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Uruguay Creation of an Independent Air Force
Military aviation began in 1913 as the Military
Aeronautics
Branch of the army, and as early as 1916 a flight training
school
was established near Montevideo. By the 1930s, the service
comprised one bomber and three reconnaissance flights. It
operated out of bases at Paso de Mendoza near Montevideo,
at
Durazno, and at the Military Air School at Pando in
Canelones
Department. Beginning in the late 1940s, United States
military
assistance focused on military aviation, and the inventory
of
military aircraft increased in number and quality. The Air
Force
Academy was established at Pando in 1950, and aviation
instruction formerly conducted at the Military Academy was
discontinued. In late 1953, the Uruguayan Air Force, which
had
continued to function as an integral part of the army, was
established as an autonomous organization, equal in status
with
the army and the navy.
During the 1950s, the air force inventory was
relatively well
developed. As equipment aged, however, economic
constraints
prevented replacement, and the inventory grew smaller. By
1990
the air force had shrunk to a very modest size (about 100
aircraft) and operated largely obsolete equipment. Given
the
nation's continued economic problems and the low-threat
environment, the air force appeared likely to remain a
welltrained , professional force but one that was poorly
equipped.
Data as of December 1990
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