Military aviation in Uruguay was born on the 17th of March 1913 when the Military Aviation Academy (Escuela de Aviación Militar) was created on Los Cerrillos airport near Montevideo.

The first two planes were the Farman Longhorn biplane and a Blériot XI monoplane.The Military Aeronautical School was formed on the 20th of November 1916 and it was the only military aviation facility in Uruguay until 1935. Different type of planes were used in these years, including Avro 504Ks, Breguet 14s, Castaibert 913-IVs and Nieuport 27s. These pioneering years saw many air routes opened and and in 1924 the first operational unit, an Escuadrilla de Casa was formed.

Blériot XI

In 1935 a major reorganisation took place. The Air Force became known as Aeronáutica Militar (A.M.). At same time two air bases were formed: Base Aeronáutica No.1 and Base Aeronáutica No.2. In thirties a lot of different European planes were used like the Potez XXV A.2 TOE, the SPAD S.VII and S.XIII, the de Havilland DH 82A, and the IMAM Ro.37. In early forties when Uruguayan government gave United States government base facilities at disposal transition has been made to American made aircrafts Beech AT-11 and Douglas C-47 transports, Waco JHD, NAA Texan trainers.

In early ‘50s Aeronáutica Militar received delivery of P-51D Mustangs and B-25J Mitchells which lead to formation of fighter and bomber group in 1951. On 4 December 1952 Military Aeronautics division was officially renamed the Military Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Militar). This signified the independence of the branch from the army command structure. New organizational structure was implemented with three commands (tactical, training, and material) and a brigade structure.

The FAU received first jets in late ‘50s, when Lockheed T-33s and F-80s has arrived. At the moment Fuerza Aérea Militar is using variety of aircrafts like Cessna A-37 Dragonfly or FMA IA 58 Pucará but is lacking competitive fighter plane and there are plans to procure new one.

Roundel of Uruguayan Air Force