Spanish Air Force

Air Force headquarters

The Spanish Air Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, everything from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It currently maintains some 650 aircraft.[1][dead link] The Spanish Air Force is experiencing a process of great change with the goal to be a quantitatively small army, with a very high quality technical and technological. Today, the Spanish Air Force is a force smaller (almost 50% less) than when I was in service the previous generation of aircraft, with an operating fleet reduced to about 650 aircraft as published in the Budget for 2009 and 27,000 troops, including 10,000 panels, more than 11,000 professional military troops and civilian personnel. The transport force role is taken by planes such as the C-130 Hercules and the CASA C-295. The Spanish Air Force also includes helicopters like the Cougar and the Colibri. 180 fighter aircraft are incorporated into 9 alas (wings) charged with different missions. Finally, the Spanish Air Force has a fleet of aircraft, including the CASA C-101 (manufactured in Spain), Beechcraft Bonanza and Enaer T-35C, to meet training requirements.[2] These air assets are supported by ground units and a sophisticated infrastructure[3]
The "Future backbone" of the Spanish Air Force will be mainly composed of the new generation fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon.[4]

Swiss Air Force

The history of the Swiss Air Force began in 1914 with the establishment of an ad hoc force consisting of a handful of men in outdated and largely civilian aircraft. It was only in the 1930s that an effective air force was established at great cost, capable of inflicting several embarrassing defeats on the Nazi Luftwaffe in the course of an initially vigorous defence of neutral Swiss airspace. The Swiss Air Force as an autonomous military service was created in October 1936. After World War II it was renamed the Swiss Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Command (Schweizerische Flugwaffe Kommando der Flieger und Fliegerabwehrtruppen) and in 1996 became a separate service independent from the Army, under its present name Schweizer Luftwaffe.
The mission of the Swiss Air Force historically has been to support ground troops (erdkampf) in repelling invasions of neutral Swiss territory, with a secondary mission of defending the sovereignty of Swiss airspace. During World War II this doctrine was severely tested when Switzerland was literally caught in the middle of an air war and subjected to both attacks and intrusions by aircraft of all combatants. Its inability to prevent such violations of its neutrality led for a period to a complete cessation of air intercepts, followed by a practice of coercing small numbers of intruders to submit to internment.[1]
At the end of the 1950s, reflecting both the threat of possible invasion by the Soviet Union and the realities of nuclear warfare, Swiss military doctrine changed to that of a dynamic (mobile) defense that included missions for the Swiss Air Force outside of its territory, in order to defeat standoff attacks and nuclear threats, including the possibility of defensive employment of air-delivered nuclear weapons. However the inability to field an air force of sufficient capability to carry out such missions led to a return of traditional doctrine.[2]
In 1995 the Swiss abandoned traditional doctrine and implemented a defensive plan that made control of Swiss airspace its highest and main priority. Modernization of the Swiss Air Force to achieve this mission was subject to popular referenda challenging its cost and practice.

French Air Force

BA117 Paris, HQ of the French Air Force

The French Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air (ALA), literally Air Army) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, it is the world’s oldest military air service.The organisation of the ALA is based on having complete control of air operations and on flexibility in execution, both in peacetime and at war. As most modern defence organisations at the moment (2007) the ALA is busy reorganising itself (see Future).
After an absence lasting several decades the French president, Mr Sarkozy, confirmed that France will rejoin NATO integrated command again.Many consider the Armée de l'Air to have been the first professional air force in the world. The French took active interest in developing the air force from 1909 and had the first WWI fighter pilots. During the interwar years, however, particularly in the 1930s, the quality fell when compared with the Luftwaffe, which crushed the French during the Battle of France.
In the post–WWII era, the French made a concerted and successful effort to develop a home grown aircraft industry. Dassault Aviation led the way with unique and effective delta-wing designs, which formed the basis for the Mirage series of jet fighters. The Mirage repeatedly demonstrated its deadly abilities in the Six-Day War and the Gulf War, becoming one of the most popular and well-sold aircraft in the history of military aviation along the way. Currently, the French Air Force is expanding and replacing. The French are awaiting the A400M military transport aircraft, which is still in developmental stages, and the integration of the new Rafale multi-role jet fighter, whose first squadron of 20 aircraft became operational in 2006 at Saint-Dizier.

Turkish Air Force

The Turkish Air Force (Turkish: Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is one of the oldest air forces in the world and operates one of the largest combat aircraft fleets of NATO. In its relatively long history, numerous air aces and aviation pioneers have served in the Turkish Air Force, including Sabiha Gökçen, the world's first female combat pilot. Supported by the TuAF's long-range in-flight refueling capability, the fighter jets of the Turkish Air Force can participate in international operations and exercises throughout the globe.

The roots of the TuAF date back to June 1909 when the Ottoman Air Force was founded. The Ottoman Air Force participated in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and the First World War (1914-1918). With the end of the First World War and the occupation of the Ottoman Empire by the Allies in 1919, the Ottoman Air Force was reduced to nothing more than a department. All personnel, including pilots and teachers, were either relieved of duty or disbanded, and all Air Force governmental buildings were closed. Some optimistic Turks tried to build new units in Istanbul, İzmir, Konya, Elazığ and Diyarbakır with planes left over from the First World War and tried to bring together flight personnel, but were unsuccessful.

Romanian Air Force

The Romanian Air Force (Romanian: Forţele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include two air bases and three airfields.
As part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, the Romanian Air Force currently controls the Kabul International Airport.
Around 2007, the Romanian Air Force employed 13,250 personnel

The Romanian Air Force modernized 110 MiG 21 LanceRs, in cooperation with Israel between 1993 and 2002. Today, 48 of these MiG 21 LanceRs are operational [1]. The Romanian Air Force also operates C-130 Hercules, An-26s transport planes and IAR-330 Puma helicopters. IAR-330 PUMA SOCAT helicopters have been modernized by the Romanian Aviation Industry in cooperation with Elbit Systems (Israel) for attack missions. The Romanian Air Force also includes native-made IAR-99 Şoim jet planes, in general only used for training of the young pilots. The remaining MiG-29s have been removed from service in 2003.
Due to the old age of the MIGs, the Romanian Air Force will acquire 48 Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab JAS 39 Gripen or F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters planes within 2010-2012. [2]. Seven C-27J Spartan tactical airlift aircraft have been ordered for delivery, all of them will arrive until 2012[3]
The current chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff , since March 2007 (after the discharge of General Gheorghe Catrina[4] ) is General locotenent Constantin Croitoru.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_Air_Force

Swedish Air Force

The Swedish Air Force (Swedish: Flygvapnet) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded from four to seven squadrons. When World War II broke out in 1939 further expansion was initiated and this substantial expansion was not finished until the end of the war. Although Sweden never entered the war, a large air force was considered necessary to ward off the threat of invasion and to resist pressure through military threats from the great powers. By 1945 the Swedish Air Force had over 800 combat-ready aircraft, including 15 fighter divisions.
A major problem for the Swedish Air Force during World War Two was the lack of fuel. Sweden was surrounded by countries at war and could not rely on imported oil. Instead domestic oil shales were heated to produce the needed petrol.

Austrian Air Force

The Austrian Air Force is a small but efficient air arm, formed by the Austrian Staatsvertrag signed in May 1955 by the USA, former Soviet Union, Great Britain, France and Austria. This was the premise for the full sovereignty of Austria and therefore the creation of the Armed Forces. There were some restrictions in the Staatsvertrag concerning armed forces. The most important for the Air Force was the so called Raketenverbot, which made it impossible for Austria to have A/G and A/A missiles till the early nineties. The Luftabteilung was created on 13 September 1955. Basic flying training for the Fliegerdivision began in December 1955 using Yak 11 Moose and Yak 18 Max aircraft which were given as a present by the former Soviet-Union. They were delivered in crates by rail in mid November 1955. They were assembled by Austrians with two Russian officers. The first flight with an Austrian roundel took place at 9 December 1955 at 10:01 am. The Yak's were used to train war experienced pilots as instructors. The Yak 18 came later to Linz-Hörsching for formation flying training. The regular training of young pilots started in March 1957 at Zeltweg with the Piper PA-18

The Austrian politicians hoped that the Air Force would receive a large number of aircraft from the USA (without any costs under the MAP), as the army got equipment and weapons. They were wrong. Austria had to buy its first aircraft consisting of PA-18, Zlin 126, Cessna 172/182, Vampire. Magister, Alouette II and S-55. Only Italy donated five Fiat G-46's. Until between 1958 and 1960 Austria purchased under the MAP (Military Assistence Program) 62 aircraft, but with no fighters.