The 302 Squadron "''Falcões''" / "''Águias Reais''" () is an attack and air defense squadron of the

Portuguese Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...

(PoAF) disbanded in 1996.

Roles and missions

The Attack Squadron 302 "''Falcões''" had as its primary mission the tactical air support for maritime operations (TASMO), and has its secondary missions

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

and

air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...

(AI). During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, the 302 Sqn. had the mission to ensure the defense of the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

to ensure and support

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

's ability to rearm and resupply

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

during times of war.

History

Activated in July 1981 under the command of

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Vitor Rodrigues da Silva, the 302 Squadron "''Falcões''" adopted and continued the tradition of the then-disbanded 201 Squadron and of the former PoAF "''Falcões''" squadrons. On December 24, 1981, the 302 Sqn. started to operate the first delivered A-7P Corsair II. With the reactivation of 201 Squadron "''Falcões''" in 1993, the nickname of the 302 Sqn. was changed to "''Águias Reais''" (Royal Eagles). In 1996 the squadron was disbanded and its human and aircraft resources were integrated with its sister squadron, 304 Squadron "''Magníficos''", until that squadron's retirement in 1999.

Aircraft

LTV A-7P Corsair II The Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) operated 50 LTV A-7 Corsair II aircraft in the anti-ship, air interdiction and air defense roles between 1981 and 1999. The Portuguese government acquired the Corsair II to replace the PoAF's North American F-86 ...

(1981–1996) * TA-7C Corsair II (1982–1984)
Nicknamed ''pomba branca'' (White dove) due to the United States Navy's painting Aircraft leased by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to Portugal for the operational conversion of A-7 pilots before the delivery of the first TA-7P Corsair II bought in a second order that same year.

Commanders

Lt. Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the army, armies, most Marine (armed services), marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use t ...

PILAV Vitor Rodrigues da Silva (July, 1981 – January, 1983) *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

PILAV Cândido Duarte Reis (January, 1983 – October, 1984) * Major PILAV José Jordão (October, 1984 – September, 1985) * Major PILAV Armando Teixeira Marques (September, 1985 – May, 1986) * Major PILAV João Brandão Ferreira (May, 1986 – September, 1988) * Major PILAV Carlos Guerra (September, 1988 – July, 1989) * Lt. Colonel PILAV Joaquim Augusto Soares (July, 1989 – December, 1989) * Major PILAV Francisco Martins Batista (March, 1990 – November, 1992) * Major PILAV Joaquim Soares de Almeida (November, 1992 – June, 1994) * Major PILAV Carlos Barata dos Santos (June, 1994 – March, 1996) * Major PILAV Eurico Craveiro (March, 1996) * Major PILAV Rui Elvas (interim) (March, 1996 – May, 1996)

External links

List of commanders of 302 Squadron
{{in lang, pt

2009-10-22), website about the service of the A-7 Corsair II in the PoAF Portuguese Air Force aircraft squadrons

Roles and missions

History

Aircraft

Commanders

See also

External links