Peruvian Naval Aviation

Peruvian Naval Aviation (Fuerza de Aviacion Naval)
Active	1919 - today
Country	Peru
Type	Naval aviation
Part of	Peruvian Navy
Motto(s)	Non deserit alta
Anniversaries	December 9
Commanders
Current commander	Vice Admiral José Luís Gavidia Arrascue
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopter	Agusta ASH-3D Agusta-Bell AB-212ASW Bell 206B
Utility helicopter	Sikorsky UH-3H Mil Mi-8T
Patrol	Fokker 60 MPA Beechcraft 200T Super King Air Fokker F-27-200
Trainer	Beechcraft T-34C-1 Enstrom F-28F
Transport	Fokker 60 UTA Antonov An-32B Beechcraft 200T Super King Air Cessna 206 Stationair de Havilland Canada DHC-6

The Peruvian Naval Aviation (Spanish: Fuerza de Aviación Naval) is the air branch of the Peruvian Navy. It was originally formed in 1919 as the Naval Aviators Corps (Cuerpo de Aviadores Navales) but was merged in 1932 with the Peruvian Army Aviation. The service was recreated under its current name on July 3, 1963. It is currently made up of three operational squadrons and the Naval Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Naval). The squadrons are distributed among three bases: Lima-Callao, which is part of Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport, San Juan de Marcona and Pucallpa.

Organization

Grupo Aeronaval No.1

Escuadrón de Instrucción

Training squadron based at San Juan de Marcona.

• 5 Beech T-34C-1 Turbo Mentor
• 5 Enstrom F-28F

Escuadrón de Exploración

Reconnaissance and maritime surveillance squadron.

• 2 Fokker 60 MPA
• 4 Beechcraft 200T Super King Air
• 1 Fokker F-27-200 Friendship

Escuadrón de Transporte

Transport squadron.

• 2 Fokker 60 UTA
• 2 Antonov An-32B
• 1 Beechcraft 200T Super King Air
• 1 Cessna 206 Stationair
• 2 Mil Mi-8

Escuadrón de Ataque

Attack squadron, based at Lima-Callao and naval units.

• 3 Bell 206B
• 5 Agusta AB.212ASW - Embarked on the Lupo class frigates.
• 3 Agusta-Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Version	In service	Notes
Maritime patrol aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air	United States	maritime surveillance aircraft	B200T	4	equipped with surface-search radar and cameras for coastal surveillance and EEZ duties, the entire fleet received a complete upgrade of sensors and systems, finished in December 2010
Fokker 60	Netherlands	maritime patrol aircraft	Fokker 60 MPA	2	Two aircraft acquired in February 2010,[1] delivered on June 8, 2010.[2] equipped with surface-search radar and electronic countermeasures.
Helicopters
Enstrom F-28	United States	training helicopter	F-28F	6[3]	Six acquired in January 2008; all delivered before July. One lost in a training accident on July 9, 2009. Additional one acquired in 2010 for US$506,000.[4]
Bell 206 JetRanger	United States	training helicopter	Bell 206B	2	At least four acquired since 1982 from U.S.; one crashed in April 2002. Remaining 2 units receive a Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) in February 2012, as a part of the NVIS upgrade program for the aircraft fleet, which includes cockpit modifications, NGV googles and training.[5]
Bell 212	Italy	OTHT / ASW helicopter	AB‑212ASW	2	Six transferred from Italy in 1976. two upgraded with RDR-1700B ISAR radars in 2009, one in storage.
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite	USA	ASuW / ASW helicopter	SH-2G	0+5	Peruvian and Canadian defence authorities on 9 October signed an agreement for five Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite multirole helicopters, to be delivered in 2015. The deal covers the acquisition of SH-2G helicopters in service with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) since 2001. The aircraft will be acquired by General Dynamics Air & Space of Canada, which will then perform upgrade work prior to delivering the helicopters to the Peruvian Navy.[6]
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King	Italy	ASuW / ASW helicopter	ASH-3D	3	Four delivered in 1978, two in 1979, and four ordered in 1984; deliveries of only the first six confirmed. All but first four virtually identical in capability to Italian ASH-3Hs; equipped to carry AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King	United States	transport helicopter	UH-3H	2	Six acquired from the US Foreign Military Sales program along with 12 GE T58-GE-40 engines for US$6 millions. First two delivered in December, 2010, to be employed in the Makassar class LPDs, two for the Coast Guard, two in storage.[7]
Mil Mi-8	Russia	transport helicopter	Mi-8T	1	Four acquired from Hungary in 1992. one damaged beyond repair in a crash during the rescue operations near Pisco after the 2007 Peru earthquake, two remaining aircraft, one operational. To be phased out.
Trainer Aircraft
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor	United States	training aircraft	T-34C-1	5	Six purchased in 1978; replaced surviving T-34As.
Utility Aircraft
Fokker 60	Netherlands	utility aircraft	Fokker 60 UTA	2	Two aircraft and spare parts acquired on September 2010.[8]
Fokker 50	Netherlands	utility aircraft	Fokker 50 UTA	0+2	Two aircraft build in 1996, both acquired with spare parts in October 2014, will replace aging An-32B.
Antonov An-32	Ukraine	transport aircraft	An-32B	2	acquired from Hungary in 1994, fitted with ventral racks for general-purpose bombs, antisubmarine torpedoes and depth charges. To be replaced by Fokker 50 acquired in 2014.
Beechcraft Super King Air	United States	MEDEVAC/liaison aircraft	B200T	1
Cessna 206 Stationair	United States	liaison aircraft	Cessna 206	1

Former aircraft types include Keystone K-55 (1927-?), Grumman S-2E Tracker - (1973–1984), Handley Page and Boeing NB-1, as well as helicopter such as the Alouette III and the Bell 47G (1962-?).

Gallery

• 
  The AB-212ASW is the main embarked helicopter of the Peruvian Navy.
• 
  The ASH-3D Sea King can be armed with AM-39 Exocet missiles.

References

External links

• (Spanish) Homepage