Protecting Peace: The Uruguayan Air Force

By Dialogo
July 01, 2012

While Uruguay’s central pampas offer beef and grain to the Southern Cone, the
skies that stretch overhead are a training ground for the Uruguayan Air Force 2nd
Brigade combat unit. Missions range from protecting borders and intercepting illicit
traffickers across the continent to United Nations peacekeeping efforts on the other
side of the globe. The 2nd Brigade, headquartered at Durazno Air Base, was created
at the end of 1935. The unit was first established at the landing field of the Air
France Company, a midway point for the Porto Alegre-Buenos Aires route. In 1942,
with the arrival of the first North American T-6 Texan and Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon
aircraft, the first aviation squadrons were assembled. Then, in 1955, the first
combat unit was created, named the 1st Aviation Group, and destined to carry out
tactical reconnaissance missions, which years later gave rise to the current 1st Air
(Attack) Squadron that today patrols the skies across Uruguay and the
world.









Uruguay must be armed with planes, tanks and missile launchers