In 2017 Bolivia finally retired the Lockheed T-33 marking the end of 44 years of service. Bolivia was the last operator of the T-33.[2]
Organization
FAB is organized into air brigades, which is formed by one to three air groups. The air groups are based at La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Puerto Suárez, Tarija, Villamontes, Cobija, Trinidad, Riberalta, Roboré, Uyuni, Oruro, Sucre and Chimoré.
Major commands included the following:
General Command Systems Department in La Paz, equipped with sophisticated computers.
A Cavalier Mustang, formerly of the Bolivian Air Force, parked on a Canadian airfield.
Group of Air-Defense (Grupo Aereo de Defensa Anteaerea – GADA): GADA-91 (I BRIGADE), GADA-92 (II BRIGADE), GADA-93 (III BRIGADE), GADA-94 (IV BRIGADE), GADA-95 (V BRIGADE), GADA-96 (VI BRIGADE) and GADA-97 (I BRIGADE).
COLMILAV Air group training 21 – Training squadrons: primary squadron, basic squadron, squadron "NN" (prob.navigation)
Air group 83(air base Puerto Suarez): 831 squadron
Air group 61 "Gen.L.G.Pereiera (air base Robore): squadron 610
Task force "Red Devils" (air base El Trompillo-Robore)
Group air defence artillery GADA-93
Fourth Air Brigade (Tarija):
Air Group 82 "Cap.A.V.Peralta" (air base Camiri): squadron 821
Air Group 63 "Tcnl.E.L.Rivera" (air base Villamontes): squadron 630
Air Group 41 – (air base Tarija)
Air group 65 – (air base Uyuni)
Group air defence artillery GADA-94
Fifth Air Brigade (Trinidad):
Group air 72 – air base Trinidad
Group air 62 – air base Riberalta
Group air defence artillery GADA-95
Sixth Air Brigade (Cobija):
Group air 64 – air base Cobija
Group air defence artillery GADA-96
Civil Aviation
The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil—DGAC) formerly part of the FAB, administers a civil aeronautics school called the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil—INAC), and two commercial air transport services TAM and TAB.
Bolivian Military Airline (TAM)
Bolivian Military Airline (Transporte Aéreo Militar / TAM) is an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the civilian wing of the 'Fuerza Aérea Boliviana' (the Bolivian Air Force), operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia. TAM (aka TAM Group 71) has been a part of the FAB since 1945.
The Bolivian Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing announced on 8 December 2016 that TAM would cease transporting civilian passengers and cargo on 16 December 2016. The decision was to allow TAM to reorganize with a status akin to the state-sponsored Boliviana de Aviacion prior to resuming service under civilian regulations.[5]
Bolivian Air Transport (TAB)
Although a civil transport airline, Bolivian Air Transport (Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos / TAB, was created as a subsidiary company of the FAB in 1977. It is subordinate to the Air Transport Management (Gerencia de Transportes Aéreos) and is headed by an FAB general. TAB, a charter heavy cargo airline, links Bolivia with most countries of the Western Hemisphere; its inventory included a fleet of Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. TAB's Base of operations was headquartered at El Alto, adjacent to La Paz's El Alto International Airport. TAB also flew to Miami and Houston, with stops in Panama.
Aircraft
Current inventory
A Chinese K-8 "Karakorum" light attack and advanced training aircraft belonging to the Bolivian Air ForceA Eurocopter EC-145 helicopter used in Bolivia as presidential transport.Bolivian presidential plane Dassault Falcon 900EX of French manufacture and with capacity to transport 20 people is mainly used by the President of Bolivia for intercontinental trips.Bolivian vice-presidential aircraft Dassault Falcon 50EX of French manufacture and with the capacity to transport up to 8 passengers is only used by the Vice President of Bolivia for international trips.
During a 31 July 2017 ceremony, which was attended by the armed forces' high command, four models of lead-in fighter trainers (LIFT; L-15, M-346, T-50, and Yak-130) were presented with a potential to replace the T-33 and reequip the GAC-31. The FAB's Commander expressed the FAB's preference for the Yak-130.[12]
^R. Schnitzler, G.W. Feuchter, R. Schulz (Eds.): Handbuch der Luftfahrt (Manual of Aviation). Jahrgang 1939. p. 17-18. J.F. Lehmanns Verlag, München & Berlin
^InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa (3 June 2013). "La Fuerza Aérea boliviana presenta sus primeros UAV" [The Bolivian Air Force presents its first UAVs]. Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2022.
Bolivia
.jpg)
_(10840181333).jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
