Santa Maria Air Force Base

Santa Maria Air Force Base is located 11 kilometers east of downtown Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The facility originated in 1944 when President Getúlio Vargas allocated four million square meters for the construction of an aerodrome. Developed with the collaboration of the United States Army, the site opened in April 1945. The base was formally established on December 18, 1970, and commissioned on October 15, 1971. While military and civil operations shared the facility for decades, a 2015 agreement transferred the administration of the civil portion to the Municipality of Santa Maria, with the Brazilian Air Force maintaining control over the military sector.

The base is operated by the Brazilian Air Force and hosts several active units. The 1st Squadron of the 10th Aviation Group and the 3rd Squadron of the 10th Aviation Group operate AMX A-1M aircraft. The 5th Squadron of the 8th Aviation Group is equipped with H-60L Black Hawk helicopters. Unmanned aerial operations are conducted by the 1st Squadron of the 12th Aviation Group, which utilizes Elbit RQ-450 Hermes, RQ-900 Hermes, and RQ-1150 Heron platforms. Additionally, the 4th Squadron of the 1st Communications and Control Group operates radar and air defense equipment at the installation.

Infrastructure is shared in part with the Santa Maria Airport. Current aircraft hosted at the base include the AMX A-1M, Sikorsky H-60L Black Hawk, and Elbit reconnaissance UAVs. Historically, the base has hosted types such as the Cessna L-19A Bird Dog, North American T-6G Texan, Neiva L-42 Regente, Bell H-1H Iroquois, Embraer AT-26 Xavante, Neiva T-25A Universal, and Embraer U-7 Seneca.