Portugal Air Force AlphaJet during NATO Tiger Meet 2002:

I don’t know, it was a friend that told me that, but I dont know anything else

For you guys…(taken by a friend)

…

Portugal Air Force F-16(pictures taken from various sites on the net)
The second one is the first picture on the internet of the Portugal Air Force MLU with AIM-120 AMRAAM.

Portugal received 19+1 F-16A/B? I always believed that they received 17+3

BTW The second batch is for 25 F-16A/B? 5 of them for spares?

MLU with AMRAAM, JDAM and something more? Corsairs operated AGM-65?

In 1994 Portugal receive 17 F-16A and 3 F-16B, but now we have 19(16A and 3B) of the original 20(we lost one F-16A in a training exercise in June 2002), and one MLU.
The second batche are 25 F-16 A/B, only 21 will be upagrade to MLU standards, 20 to form a new squadron and one to replace the one lost in 2002. The other 4 will be for spares.
MLU with AMRAAM, JDAM, and there are some news about JSOW. Yes, Corsairs did use AGM-65, if I’m not mistaking, they used AGM-65B.

I think the worst air force in NATO is the Portuguese FAP, untill recently it only operated old A-7 and G-91’s. The new F-16A’s are an improovement, however 40 aircraft aren’t enough to contribute to NATO. They also lack modern transport/attack/assault helicopters, no CSAR capability, modern transport aircraft or even trainers. The Alpha Jet are old ex-Luftwaffe aircraft and it’s hardly a strike fighter. Even though 3 F-16’s were deployed to the Balkans there is no real combat capability in this air force, and I hardly think it contributes anything to NATO but the Azores AB.

WHAT?!?!?!?!??!

First of all, its not Portuguese FAP, is Portuguese Air Force or in portuguese Força Aérea Portuguesa(FAP).
Yes, we have a small air force, but some of the best pilots in Europe/World.
We have 19 F-16 A/B block 15 in service, we also have already a F-16 MLU in service and 20 more are in modifications to MLU standards. in 2010 we will have 40 F-16 MLU. For the MLu Portugal is buying JDAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM and Rafael Lintening pods.
We have AlphaJets in service, yes, old aircrafts, but they still fly.
Epsilon for training as well as 6 Chipmunk in Air Force Academy for future pilots.
10 SA-330 Puma, from 1970s, but they have had many modifications over the years, like new avionics and new motors in the 90s. They will be replaced by 12 EH-101, this Eh-101 will have several missions, 6SAR and transport, 4 for CSAR/SAR, they will have AAR capacities and weapons in the rear ramp and 2 for fishiries protection.
Alouette III, they will be replaced but there’s not a substitute yet.
CASA C-212-100 that are going to be replaced soon by CN-295 or C-27J.
6 Hercules also to be replaced by C-130J, or to be upgraded.
6 P3-P to be upagraded or to be replaced by newer(probably ex-Netherlands Navy P3), but there is not yet a solution.
One Falcon 20 for navigation support and calibration(of something, dont remember), and 3 Falcon 50 for VIP transport.
Not a GOOD Air Force, but a GOod air force.