By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft, and about 300 staff; the officers were trained in Italy. 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.
Current 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, Trindad, Riberalta, Roboré, Uyuni, Oruro, Sucre and Chimoré. Major commands included the following:
General Command Systems Department in La Paz, equipped with sophisticated computers.
, formerly of the Bolivian Air Force, parked on a Canadian airfield.
Group of Air-Defense : GADA-91, GADA-92, GADA-93, GADA-94, GADA-95, GADA-96 and GADA-97.
** COLMILAV Air group training 21 – Training squadrons: primary squadron, basic squadron, squadron "NN"
** Air group 83: 831 squadron
** Air group 61 "Gen.L.G.Pereiera : squadron 610
** Task force "Red Devils"
** Group air defence artillery GADA-93
* Fourth Air Brigade :
** Air Group 82 "Cap.A.V.Peralta" : squadron 821
** Air Group 63 "Tcnl.E.L.Rivera" : squadron 630
** Air Group 41 –
** Air group 65 –
** Group air defence artillery GADA-94
* Fifth Air Brigade :
** Group air 72 – air base Trindad
** Group air 62 – air base Riberalta
** Group air defence artillery GADA-95
* Sixth Air Brigade :
** Group air 64 – air base Cobija
** Group air defence artillery GADA-96
Civil Aviation
The formerly part of the FAB, administers a civil aeronautics school called the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics, and two commercial air transport services TAM and TAB.
TAM (Transporte Aéreo Militar)
TAM - Transporte Aéreo Militar is an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the civilian wing of the 'Fuerza Aérea Boliviana', operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia. TAM has been a part of the FAB since 1945. A similar airline serving the Beni Department with small planes is Línea Aérea Amaszonas, using smaller planes than TAM. 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.
During a 31 July 2017 ceremony, which was attended by the armed forces' high command, four models of lead-in fighter trainers 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.
