Força Aérea Portuguesa

The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa) was created on 1 July 1952 from the army’s and navy’s air services, spent thirteen years fighting a colonial war across Angola, Guinea and Mozambique, rebuilt itself after 1974 around second-hand American and German jets, and in 2026 flies about 28 F-16s from Monte Real while it chooses their successor, brings in Embraer’s KC-390 and A-29N, and spends more of its effort than most NATO air forces on search and rescue over a vast stretch of the Atlantic.

Marcação nacionalThe Cross of Christ: a red cross with a white cross inside it, on a white disc with a black border
Baixa visibilidadeThe cross in subdued grey tones
Marca de barbatanaThe national colours in vertical bands, green forward and red aft
28Aeronaves de combate
9Bases aéreas ativas
1952Fundada
38Tipos aposentados
Photo: Pedro Dias from Portugal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
PaísPortugalFundada1952StatusAtivoSedeAlfragideComandanteSérgio Roberto Leite da Costa Pereira
A história

The Portuguese Air Force story: an Atlantic crossing, thirteen years of colonial war and the F-16 question

1912–1952: two air services, an Atlantic crossing and a neutral war

Portuguese military flying began in 1912 with a handful of French aircraft, and the Military Aeronautics School was founded in 1914; its field later became Air Base No. 1 at Sintra. Lieutenant Santos Leite made the first Portuguese military aeroplane flight on 17 July 1916. The navy created its own aviation service on 28 September 1917 and flew anti-submarine patrols in 1918, and Captain Óscar Monteiro Torres, flying on the Western Front, became the first Portuguese airman killed in combat in November 1917. The navy’s most famous flight was peaceful: Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral’s first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic in 1922. In the Second World War Portugal stayed neutral, but in 1941 it sent Gloster Gladiators and Curtiss Mohawks to the Azores, and it kept dozens of Allied aircraft that landed on its territory. In October 1943 British forces arrived at Lajes, the start of the island base’s long Atlantic career.

1952–1961: one air force, built on American aid

On 1 July 1952 the army’s Aeronáutica Militar and the navy’s aviation were merged into an independent Portuguese Air Force; the naval air units were fully absorbed by 1958. The new service inherited a museum of types — Hurricanes, Spitfires, Ju 52s, Harvards — and replaced most of them within a decade with NATO aid: 50 F-47D Thunderbolts, 125 F-84G Thunderjets from 1953, T-33 jet trainers, PV-2 Harpoon and later P2V-5 Neptune patrol aircraft. The F-86F Sabre first flew in Portuguese colours on 22 September 1958 and made the first Portuguese supersonic flight two days later. Paratroops were added too: the first battalion, part of the air force, was activated on 1 January 1956. The price of building fast was paid in lives: in 1955 eight F-84G pilots were killed in a single formation accident.

1961–1974: thirteen years of colonial war

From 1961 to 1974 the air force fought in Angola, Guinea and Mozambique. The official history site guerracolonial.pt puts about 20,000 air force personnel and 150 aircraft in Africa in the 1960s. F-84Gs went to Luanda in 1961; eight F-86Fs flew 577 sorties in Guinea until American pressure forced their withdrawal in October 1964; seven B-26 Invaders arrived covertly in 1965. The workhorses were humbler: T-6 Harvards, Dornier Do 27s, Noratlas transports and about 140 Alouette helicopters, which carried the paratroops and the wounded. From 1966 ex-German Fiat G.91s became the main jet. The war’s turning point in the air came in Guinea in March 1973, when the PAIGC began firing Soviet Strela shoulder-launched missiles: two G.91s were shot down within four days, and two Do 27s and a T-6 in April. Pilots adapted by bombing from higher and flying in pairs, but the air force’s freedom over the bush had ended.

1974–1999: revolution, retrenchment and the second-hand jet age

On 25 April 1974 middle-ranking officers overthrew the Estado Novo regime, and the colonies became independent within eighteen months. For the air force the result was abrupt shrinkage: an inventory of about 850 aircraft in 1974 fell by two-thirds by 1976, and when Indonesia invaded East Timor on 7 December 1975 the last detachment withdrew with the governor from Atauro. Rebuilding came piecemeal and second-hand: 70 more G.91R/3s from Germany in 1976, 12 T-38s, 44 A-7P Corsair IIs and six two-seaters from 1981, 50 ex-Luftwaffe Alpha Jets in 1993. For almost fifteen years after the last Sabre went in 1980 Portugal had no real air defence fighter; the air force’s own history says the F-16s of 1994 restored an effective air defence capacity. The good side was a service that learned to do much with little; the other side was a fleet that was usually someone else’s cast-offs.

1999–2025: the F-16 in NATO, and the jets sold to Romania

Deliveries of the first 20 F-16A/B Block 15s under Peace Atlantis I began on 18 February 1994, and 25 surplus American airframes followed under Peace Atlantis II from 1998, five of them only for spares. Three F-16As went to Aviano for Operation Allied Force in 1999 and flew 281 sorties and about 1,050 hours of combat air patrol without firing in anger. Portugal joined the Mid-Life Update programme in 2000, and the first MLU jet flew in Portuguese markings on 26 June 2003. From November 2007 F-16s from Monte Real policed Baltic airspace, and later Iceland, Romania and Poland. In 2013 Portugal sold 12 MLU F-16s to Romania, with overhauled engines and the training of Romanian pilots and mechanics, and in 2019 agreed to sell five more: a useful income, but it left a thinner fleet. The A-7P left in 1999 and the Alpha Jet in January 2018.

2023–2026: Embraer, Black Hawks and the fighter question

The newest equipment is Brazilian. The first Embraer KC-390 arrived in 2023; the fourth, with the air-refuelling kit, landed at Beja on 24 January 2026, of six ordered, and in June 2026 two flew earthquake relief to Venezuela. Twelve A-29N Super Tucanos, a NATO-standard version first built for Portugal, were ordered in December 2024 for about 200 million euros and were formally received on 17 December 2025. Since the government gave aerial firefighting to the air force in 2018 it has bought AW119 Koalas and refurbished UH-60 Black Hawks, 13 of them planned, and it reopened Ovar as Air Base No. 8 in 2023. Six ex-German P-3C Orions arrived from 2024. What is unresolved is the fighter: the air force wanted the F-35, but in March 2025 Defence Minister Nuno Melo questioned relying on American equipment, and in 2026 Dassault, Saab, Airbus and Lockheed Martin were circling a requirement reported at 14 to 28 aircraft while the F-16s got another engine-maintenance contract.

On 1 July 1952 the army’s Aeronáutica Militar and the navy’s aviation were merged into an independent Portuguese Air Force; the naval air units were fully absorbed by 1958.Portuguese Air Force · verified 2026-09-29
À primeira vista

The Portuguese Air Force in numbers

Serviço

Nome nativo
Força Aérea PortuguesaThe official name on emfa.pt, the air force’s site; usually abbreviated FAP (in NATO documents also PoAF). Portuguese is the national language; Mirandese has only local recognition and no official air force name was found
Fundada
1 July 1952Merger of the army’s Aeronáutica Militar (military flying since 1912, an independent service from 29 June 1918) and the navy’s aviation (created 28 September 1917)
Parte de
Portuguese Armed ForcesOne of three branches under the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, since 2 March 2026 General João Cartaxo Alves, the previous air force chief. Unusually, the air force (not the navy) runs maritime patrol and most search and rescue flying
Sede
AlfragideAir Staff headquarters in Alfragide, Amadora, west of Lisbon
Chefe de Gabinete
Gen. Sérgio PereiraSworn in on 2 March 2026; a helicopter pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours
Ministro da Defesa Nacional
Nuno MeloDefence minister and CDS-PP leader

Força

Pessoal
About 6,200–6,800English Wikipedia gives 6,224 (2025); Portuguese Wikipedia about 6,799. An official current figure was not found on emfa.pt
Aeronaves de combate
  • F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon — about 28 (24 AM, 4 BM)
  • A-29N Super Tucano — 12 ordered, first handed over 17 December 2025

The F-16 count is a press figure consistent with the published deliveries, sales and losses; the air force does not publish one

Transporte e tanque
  • KC-390 — 4 delivered by January 2026, 6 ordered
  • C-130H/H-30 Hercules — 3–4
  • C-295M — 12 (7 transport, 5 maritime patrol)
  • Falcon 50 — 3; Falcon 900 — 1

The KC-390s at Beja are replacing the Hercules at Montijo

Patrulha marítima
P-3C CUP+ OrionFive ex-Dutch aircraft since 2006, plus six ex-German P-3Cs bought on 25 September 2023, the first arriving at Beja on 9 February 2024
Helicópteros
  • EH-101 Merlin — 12 (6 SAR, 4 CSAR, 2 fisheries)
  • UH-60A/L Black Hawk — 6 by February 2026, 13 planned
  • AW119 Koala — 7

Merlins hold search and rescue from Montijo, Lajes and Porto Santo; the Black Hawks fight fires from Ovar

Treinadores
  • TB-30 Epsilon — 18 bought from 1989
  • Chipmunk Mk 20 — 7 re-engined
  • ASK-21 gliders — 7

Squadron 101 at Beja also flies the A-29N as a trainer; the number of Epsilons still flying was not published

Orçamento de defesa
About 6.1 billion euros, 2.01 per cent of GDPNATO’s 2026 figures as reported in July 2026, up 1.6 billion from 4.4 billion; in June 2025 the government announced an extra billion for 2025 and signed up to NATO’s 5 per cent by 2035

Infraestrutura

bases aéreas
  • BA1 Sintra — Air Force Academy, Museu do Ar
  • BA4 Lajes, Terceira — Merlin SAR, C-295 detachment, US 65th Air Base Group
  • BA5 Monte Real — F-16 squadrons 201 and 301
  • BA6 Montijo — Merlin SAR (Squadron 751), transport and VIP squadrons
  • BA8 Ovar — Black Hawks (base since 24 November 2023)
  • BA11 Beja — KC-390, A-29N, Epsilon, P-3C

Plus Transit Airfield No. 1 (Figo Maduro, Lisbon) and Manoeuvre Airfield No. 3 (Porto Santo, Madeira)

Closed or transferred
  • Ota (BA2) — no longer a flying base; Wikipedia lists it for logistics and training
  • Tancos — transferred to the army
  • São Jacinto — civil airfield
  • The African bases — lost with independence, 1974–1975

In Africa the air force had BA9 Luanda, BA12 Bissalanca, BA10 Beira and a string of manoeuvre airfields

esquadrões voadores
14101, 201, 301, 501, 502, 504, 506, 551, 552, 601, 751, 752, 802 and the 991 drone squadron
Busca e resgate
Atlantic and mainlandMerlins cover the mainland, the Azores and Madeira; the Lisbon and Santa Maria flight information regions are among the largest in the world
Equipes de exibição
None activeAsas de Portugal flew T-37s from 1976 and Alpha Jets until an accident in 2010; the helicopter team Rotores de Portugal also stopped in 2010
Presença estrangeira
US 65th Air Base Group at LajesUnder the 1951 defence agreement; cut to no more than about 170 US active-duty personnel after the drawdown planned from 2014
Estrutura

How the Portuguese Air Force is organised

One chief of staff at Alfragide over numbered air bases, each with its squadrons. Every combat jet is at Monte Real; Beja takes the new KC-390s and A-29Ns, Montijo the transports and the Merlins, and the Azores and Madeira have their own rescue detachments. Unusually, the air force, not the navy, flies maritime patrol and most search and rescue.

SR

Em geralSérgio Roberto Leite da Costa PereiraChief of Staff of the Air Force (Chefe do Estado-Maior da Força Aérea, CEMFA) · in office since 2026
Chefe do Estado-Maior da Força AéreaChefe do Estado-Maior da Força Aérea
Funcionários

Chefe do Estado-Maior da Força Aérea

CEMFA
Alfragide

Gen. Sérgio Pereira since 2 March 2026, a helicopter pilot who succeeded Gen. João Cartaxo Alves when he became Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The Air Staff headquarters is at Alfragide, west of Lisbon.

linha de frente

Base Aérea de Monte Real

Base Aérea N.º 5
Monte Real

Every Portuguese combat jet: Esquadras 201 “Falcões” and 301 “Jaguares” with about 28 F-16AM/BMs, and the pair on permanent air-defence alert. A successor to the F-16 is still to be chosen.

New equipment

Beja Air Base

Base Aérea N.º 11
Beja

The KC-390s of Esquadra 506, the P-3C Orions of Esquadra 601, the AW119s of Esquadra 552 and pilot training on the Epsilon and the A-29N Super Tucano with Esquadra 101.

Transport and rescue

Base Aérea de Montijo

Base Aérea N.º 6
Montijo

C-130H Hercules of Esquadra 501, C-295Ms of Esquadra 502 and the Merlins of Esquadra 751, which keep a rescue crew on alert around the clock, rotating between Montijo, Porto Santo and Lajes. The Falcon VIP jets of Esquadra 504 fly from Figo Maduro in Lisbon.

Atlantic

Base Aérea de Lajes

Base Aérea N.º 4
Lajes

The Merlins of Esquadra 752, reactivated on 16 May 2023, and a C-295M detachment cover the Azores; the US Air Force’s 65th Air Base Group is a tenant under the 1951 defence agreement.

combate a incêndios

Ovar Air Base

Base Aérea N.º 8
Ovar

Esquadra 551 “Panteras” with refurbished UH-60 Black Hawks, 13 of them planned, since the aerodrome became an air base on 24 November 2023. The government gave aerial firefighting to the air force in 2018.

Treinamento

Academia da Força Aérea

Academia da Força Aérea
Sintra

Officer education at Sintra since 1978, where Esquadra 802 “Águias” flies Chipmunks and ASK 21 gliders for pilot selection.

Em serviço

What the Portuguese Air Force flies today

Cada tipo de cobrança, com link para sua página no Livro das Feras, quando houver. Os números indicam as aeronaves registradas, não as aeronaves disponíveis em um determinado dia.

Tipo Papel Em serviço Desde Unidades Notas
General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (MLU)Em serviço Caça multifuncional 28 1994 About 28 (24 F-16AM and 4 F-16BM) per 2026 press reporting; the air force does not publish a figure.

Mais

Portugal took 45 airframes (20 new, 25 surplus, five of those only for spares) plus three more ex-USAF aircraft in 2019, sold 17 to Romania and lost two in accidents. Wikipedia’s inventory table still says 50, which is out of date.
Embraer A-29N Super TucanoEm serviço Light attack and advanced trainer 2025 12 ordered.

Mais

The air force’s own news item names two aircraft at the handover of 17 December 2025; The Aviationist reports five NATO-configured aircraft handed over that day (three landed at OGMA on 31 August 2025, two more on 8 November 2025). The number delivered by September 2026 was not published.
Embraer KC-390 MillenniumEm serviço Transporte e tanque 4 2023 Four delivered by 24 January 2026 (the third on 18 July 2025, the fourth on 24 January 2026); six ordered. Later deliveries were not confirmed.
Lockheed C-130H e C-130H-30 HerculesEm serviço Transporte tático 1977 3–4. The air force’s page lists three C-130H-30; the Wikipedia list gives six received since 1977, four operational.
Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M and C-295 MPAEm serviço Transport, maritime patrol and SAR 12 2009 12: seven transport and five maritime patrol (Wikipedia list).
Lockheed P-3C CUP+ OrionEm serviço Patrulha marítima e antissubmarino 2006 Five ex-Dutch P-3C since 2006, upgraded to CUP+; six ex-German P-3C bought on 25 September 2023 (Wikipedia: five to be upgraded, one for spares).

Mais

How many are flying in 2026 was not published.
Dassault Falcon 50 and Falcon 900Em serviço VIP transport and medevac 4 1990 Three Falcon 50 (since 1990) and one Falcon 900 (since 2023, a seized aircraft).
AgustaWestland EH-101 MerlinEm serviço Search and rescue, combat SAR, fisheries patrol 12 2005 12: six SAR, four CSAR and two SIFICAP fisheries-protection aircraft.
Sikorsky UH-60A and UH-60L Black Hawk (refurbished)Em serviço Firefighting, transport and medevac helicopter 6 2023 Six by 21 February 2026 (the sixth a UH-60L); 13 planned in three batches. Four more UH-60L were contracted on 4 March 2026 for delivery by 31 August 2026; their arrival was not confirmed.
Leonardo AW119 KoalaEm serviço Training, SAR and firefighting support helicopter 7 2019 Seven: five from 2019 and two more in 2023 (Wikipedia list).
Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 ÉcureuilEm serviço Helicóptero leve 3 2018 Three, transferred in 2018 (Wikipedia list).
Aerospatiale TB-30 EpsilonEm serviço Elementary and basic trainer 1989 18 bought, assembled by OGMA from 1989; the number still flying was not published.
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk 20Em serviço Treinador principal 7 1952 Seven re-engined with Lycoming engines from 1997; ten had been taken on in 1951–1952.
Schleicher ASK-21Em serviço Planador de treinamento 7 Seven gliders.
UAVision OGASSA OGS42N/VNEm serviço Unmanned surveillance aircraft 12 2020 12, four with VTOL (Wikipedia list).
F-1628
C-29512
Merlin12
OGS4212
AW1197
Chipmunk7
ASK-217
UH-606

Sob encomenda

Tipo Encomendado Primeira entrega Notas
Embraer A-29N Super TucanoSob encomenda 2025 12 ordered in December 2024 (about 200 million euros); between two and five had been handed over on 17 December 2025 depending on the source. The balance and its schedule were not published.
Embraer KC-390 MillenniumSob encomenda 2 2023 Six ordered, four delivered by 24 January 2026; the remaining two had no published dates.
Sikorsky UH-60L Black HawkSob encomenda 7 2023 Seven outstanding in February 2026 (three from the September 2024 contract, four more contracted with Ace Aeronautics on 4 March 2026 for under 32 million euros, due by 31 August 2026).
Lockheed P-3C Orion (ex-German)Sob encomenda 6 2024 Six bought on 25 September 2023 (reported at 45 million euros); first arrived 9 February 2024. The upgrade and entry-into-service schedule was not published.
Tecnam P-MentorSob encomenda 7 2026 Listed on Wikipedia as seven on order for 2026; not confirmed on an official page.
F-16 successorSob encomenda No decision.

Mais

Rafale (offer July 2026), F-35A, Gripen E/F and Typhoon are reported in contention for a requirement of 14–28 aircraft; no competition had formally opened by late September 2026.
Anteriormente operado

Every type the Portuguese Air Force has retired

38 types, from the Caudron G.III to the Sud Aviation SE 3160 / SA 316 Alouette III. Os números máximos representam as aeronaves incorporadas à frota ao longo de toda a sua vida útil, e não a força total da frota em uma data específica.

Tipo Papel Pico Servido Substituído por Notas
Sud Aviation SE 3160 / SA 316 Alouette III Utility helicopter and gunship 142 1963–2020 AW119 142 per the Wikipedia list, some for spares; guerracolonial.pt gives about 140 Alouette II and III.
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet A Treinador avançado e ataque leve 50 1993–2018 A-29N 50 ex-Luftwaffe aircraft.
Lockheed P-3P Orion Patrulha marítima 6 1985–2011 P-3C CUP+ Six ex-RAAF P-3B rebuilt as P-3P.
CASA C-212 Aviocar Light transport and patrol 26 1974–2011 C-295 24 C-212-100 and two C-212-300.
Sud Aviation SA 330 Puma Transport and SAR helicopter 13 1969–2011 EH-101 Merlin 13 per the Wikipedia list; guerracolonial.pt counts 11 arriving from 1969.
Reims-Cessna FTB-337G Skymaster Light patrol and liaison 32 1974–2007 32.
Vought A-7P and TA-7P Corsair II Ataque 50 1981–1999 F-16 44 A-7P and six TA-7P (plus one TA-7C loaned 1982–1984).
Northrop T-38A Talon Supersonic trainer 12 1977–1994 12.
Fiat G.91R/4, R/3 and T/3 Close support and reconnaissance 1965–1993 Alpha Jet 110–136. The Wikipedia list gives 40 G.91R/4 (from 1965), 70 G.91R/3 (from 1976) and 26 G.91T/3 of which only 11 flew.

Mais

guerracolonial.pt gives 40 from Germany in 1966 and 74 operated during the war.
Cessna T-37C Treinador a jato 30 1961–1992 Alpha Jet 30.
Lockheed T-33A e RT-33A Jet trainer and reconnaissance 30 1952–1991 28 T-33A and two RT-33A.
North American F-86F Sabre Lutador diurno 65 1958–1980 65.
Dornier Do 27 Ligação e observação 146 1961–1979 146 of several versions.
North American T-6 / AT-6 Texan and Harvard Trainer and counter-insurgency 257 1947–1978 257 AT-6 on the Wikipedia list, with more T-6G and Harvards added from 1956 to 1969; the total across marks was not confirmed.
Nord N.2501/2502 Noratlas Transporte tático 1960–1978 C-212 30–31. The Wikipedia list gives 12 N.2502 and 18 N.2501D; guerracolonial.pt gives six in 1960, six in 1962 and 19 in 1968.
Douglas C-54 Skymaster and SC-54 Searchmaster Transport and SAR 1947–1978 8–10 transports plus about ten SAR aircraft; the list’s rows overlap.
Douglas DC-6A/B Transporte estratégico 10 1961–1978 10.
Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune Patrulha marítima 12 1960–1977 P-3P 12.
Douglas C-47 Dakota Transporte 29 1952–1976 29.
Boeing 707-3F5C Transporte estratégico 2 1971–1976 Dois.
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon Maritime patrol and light bomber 42 1953–1975 42 received, 34 flown.
Republic F-84G Thunderjet Caça-bombardeiro 125 1953–1974 125 received from 1953.
Junkers Ju 52/3m Transport and bomber 12 1936–1972 12.
de Havilland Vampire T.55 Treinador a jato 2 1952–1962 Dois.
Republic F-47D Thunderbolt Caça-bombardeiro 50 1952–1956 F-84G 50.
Hawker Hurricane IIB/IIC Lutador 1943–1954 142–151: the Wikipedia list gives 142 for the army air service from 1943 and 151 on the air force’s books.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I and Mk VB Lutador 111 1942–1952 18 Mk I from 1942 and 93 Mk VB from 1943.
Gloster Gladiator II Lutador 30 1938–1952 30.
Bell P-39L and P-400 Airacobra Lutador 19 1942–1950 15 P-400 and four P-39L, interned.
Junkers Ju 86K-7 Bombardeiro 10 1938–1948 10.
Bristol Blenheim IV and V bombardeiro leve 1943–1947 13 in the army air service; 12 Blenheim IVF are also listed for the navy.
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X Torpedo fighter 17 1945–1946 17.
Curtiss 75A-4 (Mohawk IV) Lutador 1941–1945 12–17: 12 formed the third Azores flight in October 1941 (Wikipedia); the list gives 17.
SPAD S.VII C.1 Lutador 12 1919–1935 12.
Douglas B-26 Invader bombardeiro leve 7 1965– Seven, delivered covertly in 1965 (Operation Pardal).
Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver bombardeiro de mergulho 24 1950– 24 SB2C-5 (plus SB2C-4s for spares).
Caudron G.III Treinador 58 1916– 58, of which 50 built at Alverca from 1922.
F.B.A. Type B flying boat Naval patrol 2 1917– The navy’s first two aircraft.
bases aéreas

Where the Portuguese Air Force flies from

Pinos pretos são bases ativas, pinos ocos são as bases que se fecharam. Lajes in the Azores and Porto Santo in Madeira lie far out in the Atlantic, beyond the frame of the mainland map; they are listed with the rest. The African bases of the colonial war, such as Bissalanca in Guinea, are listed as closed. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Base aérea ativa Fechado ou reservadoClique em um marcador para abrir a página inicial.

Mainland Portugal

3 of the 13 bases above sit outside mainland Portugal, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.

Base OACI Status Pista Unidades e aeronaves
BejaBeja District LPBJ Ativo 01L/19R3.450 mconcreto01R/19L3,449 mconcrete (available for taxiing only)
  • Esquadra 506 (506 Squadron): Embraer KC-390
  • Esquadra 601 (601 Squadron): Lockheed P-3C CUP+ Orion (5)
  • Esquadra 101 (101 Squadron): Embraer A-29N Super Tucano (12 ordered), Socata TB-30 Epsilon
  • Esquadra 552 (552 Squadron): AgustaWestland AW119 Mk II Koala
  • Esquadra 103 (103 Squadron)
  • Esquadra 301 (Alpha Jet): Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
  • German Air Force (Luftwaffe) training detachment: F-104 Starfighter (two squadrons, 1970–1973, per the Air Force), Alpha Jet (after the 1979 agreement, to 1993)
Figo Maduro Military TerminalLisbonDistrito de Lisboa LPPT Ativo 02/203,707 m
  • Esquadra 504 (504 Squadron): Dassault Falcon 50, Dassault Falcon 900
  • 1st Transport Squadron and successors (Aeródromo Base N.º 1): Douglas C-54, Douglas DC-6 (10 bought 1961), Boeing 707 (2, 1972)
  • Independent Fighter Squadron (Esquadrilha de Caça Independente): Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC
LajesRegião Autónoma dos Açores (Região Autónoma dos Açores) LPLA Ativo 15/333.310 m
  • Esquadra 752 (Esquadrão 752): AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
  • Destacamento Esquadra 502 Açores (Destacamento Aéreo dos Açores): Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M
  • 65º Grupo de Base Aérea, Força Aérea dos EUA
  • Grupo nº 247, Força Aérea Real: Aeronaves do Comando Costeiro da RAF (tipos não listados aqui)
Monte RealLeiria District LPMR Ativo
MontijoDistrito de Setúbal Ativo
  • Esquadra 501 (Esquadrão 501): Lockheed C-130H/C-130H-30 Hercules
  • Esquadra 502 (Esquadrão 502): Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M (12)
  • Esquadra 751 (Esquadrão 751): AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
  • Voo de Helicóptero da Marinha (Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha): Westland Super Lynx Mk95
  • Esquadra 601 (P-3P Orion): Lockheed P-3P Orion
  • Esquadra 504 (Falcão 20): Dassault Falcon 20
  • Esquadra 551 (Alouette III): Aérospatiale Alouette III
OtaAir Force Military and Technical Training CentreDistrito de Lisboa Ativo
OvarAveiro District Ativo
Porto SantoAutonomous Region of Madeira (Região Autónoma da Madeira) LPPS Ativo 18/363.000 m
  • Esquadra 751 detachment: AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
  • Esquadra 502 Madeira detachment (Destacamento Aéreo da Madeira): Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M
SintraDistrito de Lisboa LPST Ativo 14/321.800 m
  • Esquadra 802 (Esquadrão 802): Planador Schleicher ASK 21 (cerca de 3), de Havilland Canada Chipmunk Mk 20 (modificado; seis em uso)
  • Academia da Força Aérea
  • Centro Multinacional de Treinamento de Helicópteros da Agência Europeia de Defesa (MHTC)
  • Esquadra 101 (Épsilon): Socata TB-30 Épsilon
  • Esquadra 102: Cessna T-37
AlvercaDistrito de Lisboa Fechado
  • Base Aérea da Ota (initially at Alverca)
São Jacinto Naval Air StationAveiroAveiro District Fechado
  • Naval Aviation Centre and Naval Aviation School “Almirante Gago Coutinho”: Naval seaplanes and trainers (types UNVERIFIED)
TancosSantarém District Fechado em 1994
  • Esquadra 552 (Alouette III): Aérospatiale Alouette III
  • Esquadra de Ligação e Treino (later Esquadra 502): Junkers Ju 52/3m, Nord Noratlas (from 1970)
BissalancaPortuguese GuineaGuinea-Bissau (formerly Portuguese Guinea) Fechado em 1974

Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.

Ordem de batalha

Who is stationed where in the Portuguese Air Force

Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. Portuguese squadrons are esquadras with three-digit numbers and animal names — 201 “Falcões”, 506 “Rinocerontes”, 751 “Pumas” — and several have moved between bases, so a squadron can appear under more than one. Foreign tenants, such as the US Air Force group at Lajes, are identified in the unit note.

Base Aérea de Monte Real · LPMRBase Aérea N.º 5, Portuguese Air Force
Esquadra 201 (201 Squadron)Falcões · Fighter squadron · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (F-16M)
Esquadra 301 (301 Squadron)Jaguares · Fighter squadron · active
F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (F-16M)
Esquadra 51 and Esquadra 52 (F-86F Sabre)1959–1980
North American F-86F Sabre
Esquadra 103 (advanced and complementary pilot training)1974–1987
Lockheed T-33A, Northrop T-38A Talon
Esquadra 302 and Esquadra 304 (A-7P Corsair II)1981–1999
LTV A-7P Corsair II
Beja Air Base · LPBJBase Aérea N.º 11, Portuguese Air Force; civil terminal operated by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal
Esquadra 506 (506 Squadron)Rinocerontes · Air transport, tanker and firefighting squadron · active
Embraer KC-390
Esquadra 601 (601 Squadron)Lobos · Maritime patrol squadron · active
Lockheed P-3C CUP+ Orion (5)
Esquadra 101 (101 Squadron)Roncos · Basic and advanced pilot training squadron · active
Embraer A-29N Super Tucano (12 ordered), Socata TB-30 Epsilon
Esquadra 552 (552 Squadron)Zangões · Light utility helicopter squadron · active
AgustaWestland AW119 Mk II Koala
Esquadra 103 (103 Squadron)Caracóis · Advanced jet training squadron (awaiting new aircraft) · active
Esquadra 301 (Alpha Jet)1993–2005
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
German Air Force (Luftwaffe) training detachment1970–1993
F-104 Starfighter (two squadrons, 1970–1973, per the Air Force), Alpha Jet (after the 1979 agreement, to 1993)
Base Aérea de Montijo · Base Aérea N.º 6, Força Aérea Portuguesa
Esquadra 501 (Esquadrão 501)Bisontes · Tactical and strategic airlift squadron · active
Lockheed C-130H/C-130H-30 Hercules
Esquadra 502 (Esquadrão 502)Elefantes · Tactical transport and maritime surveillance squadron · active
Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M (12)
Esquadra 751 (Esquadrão 751)Pumas · Search and rescue helicopter squadron · active
AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
Voo de Helicóptero da Marinha (Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha)Naval shipborne helicopter flight · active
Westland Super Lynx Mk95
Esquadra 601 (P-3P Orion)1986–2008
Lockheed P-3P Orion
Esquadra 504 (Falcão 20)1985–1990
Dassault Falcon 20
Esquadra 551 (Alouette III)1978–1986
Aérospatiale Alouette III
Base Aérea de Sintra · LPSTBase Aérea N.º 1, Força Aérea Portuguesa; a Academia da Força Aérea compartilha o site
Esquadra 802 (Esquadrão 802)Águias · Seleção de pilotos e esquadrão de voo da academia · ativo
Planador Schleicher ASK 21 (cerca de 3), de Havilland Canada Chipmunk Mk 20 (modificado; seis em uso)
Academia da Força AéreaOfficer academy · active
Centro Multinacional de Treinamento de Helicópteros da Agência Europeia de Defesa (MHTC)Multinational helicopter tactics training centre · allied
Esquadra 101 (Épsilon)2009–2020
Socata TB-30 Épsilon
Esquadra 102
Cessna T-37
Base Aérea de Lajes · LPLABase Aérea N.º 4, Força Aérea Portuguesa; terminal civil operado pela ANA Aeroportos de Portugal
Esquadra 752 (Esquadrão 752)Fénix · Search and rescue helicopter squadron · active
AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
Destacamento Esquadra 502 Açores (Destacamento Aéreo dos Açores)Elefantes · Maritime patrol and tactical transport detachment · active
Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M
65º Grupo de Base Aérea, Força Aérea dos EUAForeign tenant: air base support group · active
Grupo nº 247, Força Aérea Real1943–1946
Aeronaves do Comando Costeiro da RAF (tipos não listados aqui)
Ovar · Base Aérea N.º 8, Portuguese Air Force
Esquadra 551 (551 Squadron)Panteras · Firefighting and transport helicopter squadron · active
Sikorsky UH-60A/L Black Hawk (6)
Esquadra 552 detachmentZangões · Light helicopter detachment · active
AgustaWestland AW119 Koala
Porto Santo · LPPSAeródromo de Manobra N.º 3, Portuguese Air Force; the airport is operated by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal
Esquadra 751 detachmentPumas · Search and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin
Esquadra 502 Madeira detachment (Destacamento Aéreo da Madeira)Elefantes · Maritime patrol and transport detachment · active
Airbus (EADS CASA) C-295M
Figo Maduro Military Terminal (Lisbon) · LPPTAeródromo de Trânsito N.º 1, Portuguese Air Force, on Lisbon airport
Esquadra 504 (504 Squadron)Linces · VIP transport and medical evacuation squadron · active
Dassault Falcon 50, Dassault Falcon 900
1st Transport Squadron and successors (Aeródromo Base N.º 1)1952–1978
Douglas C-54, Douglas DC-6 (10 bought 1961), Boeing 707 (2, 1972)
Independent Fighter Squadron (Esquadrilha de Caça Independente)1944–
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC
Ota (Air Force Military and Technical Training Centre) · Centro de Formação Militar e Técnica da Força Aérea
Esquadra 991 (991 Squadron)Harpias · Unmanned aircraft squadron · active
UAVision OGASSA OGS 42N/VN
Base Aérea N.º 2 fighter and bomber units1940–1960
Gloster Gladiator, Junkers Ju 52, Junkers Ju 86, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, de Havilland Vampire, Republic F-84G Thunderjet

Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.

Linha do tempo

Portuguese Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1912

Military aviation begins in Portugal with the army’s first aircraft; the Military Aeronautics School follows in 1914, and on 17 July 1916 Lieutenant Santos Leite makes the first Portuguese military aeroplane flight.

1917

28 September: the navy’s aviation service is created. November: Captain Óscar Monteiro Torres is the first Portuguese airman killed in combat, on the Western Front.

1922

Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral, naval aviators, make the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic.

1941

June: two flights of 15 Gloster Gladiators go to the Azores; in October a third flight of 12 Curtiss Mohawks follows.

1943

October: British forces arrive at Lajes, Terceira; American aircraft follow in 1944.

1952

1 July: the army and navy air arms are merged into the Portuguese Air Force.

1958

22 September: the F-86F flies in Portuguese colours; two days later the first Portuguese supersonic flight.

1961

War begins in Angola; F-84Gs deploy to Luanda and, in August, eight F-86Fs to Guinea.

1966

Ex-German Fiat G.91s reach Africa; seven B-26 Invaders had arrived covertly in 1965.

1973

25 and 28 March: two G.91s shot down by Strela missiles in Guinea; 6 April: two Do 27s and a T-6 lost.

1974

25 April: the Carnation Revolution; the colonies become independent by 1975 and the fleet of about 850 aircraft shrinks by two-thirds. The A-7P arrives in 1981.

1994

18 February: deliveries of the first 20 F-16A/Bs begin, restoring an air defence capacity.

1999

24 March: three F-16s from Aviano fly in Operation Allied Force, 281 sorties in all.

2007

1 November: first Portuguese Baltic Air Policing rotation, four F-16s at Šiauliai.

2013

30 September: contract to sell 12 F-16 MLUs to Romania; five more follow in a 2019 deal.

2023

First KC-390 delivered; 24 November, Ovar becomes Air Base No. 8 for the Black Hawks.

2025

March: the defence minister questions the F-35. 17 December: the first A-29N Super Tucanos are handed over.

2026

24 January: fourth KC-390 with refuelling kit. 2 March: General Sérgio Pereira becomes Chief of Staff. 31 March: F-16s to Ämari, Estonia.

Histórico de combate

Todas as guerras em que a Força Aérea Portuguesa lutou

Missões e perdas onde constam nos registros, e um espaço em branco honesto onde não constam.

6conflitos
1917Primeiro
0Aeronave perdida
0Morto
  • Primeira Guerra Mundial 1917–1918 Portuguese pilots flew with Allied units in France; the navy flew anti-submarine patrols from Lisbon and, with French naval aviation, from São Jacinto
  • Neutralidade na Segunda Guerra Mundial e os Açores 1939–1945 Defended neutral Portugal’s airspace and the Azores; from 1943 hosted British and then American aircraft at Lajes
  • Guerra Colonial Portuguesa: Angola e Moçambique 1961–1974 Flew ground attack, reconnaissance, transport, paratroop assault and medical evacuation in support of the army against the independence movements
  • Guerra Colonial Portuguesa: Guiné 1961–1974 Close air support, interdiction, transport and evacuation for the army against the PAIGC
  • Operação Força Aliada 1999 Flew combat air patrols and air surveillance for the NATO air campaign

Abra o registro completo do combate

Equipes de exibição

The Portuguese Air Force display teams

Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.

Helicopter display team · 1976–2010Rotores de PortugalThe Portuguese Air Force’s Alouette III helicopter display team, revived several times between 1976 and 2010 and flown by whichever squadron held the type.Read the Rotores de Portugal pageFormation aerobatic team · 1977–2010Asas de PortugalPortugal’s jet aerobatic team, flown on T-37Cs from Sintra and later as a two-ship of Alpha Jets from Beja, revived and stood down several times between 1977 and…Read the Asas de Portugal page
Da revista

Portuguese Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Portuguese Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Esta lista é atualizada automaticamente — novas histórias do Afterburner aparecem aqui.

Todas as histórias em Afterburner

Perguntas e Respostas

Everything people ask about the Portuguese Air Force

Como se chama a Força Aérea Portuguesa em português?
Força Aérea Portuguesa, usually shortened to FAP; that is the name on its official site, emfa.pt. It was formed on 1 July 1952 from the army’s Aeronáutica Militar and the navy’s aviation service. Portuguese is the only national official language, so there is no other official name.
Que aeronaves a Força Aérea Portuguesa opera em 2026?
Its fighter is the F-16AM/BM, about 28 of them at Monte Real. It also flies the A-29N Super Tucano, the Embraer KC-390, C-130H and C-295 transports, P-3C Orion patrol aircraft, Falcon VIP jets, and EH-101 Merlin, UH-60 Black Hawk and AW119 helicopters. Pilots train on the Epsilon, Chipmunk and A-29N.
Quantos F-16 Portugal possui?
About 28 — 24 single-seat F-16AMs and four two-seat BMs — according to 2026 press reports; the air force does not publish a number. Portugal took 45 F-16s in two batches from 1994 plus three more in 2019, sold 17 to Romania and lost two in accidents.
Portugal vai comprar o F-35?
Not so far. The air force had favoured the F-35A, but in March 2025 Defence Minister Nuno Melo said changes in US policy raised questions about relying on American equipment. By September 2026 the Rafale, F-35A, Gripen E/F and Typhoon were all reported in contention for 14 to 28 aircraft, with no competition formally opened.
Por que Portugal vendeu caças F-16 para a Romênia?
Because it had more airframes than it could fly and Romania needed a quick, affordable fighter. Portugal signed a contract for 12 MLU F-16s on 30 September 2013 (Romania announced it on 11 October), including overhauled engines and training; they were delivered in 2016–2017, and five more followed under a 2019 agreement.
Qual foi o papel da Força Aérea Portuguesa na Guerra Colonial?
From 1961 to 1974 it fought in Angola, Guinea and Mozambique with F-84Gs, F-86Fs (in Guinea until 1964), Fiat G.91s, B-26 Invaders, T-6s, Do 27s and about 140 Alouette helicopters, and it owned the paratroops. About 20,000 of its people and 150 aircraft were in Africa in the 1960s.
O que aconteceu com os mísseis Strela na Guiné em 1973?
In March 1973 the PAIGC began firing Soviet SA-7 Strela missiles. G.91s were shot down on 25 March (the pilot, Lt. Miguel Pessoa, was rescued) and 28 March (Lt. Col. Almeida Brito was killed), and two Do 27s and a T-6 on 6 April. Pilots switched to higher-altitude attacks in pairs, but the air force lost the freedom of the sky it had enjoyed.
A Base Aérea de Lajes é portuguesa ou americana?
Portuguese: it is Air Base No. 4 of the Portuguese Air Force, on Terceira in the Azores, home to the Merlins of Squadron 752 and a C-295 detachment. The US Air Force’s 65th Air Base Group operates there under the 1951 defence agreement, much reduced since the drawdown of the mid-2010s. British forces first used it in October 1943.
Portugal ainda tem a equipa de exibição da Asas de Portugal?
No. Asas de Portugal flew Cessna T-37s from 1976 and Alpha Jets in 1997–1998 and 2005–2010, and was stood down after a low-level accident in 2010. The helicopter team Rotores de Portugal also stopped in 2010.
Quem é o responsável pelas operações de busca e salvamento em Portugal?
The air force flies it: 12 EH-101 Merlins from Montijo, Lajes in the Azores and Porto Santo in Madeira, backed by C-295 and P-3C aircraft over one of the largest search and rescue areas in the world. Since 2018 it has also flown state firefighting helicopters, now Falcões Negros at Ovar.

Fontes e Leitura Complementar

Todos os fatos foram verificados.

Dados verificados em 29/09/2026. As páginas da Ordem de Batalha são geradas a partir de um único conjunto de dados; se algum número aqui divergir de uma página do Livro das Feras, esta página é considerada a mais recente.

Photographs: Photo: Pedro Dias from Portugal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Super Tucano in other markings shown): Photos: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: A1C Sean Worrell / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Myself (Adrian Pingstone). / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Pedro Aragão / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Falcon 50 in other markings shown): Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Julian Herzog (Website) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Mike Creen, US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: joaomrt from Porto, Portugal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Kolforn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: simon butler from halesowen, uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Icone444 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Ank Kumar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Steve Knight from Halstead, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Ricardo Reis from Lisboa, Portugal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (F-47D in other markings shown): USAAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Vampire in other markings shown): Anidaat / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Steve Williams / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: SoAres / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5) · Photo (B-26 in other markings shown): US Air Force B-26 Invader. US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (DC-6 in other markings shown): Civil-registered Douglas DC-6. Pete Macklin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Do 27 in other markings shown): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Hurricane in other markings shown): Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Spitfire in other markings shown): Chowells / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5) · Photo (RAF Gladiator shown): San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Finnish Hawk 75A shown): SA-kuva / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Finnish Blenheim shown): SA-kuva / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)