Portuguese Air Force

Força Aérea Portuguesa
Founded	July 1, 1952
Country	Portugal
Type	Air Force
Role	National air defense, reconnaissance, ground forces and naval support operations, transport, search and rescue, and maritime air patrol
Part of	Portuguese Armed Forces
Command HQ	Estado-Maior da Força Aérea
Motto	Ex Mero Motu (Of his own free will) (Latin)
Commanders
Air Force Chief of Staff	Luís Evangelista Esteves de Araújo
Insignia
Portuguese Air Force roundel

Current aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Notes
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma	France	Search & rescue, utility helicopter	SA 330S	Operational in Azores
Aérospatiale TB-30 Epsilon	France Portugal	Light trainer
AgustaWestland EH101	United Kingdom Italy	Tactical transport, search & rescue, utility helicopter
Alexander Schleicher ASK 21	Germany	Aerobatic instruction
CASA C-212 Aviocar	Spain	Tactical transport, search & rescue	Series 100	Being replaced by CASA C-295 aircraft
			Series 300
CASA C-295	Spain	Tactical transport, search & rescue
Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet	France Germany	Light attack aircraft, advanced trainer	Alpha-Jet A	Former-Luftwaffe aircraft, offered by Germany for the use of the Beja Air Base — BA11. Also operated by the PoAF aerobatic display team Asas de Portugal
Dassault Falcon 20	France	VIP transport & ILS Calibrations
Dassault Falcon 50	France	VIP transport
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk	Canada Portugal	Trainer	OGMA Chipmunk T.20
LET L-23 Super Blanik	Czech Republic	Flight training
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	Tactical transport	C-130H C-130H/30
Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	Fighter	F-16 A OCU	Being updated to Mid Life Update (MLU) standard
			F-16 B OCU
			F-16 AM
			F-16 BM
Lockheed P-3 Orion	United States	Maritime patrol aircraft
			P-3C Update II.5/CUP-CG	Former-Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft being updated.

On Order

• 12 CASA C-295 (6 currently delivered)