The Military Air Transport Command (COTAM) (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Commandement du transport aérien militaire'') was a command of the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
. It was formed in February 1962 from the ''Groupement d'Unités Aériennes Spécialisées'' and disbanded on 11 March 1994, when it became Commandement de la Force Aérienne de Projection (CFAP). Larousse Encyclopedia Online says the headquarters was at
Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base.
Structure 1985
In 1985, the Air Force had four major flying commands, among which was the Military Air Transport Command. CoTAM counted 28 squadrons:
Ten fixed-wing transport squadrons included:
*ET 1/60
*ET 3/60
*
:fr:Escadron de transport 1/61 Touraine
*ET 2/61
*ET 3/61
*ET 1/63
*ET 2/63
*ET 1,2,/64
*ET 3/64 (Transall NG) (Évreux)
*ET 1/65 (Villacoublay)
*ET 2/65 (Villacoublay)
The remainder were helicopter and liaison squadrons, at least five of which were overseas, including six Escadrons de Transport Outre Mer (Overseas Transport Squadrons):
*
:fr:Escadron d'hélicoptères 1/67 Pyrénées (Cazeux Air Base)
*EH 2/67 (
Metz)
*EH 3/67 (Villacoublay)
*EH 4/67 (
Apt)
*EH 5/67 (Istres)
*Escadron de Transport Outre Mer 50 (
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
)
*Escadron de Transport Outre Mer 52 (
Nouméa, New Caledonia)
*Escadron de Transport Outre Mer 55 (
Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport, Dakar, Senegal)
*ETOM 58 (
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France (, , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Fodfwans) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the major cities in the ...
)
*ETOM 82 (Papette)
*ETOM 88 (
Djibouti)
*CIEH 341 (Chambéry, moved later to
Toulouse-Francazal)
*ELA 41 (Metz)
*ELA 43 (Bordeaux)
*ELA 44 (MS.760 Paris, Broussard, Nord 262) (Aix)
*ELAS 1/44 at
Solenzara Air Base
Air Base 126 Solenzara (french: Base aérienne 126 Solenzara) is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) (ALAE) base located in the village of Ventiseri approximately 40 km north-northeast of Porto-Vecchio on Corsica.
I ...
, Corsica)
Senior leader transport
The acronym COTAM was used to designated flights carrying important French leaders:
*
COTAM 0001 :
President of the French Republic.
*
COTAM 0002 :
Prime Minister of France
The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers.
The prime minister ...
.
* COTAM 0003 :
Minister of Defence (France).
* COTAM 0004 - 0009 : High ministerial authorities.
* COTAM 0010 - 0099 : high authorities of the state.
While the acronym of the French military air command is now CFAP, the abbreviation COTAM continues to be used as a call sign of French military transport aircraft.
See also
*
:fr:Escadron d'hélicoptères 01.044 Solenzara - Solenzara helicopter unit from c.1988
References
Commands of the French Air and Space Force
Military units and formations established in 1962
Military units and formations disestablished in 1994
Air force transport commands
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