Spanish Army Airmobile Force

Summary

The Army Airmobile Force (Spanish: Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, FAMET) is the army aviation branch of the Spanish Army. An Independent Army Aviation force was formed in 1965 as Aviación Ligera del Ejército de Tierra (Army Light Air Force) and renamed FAMET in 1973.

Spanish Army Airmobile Force
Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra
Coat of arms of the FAMET
Founded1965
CountrySpain
BranchSpanish Army
TypeArmy aviation branch
RoleBattlefield support, battlefield transport and reconnaissance
Size5 battalions
104 aircraft[1]
Garrison/HQHQ - Colmenar Viejo - Madrid
Bétera (Valencia),
Agoncillo (La Rioja) (La Rioja),
Almagro (Ciudad Real),
Dos Hermanas (Sevilla),
San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Santa Cruz de Tenerife),
Detachment in Melilla.
Motto(s)Sicut in coelo et in terra
As well in the sky as in the ground
EngagementsIfni War (1957)
Insignia
Roundel
Fin Flash
Pilot Wings
Guidon
Aircraft flown
AttackBO-105, UH-1H, Tigre
PatrolEurocopter Cougar
ReconnaissanceEurocopter Cougar, Bell 212
TrainerEurocopter EC 135
TransportEurocopter Super Puma, Eurocopter Cougar, CH-47 Chinook, UH-1H
Spanish Eurocopter Tigre at Paris Air Show 2007
Spanish CH-47D Chinook with the new color scheme during a Special Operations exhibition in Santander

Organization edit

Order of Battle edit

Almagro (LEAO)
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELA I Eurocopter Tigre HA.28  
Bétera/Valencia (LEBT)
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELEME II Eurocopter Super Puma
Eurocopter Cougar
HU.21
HT.28
 
Agoncillo/Logroño (LELO)
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELMA III Eurocopter Cougar
NHI NH90
HT.27
HU.29
 
  • Maneuver Helicopter Battalion # 4 -- BHELMA IV (El Copero - Sevilla)
Sevilla/El Copero (LEEC)
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELMA IV Eurocopter Super Puma HT.21  
 
CH-47 Chinook helicopter
Colmenar Viejo (LECV)
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELTRA V CH-47 Chinook HT.17  
BTRANS/ FAMET HQ Eurocopter Super Puma AS-332VIP,AS-532L, AS-532AL HT.21HT.27,HT.28  
CEFAMET Eurocopter EC 135 HE.26  
PCMHEL Eurocopter Super Puma  
 
An AB-212 over Tenerife in 2018
Los Rodeos - Tenerife
Batallón
(Battalion)
Aircraft Type Codes Coat of Arms
BHELMA VI Agusta-Bell 212 HU.18  

Aircraft edit

 
Eurocopter AS332B1 Super Puma helicopter
Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Agusta-Bell 212   Italy Rotorcraft Utility 6 [1]
Eurocopter AS332B1 Super Puma   France /   United Kingdom /   Europe Rotorcraft Transport 16 [1]
Eurocopter AS532UL Cougar   France /   United Kingdom /   Europe Rotorcraft Transport 17 [1]
Eurocopter EC-135   Germany /   Europe Rotorcraft Trainer/utility 16 [1]
Eurocopter Tiger   Germany /   France /   Spain /   Europe Rotorcraft Attack 24 [3]
NHI NH90   Germany /   France /   Italy /   Netherlands Rotorcraft Transport 15 36 on order
Boeing CH-47D Chinook   United States Rotorcraft Transport 17 1 on order To be upgraded to the CH-47F variant in 2019.[4]

Historic Aircraft edit

  • Bell UH-1B Iroquois
  • Bell UH-1H Iroquois
  • Boeing-Vertol CH-47C Chinook
  • MBB Bo.105C

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "World Air Forces 2016". Flightglobal: 29. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  2. ^ "BHELEME II". www.defensa.gob.es. Spanish Defence. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  3. ^ Ing, David (17 January 2020). "Spain takes delivery of last Tiger helicopter". Jane's.com. Jane's Defense Weekly. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  4. ^ Waldron, Greg (4 January 2019). "Boeing to upgrade Spain CH-47D fleet to -F standard". Flight Global. Singapore. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.

External links edit

  • FAMET Home Page official site (in Spanish)
  • Colmenar Viejo Base - LECV
  • Home page of the Spanish Army