Base Aérea Lima-Callao

Servicio Aeronaval de la Marina Peruana

25 October 2003

Peru's Naval Aviation holds the distinction of having been raised twice. In 1919, the Cuerpo de Aviación Naval was formed which in 1932 merged with the Army's aviation element to form the Peruvian Air Force. Almost exactly fourty years ago, on 3 July 1963, Naval Aviation was reborn. In 2003, the Servicio Aeronaval de la Marina Peruana is for the most part based at Lima-Callao, the military complex of Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport. Other bases are San Juan de Marcona (T-34C's training) and Pucallpa which has no permanently based units. Like many Naval Air Services elsewhere in the world, helicopters form the biggest part of the fleet. Peru enjoyed and still enjoys good relations with former Eastern Bloc countries which led to the supply of An.32 transports to the Navy. 

The majority of it's aircraft however are of western origin.

Thanks go to the Peruvian authorities as well as to Graham Dinsdale and Garreth le Sueur for making this visit possible.

All pictures (c) Hans Rolink.

Five Beech T-34C-1 Turbo Mentors based at San Juan de Marcona, some 75 km south of Nazca, form the Navy's primary training fleet. They operate with Escuadrón de Instrucción which is part of Grupo Aeronaval No.3. A secondary tasking for these machines is counter insurgency which may help explain the two-tone camouflage scheme. Depicted here is A-511. Peruvian Naval aircraft's serial numbers are notriously difficult to read off. 

Based at Lima-Callao with Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Ataque is this Bell 206B serialled 411. The 206's chief task is training new pilots, but as can be seen they may be armed with light weapons like rocket pods. Fitting the pods however necessitates the removal of the cabin doors and makes passenger carriage unlikely. Five of these helicopters are in service.

A total of six Italian built Agusta AB.212ASW anti-submarine warfare helicopters were procured for operation from Italian supplied Lupo class frigates. HE-473 seen here carries an inert homing torpedo to underline it's role. Like the Bell 206, the 212's serve with Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Ataque

Largest of the helicopters with Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Ataque is the Agusta-Sikorsky AS.61D Sea King. This example, 431, carries a dummy AM.39 Exocet anti-shipping missile. Seven of these helicopters serve the Peruvian Navy, flying from Lima-Callao.

Maritime patrol is the domain of this Dutch supplied Fokker F.27-500RF Friendship AE-562 flying with Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Exploración. The Friendship is not of the dedicated F.27 Maritime version however.

The same Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Exploración also operates six Beech 200T Super King Air twin turboprops on maritime reconaissance duties. Shown here is aircraft serialled AE-575.

A pair of Antonov An.32B's fly with Grupo Aeronaval No.1 / Escadrón de Transporte. Antonov An.32's may be found within all branches of Peru's armed forces, a sign of the type's reliability and popularity.