The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and a branch of the Chilean Armed Forces.
The first step towards the current FACh was taken in 1911, when Captain Manuel ÃÂvalos Prado was sent to France to train as pilot in the flying school of Louis Blériot. ÃÂvalos Prado took command over the Chilean military aviation school, which was officially established in February 1913, and remained in charge until 1915. The Military Aviation School () was named in honor of him in 1944, and still carries that name today.
In those early years many aviation milestones were achieved; conquering the height of the Andes was one of the main targets as well as long distance flights. Typical aircraft of that era were Avro 504, Bleriot XI, Bristol M.1C, DH.9, and SE5a. In the following decade, the Airmail Line of Chile () was created on 5 March 1929 as a branch of the military aviation. This postal airline later developed into the National Airline () that is still the leading airline in Chile today. Shortly afterwards, on 21 March 1930, the existing aviation elements of the army and navy were amalgamated into a dedicated department: the Department of the Air Force () effectively creating the current independent Air Force. It was initially named National Air Force (). The international airport of Chile carries the name of Lan's founding father and first commander of the air force, Air Commodore Arturo Merino BenÃÂtez. Its baptism of fire was in the 1931 sailors' rebellion in Coquimbo, where Air Force attack aircraft and bombers and 2 transport planes converted into bombers contributed to its failure.
The first outlines of the organization of the current air force were visible in 1945 with the inception of Transport Group 1, later renumbered Group 10, with two C-45s and a single T-6 Texan at Los Cerrillos. Two years later the first FACh flight to Antarctica was performed. The fifties meant entry into the jet age for the FACh, and Grupo 7 was the first unit to receive them in 1954. Chile got its aircraft from both the United States and Europe. The American supply consisted of Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, Lockheed T-33A T-Bird, Beech T-34 Mentor, Cessna T-37C Tweet, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly and Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II for example, whereas the British supplied DH.100 Vampire FB.5, Hawker Hunter FGA.9 and Canberra PR.9 and the French delivered various helicopters and Mirage 5MA Elkan andMirage 50CN Panterra aircraft.
During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force conducted Operation Silence, Hunters from the 7th Aviation Squadron destroyed several transmission antennas belonging to pro-government radio stations. After accomplishing their mission, the aircraft performed attack runs on the presidential residence at Las Condes and the presidential palace, a pilot mistakenly opened fire on the Air Force Hospital when attacking the residence, no casualties were reported.
The Chilean air force hosted the joint exercise Salitre with other friendly nations in 2014. It also participated in several United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas in 5 occasions.
The Chilean Air Force reported one of its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying 38 people en route to Antarctica missing on December 9, 2019. The aircraft was on its way to AntarcticaâÂÂs King George Island to provide logistic support to a military base when radio contact was lost. On 11 December 2019, aircraft debris was located 18 miles South of where the plane last made contact and no survivors were found. The cause of the crash is unknown.
First Air Brigade with headquarters in Los Cóndores Air Base (Base Aérea Los Cóndores) in Iquique
Second Air Brigade with headquarters in Pudahuel Air Base () in Santiago
Third Air Brigade with headquarters in El Tepual Air Base () in Puerto Montt
Fourth Air Brigade with headquarters in Chabunco Air Base () in Punta Arenas
Fifth Air Brigade with headquarters in Cerro Moreno Air Base () in Antofagasta
Education Division
Health Division<br /> General Hospital of the Air Force<br />
Air Force High Command Prefecture
Maintenance Division<br /> Administration Division<br /> Infrastructure Division
The Air Force also maintains the Air Force Special Forces (), comparable to a United States Air Force Combat Control Team. They may be up to 350 strong, and their roles include assault, reconnaissance, Air Traffic Control, Fire Support, and Command, control, and communications.
The Air Force also maintains its own aviation industry, ENAER. The design of the T-35 Pillán trainer, based on the Piper PA-28R Saratoga, is the best known example, seeing some export success as well. Furthermore, the assembly of the A-36/T-36 Halcón (CASA C-101) was achieved as well. Performing maintenance on most types in the current inventory, such as minor modifications on F-5E aircraft for example, the industry is of significant importance to the air force. ENAER is reported to be in talks with Embraer of Brazil to codesign the first indigenous South American military transport plane. Also, under the Pacer Amstel programme, with initial Dutch support, and later locally ENAER upgraded an F-16 combat jet, which for the Chilean Air Force is an advance for their maintenance of the F-16 fleet (becoming the 5th country to modify their jets under authorization).
The Chilean Air Force is composed of 10,600 personnel (including 700 conscripts).