LTV A-7P Corsair II
| A-7P Corsair II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Portuguese Air Force A-7P in flight | |
| Type | Attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Ling-Temco-Vought |
| Serial | 15501—15550 |
| Owners and operators | Portuguese Air Force |
| In service | 1981–1999 |
The Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) operated 50 LTV A-7 Corsair II aircraft in the anti-ship, air interdiction and air defense roles between 1981 and 1999. The Portuguese government acquired the Corsair II to replace the PoAF's North American F-86 Sabre fighters, with two orders being placed for a total of 50 A-7P and TA-7P. As part of the program one TA-7C belonging to the United States Navy was also loaned to the PoAF.
During its 18 years of service in the PoAF the A-7 fleet suffered 14 accidents and suffered from numerous maintenance and logistic problems in its last years of service due to the lack of spare parts and financial problems. Nevertheless, the program was seen as a success due to the evolution that it allowed the Air Force in aircraft maintenance, with focus in modern computer and electronic systems, and in the qualification of technicians and the modernization of the Portuguese military aviation industry.
The acquisition of the A-7P Corsair II was the result of many attempts by Portugal to replace its F-86F Sabre in the air defense role and, to some extent, the Fiat G.91 in the ground attack role. The first attempts started in 1968, during the Ultramar War, due to the performance of the Portuguese fighters in Africa. After the end of the war, the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) renewed its attempts in procuring new air combat aircraft because of the F-86 and G.91 being outdated compared to the aircraft fielded by its NATO allies and the countries of the Warsaw Pact.
During this process the PoAF evaluated the Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mirage 5, Northrop F-5, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, and the SAAB J-35 Draken before selecting the Corsair II in 1980.
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