List of Portuguese Air Force aircraft squadrons and flights, past and present.

Military Aeronautics (Army aviation) flying units Name Native name Active Base Aircraft Notes Mozambique Expeditionary Flight Esquadrilha Expedicionária a Moçambique 1917–1918 Mocimboa da Praia Airfield, Mozambique Farman F.40 (3x) The first Portuguese operational unit of military aviation. Participated in the East African campaign of World War I Angola Expedicionary Flight Esquadrilha Expedicionária Angola 1918–1921 Lubango, Angola Caudron G-4 (9x) Transferred to Huambo. Transformed in the Angola Group of Aviation Flights (GEAA) in 1921 "Republic" Group of Aviation Flights Grupo de Esquadrilhas de Aviação "República" (GEAR) 1919–1927 Amadora Airfield Breguet 14, SPAD S.VII, AVRO 504K (May 1924) used by Cintra Flying School till 1934 The first operational unit of military aviation created in European Portugal. Transformed in the Information Aviation Group (GAI) in 1927 Mix Depot and Aviation Flight Esquadrilha Mista de Aviação e Depósito (EMAD) 1920–? Tancos Airfield SPAD S.VII Angola Group of Aviation Flights Grupo de Esquadrilhas de Aviação de Angola (GEAA) 1921–? Huambo, Angola Caudron G-4, Caudron G-3, Breguet Br.14-A2 (12x) Fighter Flight No. 1 Esquadrilha Nº1 de Caça 1926–1927 Tancos Airfield Breguet 14 Transformed in the GIAPC in 1927 Independent Combat and Protection Aviation Group Grupo Independente de Aviação de Protecção de Combate (GIAPC) 1927–? Tancos Airfield Fighter unit Information Aviation Group Grupo de Aviação de Informação (GAI) 1927–1938 Amadora Airfield Reconnaissance unit Independent Bombardment Aviation Group Grupo Independente de Aviação de Bombardeamento (GIAB) 1927–1940 Alverca Strategic bombing unit. Transferred from Amadora Independent Assault Aviation Flight Esquadrilha Independente de Aviação de Assalto 1939–1941 Granja do Marquês Breda Ba-65 (10x) Ground attack unit Day Bombardment Group Grupo de Bombardeamento de Dia 1938–1940 Ota Airfield Junkers Ju 52/3m (10x) Strategic bombing unit Day Bombardment Group Grupo de Bombardeamento de Dia 1940–? Ota Airfield Junkers Ju 86K-7 (10x) Strategic bombing unit Night Bombardment Group Grupo de Bombardeamento de Noite 1940–? Ota Airfield Junkers Ju 52 (10x) Strategic bombing unit Fighter Flight Esquadrilha de Caça 1940–? Ota Airfield Gloster Gladiator II (15x) Air defense Expeditionary Fighter Flight No. 1 Esquadrilha Expedicionária de Caça Nº 1 1941–? Rabo de Peixe Airfield, Azores Gloster Gladiator II Air defense and patrol squadron. Transferred from Tancos Expeditionary Fighter Flight No. 2 Esquadrilha Expedicionária de Caça nº2 1941–? Achada, Azores Gloster Gladiator II Air defense and patrol squadron. Transferred from Ota Mohawk Flight Esquadrilha Mohawk 1941 Ota Airfield Curtiss 75A-4 Mohawk Air defense. Squadron code XY Expeditionary Fighter Flight No. 3 Esquadrilha Expedicionária de Caça Nº 3 1941–? Rabo de Peixe Airfield, Azores Curtiss 75A-4 Mohawk Air defense 4 Flight Esquadrilha 4 1943–? Ota Airfield Bell P-39L Airacobra Air combat squadron. Also designated as Airacobra Squadron/Flight. Squadron code "OK" SU Flight Esquadrilha SU 1943–1944 Ota Airfield Hawker Hurricane IIC TY Flight Esquadrilha TY 1943–1944 Ota Airfield Hawker Hurricane IIB VX Flight Esquadrilha VX 1943–1944 Ota Airfield Hawker Hurricane IIC XZ Flight Esquadrilha XZ 1943–1944 Tancos Airfield Supermarine Spitfire I Air defense squadron. Transferred to Ota as XZ 3rd Squadron Information and Reconnaissance Group Grupo de Reconhecimento e Informação 1943–1952 Tancos Airfield Westland Lysander IIIA Reconnaissance and liaison squadron 1st Flight / MR Flight Esquadrilha 1 / Esquadrilha MR 1944–? Ota Airfield Supermarine Spitfire V Air defense squadron 2nd Flight / RL Flight Esquadrilha 2 / Esquadrilha RL 1944–? Ota Airfield Supermarine Spitfire V Air defense squadron Independent Fighter Aviation Squadron / VX Flight Esquadrilha Independente de Aviação de Caça (EIAC) / Esquadrilha VX 1944–1946 Portela Airfield Hawker Hurricane IIC Air combat squadron ZE Flight Esquadrilha ZE 1944–? Ota Airfield Bristol Blenheim, Supermarine Spitfire, North American T-6 Texan GL Flight Esquadrilha GL 1944–? Tancos Airfield Hawker Hurricane Squadron 41 Esquadra 41 1947–1952 Lajes Air Base SB-17G Flying Fortress, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, SC-54/HC-54 Searchmaster Search and rescue and maritime patrol squadron RV Flight Esquadrilha RV 1942–1948 Espinho Airfield Hawker Hurricane Independent Fighter Aviation Group Grupo Independente de Aviação de Caça (GIAC) 1948–1952 Espinho Airfield Hawker Hurricane Air defense squadron. Merger of squadrons VX and RV Training and Transport Flight Esquadrilha de Treino e Transporte (ETT) 1947–1952 Granja do Marquês Airfield Avro Anson T.1, Avro 626 Training and transport. Replaced by PoAF's 1st Transport Squadron

Portuguese Air Force flying units

Squadron designations The basic aircraft unit of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) is the squadron (), which is under the command and part of an operational group (). These operational groups are dependent of an air base and commonly use a numerical designation related to the air base's own numerical designation. (Example: Grupo Operacional 11 is dependent of Air Base No. 11.)

Since the Air Force's reorganization of 1978, squadrons have used a three digit designation, with some squadrons starting to adopt this designation system in 1977. The first digit indicates the squadron's primary mission, while the second digit indicates the type of aircraft operated, and with the third digit being a sequential number.

Primary mission designation: 1 – Instruction squadron; 2 – Fighter squadron; 3 – Attack squadron; 4 – Reconnaissance squadron; 5 – Transport squadron; 6 – Maritime patrol squadron; 7 – Search and Rescue squadron; 8 – Special function squadron;

Designation of the type of aircraft operated by the squadron: 0 – Fixed-wing aircraft; 1 – Mixed; 5 – Rotary-wing aircraft;

Until 1977, and prior to this designation system, the PoAF used both numerical designations and names for its flying squadrons. Names were almost exclusively used for small local liaison and transport units and dedicated training squadrons.

The squadrons that used a numerical designation received it based on the air base or base airfield number at which they were based in addition to a sequential number. In example, 51 and 52 Squadron were based at Air Base No. 5 and 122 Squadron was based at Air Base No. 12. Units based at base airfields () received a zero as an additional digit in their numeric designation to help differentiate them from units based at air bases. In example, 501 Squadron was based at Base Airfield No. 5.

Flying squadrons