Portuguese Naval Aviation

Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha Navy's Helicopter Squadron
A Portuguese Navy Lynx helicopter, with the unit's symbol visible, at the Montijo Air Base
Active	September 28, 1917 — 1952 June 2, 1993
Country	Portugal
Branch	Navy
Type	Naval aviation
Role	Anti-submarine warfare, Anti-surface warfare, maritime interdiction
Size	130 personnel
Part of	Flotilha (FLOTNAV)
Garrison/HQ	Montijo Air Base
Commanders
Commander	Capitão-de-fragata Paulo Jorge da Conceição Lopes
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	AgustaWestland Super Lynx Mk.95

The Portuguese Naval Aviation (Portuguese: Aviação Naval Portuguesa) is the naval air component of the Portuguese Navy, officially designated as Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (EHM), responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships.

It is more commonly known as Naval Aviation as it received various official designations throughout its service and its origins date back to 1917, when it was created has the air branch of the Navy. The service was then disbanded and integrated into the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF), upon the creation of this new branch in 1952, having been reactivated in its current form in 1993 to operate the Navy's new shipborne helicopters entering service with the Vasco da Gama frigates.

The origins of the Portuguese Naval Aviation date back to 1916, when two Navy officers were sent to France to undergo flight training as part of a larger effort started in 1913 to create a military aviation school capable of serving as the basis for the creation of both the Army's and Navy's aviation services. These two Navy officers — 1TEN Artur de Sacadura Cabral and GMAR AN António Joaquim Caseiro — underwent basic flight training at Chartres and flying boat flight training at Saint-Raphaël, Var.

During Sacadura Cabral's stay in France, he was also appointed by the Navy Ministry to establish contact with the French aviation industry to study the existing hydroplane models to equip a future Portuguese naval air service.

Upon their return, both were appointed flight instructors at the Military Aviation School of Vila Nova da Rainha (Portuguese: Escola de Aviação Militar de Vila Nova da Rainha), the navy's section of the Army's School of Military Aeronautics (Portuguese: Escola de Aeronáutica Militar, EAM), with Sacadura Cabral being appointed instruction director. Meanwhile, Navy personnel started receiving flight training and aircraft maintenance instruction at the school and abroad, in France.