Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component)
Cape Verde has no air force: its military aircraft belong to the Air Squadron (Esquadrilha Aérea) of the Coast Guard, a branch of the armed forces created by decree on 30 December 1991, whose fleet has never been more than a handful — three Soviet An-26s from 1982, a Dornier 228 from 1991 and an Embraer Bandeirante — and whose state in 2026 no current source confirms.
The Cape Verdean Coast Guard air story: An-26s, a Dornier and a Bandeirante
1975–1982: independence, and three An-26s
Cape Verde’s armed forces were born with the country in 1975 as the People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP), with an army and a coast guard, according to Wikipedia. In 1982, after Cape Verdean personnel had trained in the Soviet Union, the country received three Antonov An-26 transports. For some time, Wikipedia says, they were believed to be the only military aircraft the nation possessed. No source checked records them in any combat role.
1982–1991: a people’s navy, dissolved
In the early 1980s the naval and air element was renamed the Marinha Nacional Popular, the People’s National Navy, according to Portuguese Wikipedia; between 1986 and 1988 it was dissolved, leaving only a technical commission. The gap lasted until the end of the decade. The Coast Guard (Guarda Costeira) was formally created by Decreto-Lei n.º 192/91 of 30 December 1991 and a government order of 6 March 1992, with two parts: a naval squadron and an air squadron, the Esquadrilha Aérea.
1991–2007: the Coast Guard and its Air Squadron
The air squadron’s first new aircraft arrived the same year. In 1991, Wikipedia says, Cape Verde acquired a Dornier 228 equipped for coast guard maritime work, and in the late 1990s an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante from Brazil. Portuguese Wikipedia sets out the squadron’s tasks: patrolling the exclusive economic zone against illegal fishing, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, medical evacuation between the islands, VIP transport, and search and rescue. It is a military coast guard aviation unit, not an air force: Cape Verde has never had combat aircraft.
2007–2013: a branch of its own, and a Bandeirante sold
A reorganisation in 2007 turned the army into the National Guard and made the Coast Guard a distinct branch of the armed forces. Wikipedia describes it as made up of a Coast Guard Command, the maritime security operations centre COSMAR, a Naval Squadron and an Air Squadron, headed by a lieutenant colonel, and says the two squadrons hold all the vessels and aircraft of the armed forces. According to defenceWeb, the Bandeirante was sold to South Africa in 2008, and in 2012 Brazil announced it would donate Bandeirante aircraft to replace it; Brazil, Portugal and the United States all help the Coast Guard with materiel and training.
2013–2026: a small fleet, thinly documented
What flies today is the hardest question on this page. defenceWeb’s profile, updated in November 2025 but largely written in 2013, lists one Dornier 228, one EMB-110, a civilian-operated CASA C212 and two An-26s of doubtful serviceability. Wikipedia mentions negotiations with China for multirole helicopters but no delivery. No source checked confirms the delivery of a Brazilian Bandeirante, the airworthiness of the An-26s or any new aircraft between 2024 and 2026, and none names the squadron’s base. The Coast Guard’s commemorative day is 11 October, and its patron is Commander Eduardo Silva Santos.
The Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) in numbers
Услуга
- Официальное название
- Guarda Costeira de Cabo VerdePortuguese; the aircraft belong to its Esquadrilha Aérea (Air Squadron). English Wikipedia covers it in its Cape Verdean Armed Forces article
- Основан
- 30 December 1991Decreto-Lei n.º 192/91, with Government order MD 18/92 of 6 March 1992; a coast guard branch existed in the FARP from 1975
- Вид обслуживания
- Military coast guardA branch of the armed forces since the 2007 reform; no air force and no combat aircraft
- Часть
- Cape Verdean Armed ForcesWith the National Guard
- Commemorative day
- 11 OctoberPatron: Commander Eduardo Silva Santos
Сила
- Coast Guard personnel
- Около 200defenceWeb’s figure, from its 2013 text
- Aircraft reported
-
- Dornier 228 — 1
- EMB-110 — 0–1
- CASA C212 — 1 (civilian-operated, defenceWeb only)
- An-26 — 2 (serviceability doubtful)
No source checked confirms what flies in 2026
Инфраструктура
- Авиабазы
- Нет опубликованных материалов.No source checked names the Air Squadron’s base; Praia’s Nelson Mandela International Airport is listed as the capital’s airport
How the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) is organised
Cape Verde has no air force; its military aircraft belong to the Coast Guard’s Air Squadron, the Esquadrilha Aérea. Created with the Coast Guard by decree on 30 December 1991, the squadron flies maritime patrol, medical evacuation, VIP transport and search and rescue, with a fleet that defenceWeb lists as one Dornier 228, one EMB-110, a civilian-operated C212 and two An-26s of doubtful serviceability. No source checked confirms which fly in 2026.
Cape Verdean Coast Guard
A branch of the Cape Verdean Armed Forces since the 2007 reform, created by Decreto-Lei 192/91 of 30 December 1991. Wikipedia describes a Coast Guard Command, the maritime security operations centre COSMAR, a Naval Squadron and an Air Squadron, headed by a lieutenant colonel; no current name is confirmed.
Esquadrilha Aérea
Holds all the aircraft of the armed forces, according to Wikipedia. Its tasks: patrolling the exclusive economic zone against illegal fishing, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, medical evacuation, VIP transport and search and rescue. Its base is not published.
Dornier 228 and EMB-110
A Dornier 228 delivered in 1991 and an EMB-110 Bandeirante: the first, acquired in the late 1990s, was sold to South Africa in 2008, and Brazil announced a replacement in 2012. defenceWeb lists one of each, largely from its 2013 text.
An-26 and C212
Three An-26s arrived in 1982 after Soviet training; defenceWeb lists two of doubtful serviceability and a civilian-operated CASA C212. Wikipedia mentions negotiations with China for multirole helicopters.
What the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) flies today
Все виды, находящиеся под прицелом, имеют ссылку на соответствующую страницу в Книге Зверей, если таковая имеется. В статистике учитываются самолеты, находящиеся в резерве, а не самолеты, доступные в конкретный день.
| Тип | Роль | В эксплуатации | С | Единицы | Примечания | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Дорнье 228В эксплуатации | Морской патруль | 1 | 1991 | One, per Wikipedia and defenceWeb. | ||
| Embraer EMB-110 BandeiranteВ эксплуатации | Морской патруль | 0–1: one bought in the late 1990s was sold to South Africa in 2008; Brazil announced in 2012 that it would donate a replacement, and defenceWeb lists one, but no delivery is confirmed in the sources checked. | ||||
| CASA C-212 AviocarВ эксплуатации | Transport (civilian-operated) | 1 | Один экземпляр на сайт defenceWeb. |
По заказу
| Тип | Заказано | Первая поставка | Примечания | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multirole helicopters (China)По заказу | Wikipedia mentions negotiations with China to acquire multirole helicopters for military and civilian use; no type, number, contract or date was found. |
Every type the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) has retired
1 types, from the Antonov An-26 to the Antonov An-26. Максимальные показатели — это количество самолетов, принятых на вооружение за весь срок службы, а не численность парка на какую-либо конкретную дату.
| Тип | Роль | Пик | Подано | Заменено на | Примечания | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Антонов Ан-26 | Транспорт | 3 | 1982– | Three delivered in 1982; defenceWeb lists two, of doubtful serviceability. |
Where Cape Verde’s Coast Guard aircraft fly from
No source checked names the Air Squadron’s base. Nelson Mandela International Airport at Praia, opened on 6 October 2005, is shown as the capital’s airport, not because any source places the squadron there. Координаты и взлетно-посадочная полоса взяты из английской Википедии, поскольку получить доступ к национальной базе данных AIP не удалось.
| База | ИКАО | Статус | Взлетная полоса | Подразделения и самолеты |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela International Airport, PraiaPraia, Santiago | GVNP | Закрыто | 03/212100 м |
|
Ни одна авиабаза не соответствует этому поисковому запросу.
Who is stationed where in the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component)
Авиаподразделения по базам. The Esquadrilha Aérea is the only flying unit, and its location is unpublished. Where counts are carried over from defenceWeb’s 2013 text, the entry says so.
Поисковое задание не дало результатов.
Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) milestones, 1914 to today
Independence; the People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP) are created with an army and a coast guard.
Three An-26 transports arrive after Cape Verdean personnel train in the USSR.
The Marinha Nacional Popular, as the naval and air element had been renamed in the early 1980s, is dissolved (1986–1988), leaving a technical commission.
A Dornier 228 arrives; 30 December: Decreto-Lei 192/91 creates the Coast Guard with a naval and an air squadron.
6 March: Government order MD 18/92 completes the Coast Guard’s creation.
Late 1990s: an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante is acquired (exact year not published).
6 October: Nelson Mandela International Airport opens at Praia, replacing Francisco Mendes airport.
Reorganisation: the army becomes the National Guard and the Coast Guard a distinct branch.
The Bandeirante is sold to South Africa.
January: patrol vessel Guardião commissioned; Brazil announces it will donate Bandeirante aircraft.
19 November: defenceWeb updates its profile, still listing a Do 228, an EMB-110, a C212 and two An-26s.
October: no source checked confirms which aircraft fly; negotiations with China for helicopters have produced no reported contract.
Who built the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component) fleet
Каждая компания, стоящая за представленными на этой странице самолетами, имеет свою собственную страницу: историю, все построенные ею типы, количество выпущенных экземпляров и другие военно-воздушные силы, которые их используют.
Everything people ask about the Cape Verdean Coast Guard (air component)
Does Cape Verde have an air force?
What is the Cape Verdean Coast Guard called in Portuguese?
What aircraft does the Cape Verdean Coast Guard fly?
Did Cape Verde fly Soviet aircraft?
When did Cape Verde get its Dornier 228?
What happened to Cape Verde’s Bandeirante?
Is Cape Verde buying helicopters?
Where is the Coast Guard’s air squadron based?
Все факты проверены.
- defenceWeb: Cape Verde (country profile, published 12 March 2013, updated 19 November 2025)Lists one Do 228 and one EMB-110 for maritime reconnaissance, one CASA C212 operated by civilians and two An-26 of doubtful serviceability; Bandeirante sold to South Africa in 2008 and Brazil’s 2012 announcement that it would donate Bandeirante aircraft; Coast Guard about 200 people, helped by Brazil, Portugal and the United States; patrol vessel Guardião commissioned January 2012; Chief of Staff Col. Alberto Fernandes and Coast Guard commander Lt Col António Duarte Monteiro (both from the 2013 text). Its substance largely predates the 2025 update.
Данные проверены 01.10.2026. Страницы с боевым порядком созданы заново на основе одного набора данных; если число здесь не совпадает со страницей из Книги Зверей, значит, эта страница является более новой из двух.
Photographs: Photo: Neoreich / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)