Venezuelan Air Force
| Bolivarian Venezuelan Military Aviation | |
|---|---|
Venezuelan Air Force emblem
|
|
| Founded | June 22, 1946 |
| Country |
 Venezuela |
| Allegiance |
 President of Venezuela
|
| Type | Air force |
| Size | 202 aircraft |
| Part of |
 Ministry of the Popular Participation for the Defense
|
| Nickname(s) | Aviación Militar Bolivariana Venezolana (AMBV) |
| Patron | Our Lady of Loreto |
| Motto(s) | Spatium superanus palatinus (Latin: The paladin of the sovereign space) |
| Colors | Bleu celeste |
| March | Venezuelan Air Force Hymn (Himno de la Aviacion Militar Nacional) |
| Anniversaries |
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| Commanders | |
| Commanding General of the Venezuelan Air Force | Major General Edgar Valentín Cruz Arteaga |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Flag |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | |
| Electronic warfare |
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| Fighter | |
| Trainer | |
| Transport | |
The Venezuelan Air Force, officially the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation (Spanish: Aviación Militar Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a professional armed body designed to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and airspace. It is a service component of the National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The organization is also known as the Bolivarian National Air Force of Venezuela. Its current official name has been in use since the end of 2008. It was previously called the Venezuelan Air Force (FAV; Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Venezolana).
Most of the airbases in Venezuela were built in the 1960s as part of a massive expansion program. The main fighter types in those years were Venom, Vampire, and F-86. Bomber squadrons typically operated B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The 1970s and 1980s saw a considerable increase in capacity, mainly because the rising oil prices enabled the FAV to re-equip most of its units. The mixture of various aircraft types was maintained and Mirage IIIE and Mirage 5, VF-5A and D, T-2D, OV-10A and E, T-27 were introduced. Venezuela was one of the first export customers for the F-16 which arrived in 1983 to equip the newly formed Grupo Aéreo de Caza 16 at El Libertador Airbase.
In the 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts, elements of the Venezuelan Air Force were key instigators of the rebellion. FAV units concentrated at El Libertador Air Base under the command of Brig. General Visconti seized control of the airbase and then launched an attack on the capitol. OV-10s, AT-27 Tucanos, and Mirage III fighters under his command bombarded targets in the capitol and loyalist air bases, destroying 5 CF-5 fighters on the ground. Two loyalist pilots escaped with F-16 fighters and shot down 2 OV-10s and 1 Tucano, claiming air superiority for the government . Two more rebel OV-10s were lost to ground fire. As the tables turned on the coup attempt, General Visconti and his allies fled in two C-130s, 2 Mirages, 1 OV-10 Bronco, and several SA.330 helicopters.
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Wikipedia