Peruvian Air Force

Ordem de batalha · Peru

Peruvian Air Force

Fuerza Aérea del Perú

The Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea del Perú) was formed on 20 May 1929 by merging Peru’s army and navy aviation, fought Colombia in 1933 and Ecuador in 1941, 1981 and 1995, was the first Latin American air force to fly supersonic Mirages, later flew MiG-29s, Mirage 2000s and Su-25s side by side — and in April 2026, after a fourteen-year search, it chose new F-16 Block 70s to replace a fighter fleet that had largely stopped flying.

Marcação nacionalRed outer ring, white ring, red centre.
0Aeronaves de combate
10Bases aéreas ativas
1929Fundada
13Tipos aposentados
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Devin Boyer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
PaísPeruFundada1929StatusAtivoSedeLimaComandanteMario Contreras León Carty
A história

The Peruvian Air Force story: Chávez over the Alps, three wars with Ecuador and an F-16 decision in 2026

1910–1933: Chávez over the Simplon, two air services and the Leticia war

Peru’s aviation hero never flew for Peru’s air force. Jorge Chávez, born in Paris to Peruvian parents in 1887, took off from Ried-Brig in the Swiss canton of Valais on 23 September 1910 in a Blériot XI, crossed the Simplon Pass and reached Domodossola 51 minutes later — then crashed on landing and died on 27 September. Lima’s international airport is named after him and his remains lie at the air force officers’ school at Las Palmas. Military flying began inside the army on 28 January 1919, alongside a naval seaplane service; on 20 May 1929 the two were merged into the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú (CAP). It went to war almost at once. In the 1932–33 conflict with Colombia over Leticia its Vought Corsairs, Douglas O-38Ps and Curtiss Hawks flew over the Putumayo; Spanish Wikipedia dates the CAP’s baptism of fire to 22 February 1933, and at least two Peruvian aircraft were shot down before the ceasefire of 24 May 1933.

1941: the war with Ecuador, Quiñones and the first paratroops in the Americas

The war that made the service’s legend was the one with Ecuador in July 1941. Peru had seven North American NA-50 fighters, delivered by May 1939 and nicknamed Torito, plus Italian Caproni bombers and transports; Ecuador had a handful of light aircraft. On 23 July 1941 Lieutenant José Quiñones Gonzales, attacking a border post on the Zarumilla in an NA-50, was hit and, in the Peruvian account, dived his aircraft deliberately into the Ecuadorian anti-aircraft position; Ecuadorian military authorities have said there were no anti-aircraft guns there. He was declared a national hero by law in 1966 and 23 July is Peru’s Day of Military Aviation. Days later Peruvian paratroops jumped from Caproni Ca.111s to seize Puerto Bolívar — the first airborne assault in the Americas, dated 27 July in one Wikipedia article and 31 July in another. The Rio Protocol of 29 January 1942 ended the war but not the border dispute. In 1950 the corps took its present name.

1955–1985: Sabres, Hunters, Mirages and Sukhois

The jet age came from the United States and Britain together: 26 F-86F Sabres from 1955 for Grupo Aéreo No. 11 at Talara, 16 F-80C Shooting Stars from 1958, Hawker Hunter F.52s converted from RAF F.4s, and Canberra bombers in several batches. In 1968 Peru became the first Latin American air force to go supersonic, with the Mirage 5P. After the 1968 military coup the government turned to Moscow: between 1977 and 1980 the air force took 55 Sukhoi Su-22s of four versions and from 1983 Mi-25 attack helicopters, so that Peru flew Soviet and Western combat jets side by side. In 1982 it sent ten Mirage 5Ps to Argentina during the war over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). And in December 1982 it ordered Mirage 2000s; the first was handed over in June 1985, making Peru, by its own count, the third air force in the world to operate the type.

1981 and 1995: Paquisha and the Cenepa, each side’s account

The old border dispute flared twice. In January–February 1981, in what Peru calls the conflict of the “Falso Paquisha”, Peruvian forces removed three Ecuadorian outposts on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera del Cóndor; Peru said they were on its territory and not at the Paquisha named in the Rio Protocol, Ecuador said they were on Ecuadorian soil. A-37Bs, Mirage 5Ps, Su-22s and Mi-8 helicopters flew, and on 28 January A-37Bs of both air forces met in the air. The Cenepa war of 26 January to 28 February 1995 was larger and costlier. Ecuador claims its Mirage F1s shot down two Su-22s and its Kfirs an A-37B on 10 February, and that missiles brought down a Mi-8 and a Mi-25; Peru denies the Su-22 claim, saying one was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the other lost to an engine fire. A Canberra disappeared in bad weather. The peace signed in Brasilia on 26 October 1998 finally settled the border.

1996–2001: MiGs from Belarus and the air bridge that ended in a shoot-down

The Cenepa exposed how worn the fighter fleet had become, and in 1996–97 the Fujimori government bought MiG-29s and Su-25s from Belarus — 18 MiG-29s according to the MiG-29 operators article, 21 according to the article on the air force — followed by three new MiG-29SEs from Russia in 1998; eight were upgraded to MiG-29SMP standard under a US$106 million contract of 2008. At the same time the air force was flying, with US support, the Air Bridge Denial programme against drug flights over the Amazon. It ended on 20 April 2001, when a Peruvian A-37B, guided by a CIA-contracted surveillance aircraft, fired on a Cessna floatplane near Pebas carrying an American missionary family: Veronica Bowers and her seven-month-old daughter Charity were killed. Wikipedia’s summary of the investigations records that the CIA crew had questioned the identification, that a CIA inspector general report of 2008 found the agency had obstructed inquiries, and that the US suspended the programme.

2012–2026: a fighter force running out of time, and the F-16 decision

The last fifteen years have been about keeping old aircraft alive. Peru’s own maintenance wing, SEMAN, assembled most of the 20 KT-1P and KA-1P trainers bought from Korea in 2012; four C-27J Spartans arrived from 2015 and a fifth was ordered in May 2026; two ex-Spanish KC-130H tankers restored air refuelling in 2023. The front line was another story. By April 2024, when a Mirage 2000P crashed near Arequipa and killed its pilot, specialist press reported the MiG-29SMPs resting in their hangars and the A-37Bs and MB-339s retired. A competition between the Gripen E/F, Rafale F4 and F-16 Block 70 ran through 2025; in April 2026 the government chose the F-16, signed and made a first payment of US$462 million, prompting the interim president to try to defer it and two ministers to resign. Twelve new jets for La Joya are expected in 2029–2030. Until then Peru’s air defence rests on about a dozen Mirage 2000s delivered some forty years ago.

The war that made the service’s legend was the one with Ecuador in July 1941. Peru had seven North American NA-50 fighters, delivered by May 1939 and nicknamed Torito, plus Italian Caproni bombers and transports; Ecuador had a handful of light aircraft.Peruvian Air Force · verified 2026-10-01
À primeira vista

The Peruvian Air Force in numbers

Serviço

Nome nativo
Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP)The official Spanish name; Peru’s other official languages (Quechua, Aymara) are not used in the service’s name on its own pages as reached through Wikipedia
Fundada
20 May 1929As the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú, merging army and navy aviation. Army flying dates from 28 January 1919, the date the English Wikipedia infobox gives as the founding. Renamed Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú in 1936 (Spanish Wikipedia: 1938) and Fuerza Aérea del Perú on 18 July 1950
Parte de
Armed Forces of PeruUnder the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) alongside the Army and Navy
Sede
LimaMost transport and helicopter units fly from Callao, on the Lima airport site
Commander General
General del Aire Mario Contreras León CartyIn command since 6 November 2025 per Infodefensa, and named as commander general by Andina on 1 October 2026; English and Spanish Wikipedia still give older names (Dante Arévalo Abate; Rubén Gambarini Oñath)
Day of Military Aviation
23 JulyThe anniversary of Lieutenant José Quiñones’s death in 1941

Força

Pessoal
17,969 (2001)Plus 8,708 civilians, the last detailed figure in the sources checked; no current official total was found
Lutadores
  • Mirage 2000P/DP — 8–11
  • MiG-29SMP/UBP — 6–8 on strength, reported largely grounded

Mirage figure: 11 of 12 left after the April 2024 loss (Zona Militar), nine 2000P and two 2000DP reported in 2026 (Wikipedia), eight according to Spanish Wikipedia. MiG-29s were described in 2024 as “resting in their hangars”

Ataque
  • Su-25 — 4–10
  • Mi-35P/Mi-25 attack helicopters — 16–18

Su-25 range from Wikipedia (4) and Zona Militar (about ten kept flying through a SEMAN–Sukhoi recovery project). A-37B status is disputed: retired according to Zona Militar (2024), 20 listed by Wikipedia

Transporte e navios-tanque
  • C-27J Spartan — 4 (+1 on order)
  • KC-130H Hercules — 2
  • L-100-20 Hercules — 3
  • An-32B — 3
  • DHC-6 Twin Otter — 12–15
  • Boeing 737 — VIP, plus a new 737-800NG from June 2026

Counts from the Wikipedia inventory unless otherwise noted

Treinadores
  • KT-1P/KA-1P — 19 (20 bought, one lost 2025)
  • CH2000, Z-242, S-300, Enstrom 280 — light trainers

Basic training at Pisco

New fighters
12 F-16 Block 70 (24 planned)Selected and signed April 2026; first payment US$462 million; deliveries expected 2029–2030

Infraestrutura

Main flying groups
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 4 — La Joya (Arequipa), Mirage 2000
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 6 — Chiclayo, MiG-29
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 11 — Talara, Su-25
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 7 — Piura, A-37B
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 2 — Vítor (Arequipa), Mi-25/35
  • Grupos Aéreos No. 3 and 8 — Callao, helicopters and transports

As listed by Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page

Treinamento de voo
PiscoEscuadrón Aéreo 512 flies the KT-1P; Wikipedia lists the pilot school (EFOPI) at Pisco
Officers’ school
Las Palmas, LimaWhere Jorge Chávez is buried and the last NA-50 is being restored
Manutenção
SEMANThe air force’s maintenance wing assembled 16 of the 20 KT-1Ps and leads the Su-25 recovery with Sukhoi
Air refuelling
Restored October 2023KC-130H with Mirage 2000P during ECODEX XII, after the Boeing 707 tanker had been retired
Estrutura

How the Peruvian Air Force is organised

One headquarters in Lima over numbered air groups (grupos aéreos), some of them under air wings (alas aéreas), with a pilot school at Pisco and an officers’ school at Las Palmas. The fighters are at La Joya, where Grupo Aéreo No. 4 flies 8–11 Mirage 2000s, and at Chiclayo, where the MiG-29s of Grupo Aéreo No. 6 were reported largely grounded in 2024; twelve F-16 Block 70s are expected at La Joya in 2029–2030. Most transport and helicopter units fly from Callao, on the Lima airport site.

MC

General del AireMario Contreras León CartyCommander General of the Peruvian Air Force (Comandante General de la FAP) · in office since 2025
Peruvian Air ForceFuerza Aérea del Perú
Sede

Peruvian Air Force

Fuerza Aérea del Perú
Lima

One of the services of the Armed Forces of Peru, under the Ministry of Defence alongside the Army and Navy. Its Commander General is General del Aire Mario Contreras León Carty, in command since 6 November 2025 according to Infodefensa and named in post by the state news agency Andina on 1 October 2026; the English and Spanish Wikipedia articles still give older names.

linha de frente

Grupo Aéreo No. 4

La Joya

Part of Ala Aérea No. 3. Its Escuadrón Aéreo 412 “Halcones” flies the Mirage 2000P and 2000DP, twelve delivered from 1986 and one lost on 11 April 2024, and carries Peru’s air defence. The first funds for 24 new fighters, released in February 2026, were assigned to the group, and the twelve F-16 Block 70s signed for in April 2026 are expected in 2029–2030.

linha de frente

Grupos Aéreos No. 6, 7 and 11

Chiclayo, Talara and Piura

Escuadrón Aéreo 612 of Grupo 6 flies the MiG-29s bought from Belarus and Russia, reported largely grounded in 2024. Grupo 11 has flown from Talara for more than 70 years according to Zona Militar and has the Su-25s; English Wikipedia puts them with Escuadrón Aéreo 112, Spanish Wikipedia with 711 of Grupo 7 at Piura, whose A-37Bs Zona Militar reported retired in 2024.

Helicópteros

Grupos Aéreos No. 2 and 3

Vítor and Callao

Escuadrón Aéreo 211 “Dragones del Aire” of Grupo 2 flies the Mi-25 and Mi-35P attack helicopters, first used against Shining Path in June 1989; both Wikipedia articles place it at Vítor. Grupo 3 flies Mi-17, Bell 212 and 412 and Bo 105 helicopters with Escuadrones 315, 332 and 341, according to English Wikipedia; a Mi-17 crashed at Chala Viejo on 22 February 2026, killing all 15 on board.

Transporte

Grupos Aéreos No. 8 and 42

Callao and Iquitos

Grupo 8 flies the KC-130H tankers that restored air refuelling in 2023, C-27J Spartans, L-100-20 Hercules, An-32Bs and VIP Boeing 737s from Callao, with a fifth C-27J ordered on 4 May 2026. Grupo 42 of Ala Aérea No. 5, created on 5 December 1963 according to Zona Militar, flies twelve DHC-6-400 Twin Otters on wheels or floats with Escuadrón Aéreo 421 over the Amazon.

Treinamento

Escuela de Formación de Pilotos (EFOPI)

Pisco

The pilot school, which English Wikipedia lists with Escuadrones 510 to 513 flying S-300C helicopters, Zlin Z-242s and the KT-1P bought from Korea in 2012 and mostly assembled by the maintenance wing, SEMAN; one KT-1P was lost off Paracas on 21 May 2025. The officers’ school is at Las Palmas, Lima.

Surveillance

Dirección de Vigilancia Aérea (DIVRA)

Las Palmas (Lima)

Placed at Las Palmas by Spanish Wikipedia; English Wikipedia lists its Escuadrones 330 with unmanned aircraft, 331 with the Learjet 35 and 334 with C-26s, three of them donated by the United States for counter-drug work.

Em serviço

What the Peruvian 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
Dassault Mirage 2000P and 2000DPEm serviço Caça multifuncional 1985 8–11. Twelve delivered (10 single-seat P, 2 two-seat DP) from an order of December 1982 that was cut from 14+2; one lost on 11 April 2024, leaving 11 on strength (Zona Militar).

Mais

Wikipedia reports nine P and two DP in 2026; Spanish Wikipedia gives eight.
Mikoyan MiG-29, MiG-29SE, MiG-29SMP and MiG-29UBPEm serviço caça de superioridade aérea 1996 6–8 on strength.

Mais

18 (16 single-seat, 2 UB) bought from Belarus in 1996 and three MiG-29SE from Russia in 1998 per the MiG-29 operators article; the Peruvian Air Force article says 21 from Belarus in 1997. Losses in 1997 and 2001. Wikipedia lists eight in 2022 and six in 2026.
Sukhoi Su-25 and Su-25UBEm serviço Close air support 1997 4–10. 18 bought from Belarus with the MiG-29s (Wikipedia); Wikipedia’s inventory lists four in service, Zona Militar about ten kept operational in 2024, Spanish Wikipedia eight.
Lockheed KC-130H HerculesEm serviço Tanque e transporte 2 2021 Two ex-Spanish Air Force aircraft for about US$35 million, received December 2020 (Spanish Wikipedia) or 2021 (Zona Militar).
Lockheed L-100-20 HerculesEm serviço Transporte 3 Three listed by Wikipedia.
Leonardo C-27J SpartanEm serviço Transporte tático 4 2015 Four delivered (first accepted March 2015, fourth December 2017); a fifth, a C-27J NG, ordered on 4 May 2026. Wikipedia’s figure of eight on order was not confirmed.
Antonov An-32BEm serviço Transporte 3 Three listed by Wikipedia.
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterEm serviço STOL utility transport 12–15: Wikipedia lists 15, Spanish Wikipedia 12 of the -400 series.
Boeing 737 (VIP) and 737-800NGEm serviço VIP and passenger transport One VIP 737 listed by Wikipedia; the first of two new 737-800NGs was received in June 2026.
Fairchild C-26 MetrolinerEm serviço Surveillance 3 Three, donated by the US for counter-drug work (Wikipedia).
Learjet 35 (U-36) and Learjet 45Em serviço Photo-mapping and VIP 2 One of each listed by Wikipedia.
Pilatus PC-6 PorterEm serviço STOL utility 1 One listed by Wikipedia.
Mil Mi-25D, Mi-25DU and Mi-35PEm serviço Helicóptero de ataque 1983 16–18 today. 12 Mi-25D and 2 Mi-25DU from the USSR in 1983–85, seven more (4 Mi-24D, 3 Mi-25D) from Nicaragua in 1992 and two Mi-35P from Russia by 2011.

Mais

Wikipedia counts 16 Mi-35 in 2024 in one article and 18 in another.
Mil Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-171Em serviço helicóptero de transporte About ten in service (Wikipedia), after the loss of one on 22 February 2026.
Sino 212 e Sino 412Em serviço helicóptero utilitário 3 One 212 and two 412 listed by Wikipedia.
MBB Bo 105Em serviço Helicóptero leve 2 Two listed by Wikipedia.
KAI KT-1P and KA-1P WoongbiEm serviço Treinador básico e ataque leve 19 2014 20 ordered on 6 November 2012 (10 KT-1P, 10 armed KA-1P) for about US$208 million; four built by KAI, the rest assembled by SEMAN. One lost on 21 May 2025.
Light trainers: Zenair CH2000, Zlin Z-242, Schweizer S-300 and Enstrom 280Em serviço Primary and rotary-wing training Wikipedia lists 10 CH2000, 3 Z-242, 4 S-300 and 4 Enstrom 280.
KT-1P19
C-27J4
L-1003
An-323
C-263
Sino 212/4123
KC-130H2
Learjet2

Sob encomenda

Tipo Encomendado Primeira entrega Notas
Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 (F-16V)Sob encomenda 12 2029 Twelve new aircraft in the first contract of a programme for 24, chosen over the Gripen E/F and Rafale F4.

Mais

Zona Militar reports the contract signed on 20 April 2026 and a first payment of US$462 million on 22 April, confirmed by the US Embassy and Peru’s Ministry of Economy. Interim President José María Balcázar sought to defer the deal until after the election, saying he lacked legitimacy as an interim leader; the defence and foreign ministers resigned in protest (AP via Wikipedia). The US ambassador expects arrival between 2029 and 2030. Lockheed Martin presented a US$1.8 billion industrial package on 26 August 2026; L3Harris Viper Shield electronic warfare is included. The programme is funded for Grupo Aéreo No. 4 at La Joya. Wikipedia mentions a KC-135R as part of the package; that was not confirmed elsewhere.
Leonardo C-27J NG SpartanSob encomenda 1 Contract of 4 May 2026 for EUR 57,971,000 through the armed forces’ procurement agency; brings Grupo Aéreo No. 8 to five Spartans. Delivery date not published.
Boeing 737-800NGSob encomenda 1 2026 Second of two new transports; the first arrived in June 2026.
Anteriormente operado

Every type the Peruvian Air Force has retired

13 types, from the North American NA-50 Torito to the Sukhoi Su-22, Su-22M, Su-22U and Su-22UM. 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
Sukhoi Su-22, Su-22M, Su-22U and Su-22UM Caça-bombardeiro 55 1977–2006 32 Su-22A, 4 Su-22U, 16 Su-22M and 3 Su-22UM delivered 1977–1980; 11 were kept in reserve after withdrawal.
English Electric Canberra (B(I).8/68, B.72, B(I).56, B(I).78, T.74 and ex-SAAF B(I).12) Bombardeiro At least 30 in later batches: 6 B.72 and 3 T.74 (1966), 9 B(I).78 (1974), 6 B(I).56, 5 ex-SAAF B(I).12 and 1 ex-SAAF T.4. The size of the first 1950s batch was not confirmed.
North American F-86F Sabre Lutador 26 1955–1979 26 US-built F-86F.
Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star Caça-bombardeiro 16 1958–1973 16 delivered from 1958.
North American NA-50 Torito Lutador 7 1939–1961 Seven bought, delivered by May 1939.
Cessna A-37B Dragonfly Light attack and interdiction Not replaced 36 bought in the mid-1970s, plus eight donated by South Korea in 2010. Wikipedia lists 20 operational in December 2022; Zona Militar reported the type decommissioned in 2024.

Mais

Vought Corsair, Douglas O-38P and Curtiss Hawk Observation, light bomber, fighter
Caproni Ca.111 and Ca.114 Bomber-transport and fighter
Hawker Hunter F.52 and T.62 Lutador 16 F.52s converted from RAF F.4s; the number of T.62 trainers was not given in the source. Service dates were not confirmed in the sources checked.
Dassault Mirage 5P, 5DP, 5P3 and 5P4 Caça-bombardeiro 1968– Miragem 2000 22 Mirage 5P and 4 5DP; ten transferred to Argentina in 1982; survivors upgraded as 5P3 (ten) and 5P4 with refuelling probe and Magic missiles.
Aermacchi MB-339AP Jato de treinamento e ataque leve
Embraer EMB-312 Tucano Instrutor básico KT-1P
Boeing 707-323C tanker Tanque e transporte 1 KC-130H One, fitted with three refuelling pods.
bases aéreas

Where the Peruvian Air Force flies from

Os pinos pretos representam bases ativas, os pinos ocos representam aeródromos que foram desativados. The combat aircraft are in the north and in the desert near Arequipa: Mirage 2000s at La Joya, MiG-29s at Chiclayo, Su-25s at Talara and, at Piura, A-37Bs reported retired in 2024. Talara’s El Pato was Peru’s first jet fighter base, with F-86F Sabres from 1955. Several dispositions rest on Wikipedia alone, as Peru’s official sites refused automated access. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Base aérea ativa Fechado ou reservadoClique em um marcador para abrir a página inicial.
Base OACI Status Pista Unidades e aeronaves
CallaoCallao SPJC Ativo 16L/34R3,507 m16R/34L3.480 m
ChiclayoLambayeque Region SPHI Ativo 01/192,519 m
El PatoTalaraPiura Region SPTP Ativo 18/362.600 m
IquitosGrupo Aéreo No. 42Loreto Region Ativo
  • Grupo Aéreo No. 42: DHC-6-400 Twin Otter
  • Escuadrón Aéreo 421: DHC-6-400 Twin Otter
La JoyaArequipa Region SPLC Ativo
Las PalmasLima SPLP Ativo 02/202.285 m
  • Dirección de Vigilancia Aérea (DIVRA): Learjet 35, C-26 Metroliner
  • Escuela de Aviación Civil del Perú (EDACI)
PiscoIca Region SPSO Ativo 04/223.020 masfalto e concreto
  • Escuela de Formación de Pilotos (EFOPI): KAI KT-1P, Zlin Z-242, Schweizer S-300C
  • Escuadrón Aéreo 512: KAI KT-1P
PiuraPiura Region SPUR Ativo
Puerto MaldonadoMadre de Dios Region Ativo
VítorArequipa Region SPVT Ativo

Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.

Ordem de batalha

Who is stationed where in the Peruvian Air Force

Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. Most Peruvian squadrons (escuadrones aéreos) take their number from their air group — 412 in Grupo Aéreo No. 4, 612 in No. 6, 711 in No. 7, 112 in No. 11, 421 in No. 42. Former units such as the F-86F Sabres of Escuadrón Aéreo 111 at Talara are marked as former. Where English and Spanish Wikipedia disagree on a squadron’s aircraft or base, as for the Su-25s, the entry says so.

La Joya Air Base · SPLCGrupo Aéreo No. 4, Ala Aérea No. 3, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 4Air group · active
Dassault Mirage 2000P/DP
Escuadrón Aéreo 412Halcones (Hawks) · Fighter squadron · active
Dassault Mirage 2000P/DP
Command School (Escuela de Comando) FAPSchool · active
El Pato Air Base (Talara) · SPTPGrupo Aéreo No. 11, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 11Air group · active
Sukhoi Su-25 and Su-25UB
Escuadrón Aéreo 112Tigres (Tigers) · Attack squadron · active
Sukhoi Su-25UB
Escuadrón Aéreo 1111955–1979
North American F-86F Sabre
Chiclayo · SPHIGrupo Aéreo No. 6, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 6Air group · active
Mikoyan MiG-29
Escuadrón Aéreo 612Gallos de pelea (Fighting Roosters) · Fighter squadron · active
MiG-29S, MiG-29SE, MiG-29SMP and MiG-29UBP
Escuadrón Aéreo 611Squadron (aerobatic team) · active
Training aircraft
Piura · SPURGrupo Aéreo No. 7, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 7Air group · active
Cessna A-37B Dragonfly
Escuadrón Aéreo 711Escorpiones (Scorpions) · Attack squadron · active
Cessna A-37B Dragonfly, Sukhoi Su-25 (per Spanish Wikipedia)
Vítor · SPVTGrupo Aéreo No. 2, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 2Air group · active
Mil Mi-25D/DU and Mi-35P
Escuadrón Aéreo 211Dragones del Aire · Attack helicopter squadron · active
Mil Mi-25D/DU and Mi-35P
Callao · SPJCGrupos Aéreos No. 3 and No. 8, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 8Transport group · active
KC-130H and L-100-20 Hercules, C-27J Spartan, An-32B, Boeing 737
Grupo Aéreo No. 3Helicopter group · active
Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-171, Bell 212 and 412, MBB Bo 105
Las Palmas · SPLPPeruvian Air Force
Dirección de Vigilancia Aérea (DIVRA)Air surveillance directorate · active
Learjet 35, C-26 Metroliner
Escuela de Aviación Civil del Perú (EDACI)Civil flying school · active
Pisco · SPSOEscuela de Formación de Pilotos
Escuela de Formación de Pilotos (EFOPI)Escola de treinamento de voo · ativa
KAI KT-1P, Zlin Z-242, Schweizer S-300C
Escuadrón Aéreo 512Esquadrão de treinamento · ativo
KAI KT-1P
Iquitos (Grupo Aéreo No. 42) · Grupo Aéreo No. 42, Ala Aérea No. 5, Peruvian Air Force
Grupo Aéreo No. 42Air group · active
DHC-6-400 Twin Otter
Escuadrón Aéreo 421Esquadrão de transporte · ativo
DHC-6-400 Twin Otter

Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.

Linha do tempo

Peruvian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1910

23 September: Jorge Chávez flies a Blériot XI from Ried-Brig over the Simplon Pass to Domodossola; he dies of his injuries on 27 September.

1919

28 January: military aviation is created within the Peruvian Army, alongside a navy seaplane service.

1929

20 May: army and navy aviation merge as the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú (CAP).

1933

War with Colombia over Leticia; Spanish Wikipedia dates the CAP’s baptism of fire to 22 February. Ceasefire 24 May.

1941

July: war with Ecuador. 23 July: Lieutenant José Quiñones is killed attacking a border post in an NA-50. Peruvian paratroops seize Puerto Bolívar, the first airborne assault in the Americas.

1950

18 July: the Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú becomes the Fuerza Aérea del Perú.

1955

The first of 26 F-86F Sabres arrive for Grupo Aéreo No. 11 at Talara.

1968

The Mirage 5P makes Peru the first Latin American air force to fly supersonic combat aircraft.

1977

First Su-22s arrive; 55 are delivered by 1980.

1981

January–February: the Paquisha clash with Ecuador; A-37Bs of both air forces meet on 28 January.

1982

Ten Mirage 5Ps are transferred to Argentina during the Falklands (Malvinas) war; in December Peru orders the Mirage 2000.

1995

26 January–28 February: the Cenepa war with Ecuador. Peru loses aircraft and helicopters; each side disputes the other’s figures.

1996

MiG-29s and Su-25s bought from Belarus; three more MiG-29SEs follow from Russia in 1998.

2001

20 April: an FAP A-37B shoots down a missionary floatplane near Pebas, killing Veronica and Charity Bowers; the US suspends the Air Bridge Denial programme.

2012

6 November: contract for 20 KT-1P/KA-1P trainers, mostly to be assembled by SEMAN in Peru.

2024

11 April: a Mirage 2000P crashes near Arequipa, killing Major Ramiro Rondón Medina — the type’s first loss in Peruvian service.

2026

April: Peru chooses the F-16 Block 70 and signs for 12; President Balcázar tries to defer the deal and two ministers resign. 28 July: Keiko Fujimori takes office.

Histórico de combate

Every war the Peruvian Air Force has fought

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

6conflitos
1932Primeiro
1Aeronave perdida
0Morto
  • The Colombia–Peru War 1932–1933 Bombing and reconnaissance against Colombian river forces and positions
  • The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War 1941 Close air support, bombing of Ecuadorian towns and the first airborne assault in the Americas
  • The Paquisha War 1981 Air support and helicopter assault to remove three Ecuadorian outposts
  • The internal conflict with Shining Path 1980–present Helicopter assault and transport, attack helicopter support and air mobility for the army and police
  • Air Bridge Denial and drug interdiction 1990s–2001 Interception and shoot-down of suspected drug flights, with US surveillance support

Abra o registro completo do combate

Equipes de exibição

The Peruvian Air Force display team

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

Formation aerobatic team · ActiveEscuadrilla Acrobática BicolorPeru’s first display team since the 1980s flies Zlin Z-242L piston trainers from Chiclayo and is adding GB1 Game Bird aerobatic aircraft.Read the Escuadrilla Acrobática Bicolor page
Da revista

Peruvian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Peruvian 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 Peruvian Air Force

What is the Peruvian Air Force called in Spanish?
Fuerza Aérea del Perú, abbreviated FAP. That is the name used by the service and by both the English and Spanish Wikipedia articles on it; the English title of the Wikipedia article is “Peruvian Air Force”. The service was founded in 1929 as the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú and took its present name in 1950.
What fighter jets does the Peruvian Air Force fly in 2026?
On paper, the Mirage 2000P e o MiG-29SMP, with Su-25 attack aircraft. In practice the roughly 8–11 Mirage 2000s at La Joya carry the air defence mission; specialist press described the MiG-29s in 2024 as resting in their hangars and in 2026 as practically non-operational. Twelve new F-16 Bloco 70s are on order for 2029–2030.
Did Peru buy the Gripen, the Rafale or the F-16?
The F-16 Block 70. Saab offered 24 Gripen E/F (with a GlobalEye in 2025) and Dassault the Rafale F4, and in July 2025 Army Recognition reported, as cited by Wikipedia, that Peru would buy 24 Gripens, but the competition stayed open. In April 2026 the government selected the F-16; Zona Militar reports the contract signed on 20 April and a first payment of US$462 million on 22 April. The first contract is for 12 of a planned 24.
Why did Peru’s president try to stop the F-16 deal?
Interim President José María Balcázar, in office from February to July 2026, said he lacked the legitimacy as an interim leader to follow through on the deal before the election, according to AP as cited by Wikipedia. The defence minister, Carlos Díaz, and the foreign minister, Hugo de Zela, resigned in protest on 22 April 2026. The programme continued: Lockheed Martin presented its industrial package in August 2026, after Keiko Fujimori took office on 28 July.
Why does Peru fly both Russian and Western jets?
Because of its politics. After the 1968 military coup the government turned to the Soviet Union and bought Su-22s and Mi-25 helicopters while keeping French Mirages and US A-37Bs. After the 1995 Cenepa war it bought MiG-29s and Su-25s from Belarus.
Who was José Quiñones?
A Peruvian Air Force lieutenant killed on 23 July 1941 during the war with Ecuador. In the Peruvian account, his hit NA-50 fighter was flown deliberately into an Ecuadorian anti-aircraft position on the Zarumilla; Ecuadorian military authorities have said there were no anti-aircraft guns there. He was declared a national hero by law in 1966, Chiclayo’s airport bears his name and 23 July is Peru’s Day of Military Aviation.
Did the Peruvian Air Force shoot down an American missionary plane?
Yes. On 20 April 2001 a Peruvian A-37B in the US-backed Air Bridge Denial programme shot down a Cessna floatplane near Pebas; missionary Veronica Bowers and her seven-month-old daughter Charity were killed. The CIA-contracted surveillance crew had questioned whether the aircraft was a drug flight. The US suspended the programme and paid US$8 million in compensation.
Did Peru help Argentina in the Falklands War?
Peru transferred ten Mirage 5P fighter-bombers to Argentina in 1982, during the conflict the UK calls the Falklands War and Argentina the Guerra de las Malvinas; the sovereignty dispute remains unresolved. Whether the Peruvian Mirages flew operationally before the ceasefire of 14 June 1982 could not be confirmed in the sources checked.
What happened to Peru’s MiG-29s from Belarus?
Peru bought them in 1996–97 after the Cenepa war — 18 according to one Wikipedia article, 21 according to another — plus three MiG-29SEs from Russia in 1998. Eight were upgraded to MiG-29SMP from 2008 for US$106 million. Two were lost in accidents in 1997 and 2001. By 2024 they were reported largely grounded at Chiclayo, and the F-16 is to replace them.
What is the link between Peruvian aviation and Switzerland?
Peru’s first aviation hero, Jorge Chávez, made the first flight across the Alps on 23 September 1910, taking off from Ried-Brig in the Valais and crossing the Simplon Pass to Domodossola; he died there four days later after crashing on landing. Lima’s international airport is named after him, and he is buried at the air force officers’ school at Las Palmas.

Fontes e Leitura Complementar

Todos os fatos foram verificados.

Dados verificados em 01/10/2026. 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 será considerada a mais recente.

Photographs: Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Devin Boyer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Galeria del Ministerio de Defensa del Perú / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Peruvian Ministry of Defence / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Luis Enrique Saldana / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Galeria del Ministerio de Defensa de Perú / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: U.S. Air force photo by Airman 1st Class Sir Wyrick / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Photographer: Mosbatho / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: MapachitoMD / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)