103 Squadron

Esquadra 103 (103 Squadron)
Alpha Jet with commemorative painting of the 50th anniversary of 103 Squadron
Active	1953
Country	Portugal
Branch	Air Force
Role	Advanced Flight training / Fighter Conversion
Part of	Operational Group 111
Air Base	Air Base No. 11
Nickname(s)	Caracóis (Snails)
Motto(s)	...Se vai ao longe ([Slowly]...you go far)
Mascot(s)	Snail
Commanders
Current commander	Captain David Fernandes
Insignia
Badge	Snail with a helmet as its shell
Aircraft flown
Trainer	Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (1953—1991) Northrop T-38 Talon (1980—1993) Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (1993 - 2018)

The 103 Squadron "Caracóis" (Esquadra 103) is a jet advanced training squadron of the Portuguese Air Force. Prior to 1978, the "Caracóis" also received following designations: 22 Squadron, Esquadra de Instrução Complementar de Pilotagem (EICP) and Esquadra de Instrução Complementar de Pilotagem em Aviões de Combate (EICPAC).

Its primary mission is the complementary flying training on jet aircraft and operational transition training.

The origins of the 103 Squadron date back to 1953 with the beginning of the operational service of the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star and later that same year with the delivery of the first jet fighters, the Republic F-84G Thunderjet, in service with the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF). These aircraft were assigned to then-Air Base No. 2 (BA2), Ota, to equip the first jet fighter squadron, the 20 Squadron. That same year a new Flight (Esquadrilha de Voo sem Visibilidade, VSV) was created and integrated in the 20 Squadron to train in the flight by instruments and the operational conversion on a twin-seat jet of the new pilots for the single-seat F-84. With the formation of a second jet fighter squadron, the 21 Sqn., in 1954, the VSV Flight became more independent.

In 1955, the 22 Squadron, the third squadron of the 201st Operational Group of Air Base No. 2, was created and equipped with the totality of the existing T-33 fleet and a small detachment of F-84G — resulting in the T-33A being finally assigned to an independent squadron of its own. The primary mission of this squadron was to provide the conversion and transition training for jet fighters to pilots who had experience with conventional aircraft, like the Republic F-47D Thunderbolt and Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. This training consisted of about 40 hours of flight in basic flying, acrobatic flying, formation, flight by instruments, navigation, and night flight, and also the conversion to the F-84G before the pilots were assigned to an operational fighter squadron.