Spanish Army Aviation 1965-2023

A complete and detailed description of the Spanish Army Airmobile Forces (FAMET), including its history since its creation in 1965 up until mid-2023, their helicopters, the units that fly them, their bases, weapons, crews, and technical personnel, described in detail for the first time in the English language.

FAMET describes the time and circumstances in which the Spanish Army’s airmobile forces were created, and along with the commanders and other personnel who founded the unit. The book also extensively details the intervention of the FAMET in the war operations in the Spanish Sahara. It includes for the first time the details of all the war operations in that territory up until it was abandoned by Spain in December 1975. It also includes a detailed account of its participation in international peace operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Mali. Reference is also made to humanitarian aid missions, for example in Mozambique.

FAMET explains the identification systems, registration numbers, construction numbers, date of service entry and date of decommissioning for all platforms used by the formation, whether for technical reasons, accidents or because they have reached the end of their operational life. All this will enable the reader to identify each aircraft and its final destination.

This book also includes the designation and other details of all bases from which the helicopters operate. It includes extensive reference to crews, ground personnel and command systems and armament, helicopter combat equipment and weapons systems designed to defend FAMET bases are described in detail.