Venezuelan Air Force

Key facts

Official Name Venezuelan Air Force
Local Name Aviaciรณn Militar Nacional Bolivariana
Country๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ช Venezuela
World rank#44
Active aircrafts228 as of 2025
Aircrafts on order4
Roundel

Roundel of Venezuela air force

Overview

The Venezuelan Air Force, officially known as the Bolivarian National Air Force of Venezuela, is the aerial warfare branch of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. Established in 1920, it is one of the oldest air forces in Latin America. The Air Force operates a wide range of aircraft, including fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It has a diverse inventory of combat platforms, including Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft and Chinese-made Hongdu K-8 jet trainers, among others. The Air Force is responsible for protecting Venezuelan airspace, conducting air sovereignty missions, and supporting national defense efforts. It has participated in various domestic and international operations, including humanitarian assistance missions and joint exercises with other nations. The Venezuelan Air Force has undergone periods of modernization, with steps taken to enhance its capabilities through acquisitions and training programs. As of recent available information, the Air Force has experienced challenges related to maintenance issues and shortages of spare parts.

Origin countries of aircrafts

Country Active Aircraft
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 66
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Ex-USSR 62
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China 23
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ Pakistan 23
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine 19
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil 17
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany 13
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy 11
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 10
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น Austria 6
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain 5
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Israel 4
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom 2

Evolution of Venezuelan Air Force fleet

Aircrafts by type in 2025

Aircraft type Active
Helicopter Helicopter 74
Combat Combat 58
Training Training 48
Transport Transport 39
Other missions Other missions 9

Full inventory in 2025

Venezuelan Army Aviation

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active ๐šซ YoY Ordered
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-17 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1977 16
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-35 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1972 10
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Bell 412 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1959 9
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-26 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1983 3
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Bell 206 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 2
0
0
TransportTransport An-28/M28 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ 1986 11
0
0
TransportTransport Arava ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ 1972 4
0
0
Other missionsOther missions King Air 200 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1964 1
0
0

Venezuelan Military Aviation

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active ๐šซ YoY Ordered
CombatCombat K-8 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ 1994 23
0
0
CombatCombat Su-30 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1996 21
0
0
CombatCombat F-5A ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1965 6
0
0
CombatCombat Cessna 208 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1984 3
0
0
CombatCombat F-16A ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1979 3
-10
0
CombatCombat F-16B ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1979 1
-1
0
HelicopterHelicopter H215M/AS332/532 ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท 1978 10
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-17 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1977 6
0
0
TransportTransport Y-8 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ 1959 8
0
0
TransportTransport C-130H ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1956 3
0
0
TransportTransport Dornier 228/NG ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 1982 3
0
0
TransportTransport Short 360 ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 1982 2
0
0
TransportTransport Citation II/SP ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1971 1
0
0
TransportTransport Merlin IV/Metro ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1972 1
0
0
TrainingTraining EMB-312 ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท 1983 17
0
0
TrainingTraining Enstrom 480 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1993 12
0
4
TrainingTraining SF-260 ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1966 11
-1
0
TrainingTraining DA42 ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น 2004 6
0
0
TrainingTraining Enstrom 280 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1965 2
0
0
Other missionsOther missions King Air 200/350 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1964 5
0
0
Other missionsOther missions 707 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1958 1
0
0

Venezuelan Naval Aviation

Various public data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.