Small European Air Arms

[Fouga]

Thanks tony.

[Silver]

The Air Corps is often compared (unfavourably in my opinion) with the larger air arms in Europe so, for a change, lets have a look at some smaller European air arms (in no particular order) : -

ARMED FORCES OF MALTA AIR SQUADRON
Alouette III x 5   SAR/Transport
Bell 47G-2 x 1   Training
BN-2B Islander x 2   Transport/Patrol
Bulldog T.1 x 4   Training
Hughes NH500M x 2   Patrol

LITHUANIAN AIR FORCE
An-2 x 6  Transport
An-26 x 3  Transport
Mi-2 x 2   Transport
Mi-8 x 8   SAR/Transport
L-39C/ZA x 4/2  Trng/FGA
L-410 x 2   Transport

LATVIAN AIR FORCE
An-2 x 2   Transport
Mi-2 x 3   SAR/Trng/Patrol
Mi-8 x 2   Transport
L-410 x 1   Transport

ESTONIAN AIR FORCE
An-2 Colt x 2  Transport/Patrol
PZL 104 Wilga x 1   Patrol
Robinson R-44 x 4   Trng/Patrol/SAR

CYPRUS AIR FORCE
Bell 206L x 3   Utility
Bell UH1H x 2   SAR
BN-2B Maritime Defender x 1   Maritime Patrol
MD500 x 2   Utility
PC-9 x 2   Training
PZL Swidnik x 2   Utility
SA 324L Gazelle x 6   Combat Helicopter

SLOVENE MILITARY AVIATION
Bell 206B x 3   Training
Bell 412 x 8   Patrol/SAR/Training
Let L-410 x 1   Transport
PC-6 Turbo Porter x 2   Transport/Liasion
PC-9 x 3   Trng
PC-9M Swift x 9  Trng/Strike
Zlin 143L x 2   Trng
Zlin 242L x 8 Trng

[IAS]

Maybe you should qualify your comparisons by stating how long these countries have been in existence/independent.

Also, should you include other small countries like Czech Rep., Slovakia, Denmark, Finland.....

IAS

[alpha foxtrot 07]

the problem with this comparison is that the air arms mentioned are all from countries not as well off as us irish with our tiger and all.
like i said before the DF will stay the same as long as it is viewed as a token sevice

[FiannaFail]

Interesting info as ever Silver. One must also consider the Air Arms of other smaller European countries such as San Marino, Vatican State, Andorra, Luxembourg and perhaps even the Iceland Coastguard.   If these countries (ok excluding the Vatican) can qualify for FIFA and UEFA championships they can also be compared to our great Air Corps!
Silver are you old enough to remember the Easter Sunday Defence Forces parade in Dublin?  You would have enjoyed the Landverk Amoured Cars (Irish built) and the highlight - the six D/H Vampires rip opening the sky in salute to our great Dev. Ah those where the days!
Cheers,
FiannaFail :'>

[Turkey]

ff, the Landverk armourd cars were built in Sweden in 1940.

[Silver]

IAS,
Fair point - but my fingers got sore typing that much  '>
Yourself, or any other poster,should feel free to list other comparisons.


FiannaFail,
I considered including other agencies, like the Icelandic Coastguard, but decided to restrict it to 'military' air arms.
(P.S. - You're rambling again - I don't really remember those parades, as I said before, my interest in the Air Corps (and the DF's) only ' kicked-off ' c.1996 when I bought the booklet "The Irish Air Corps Today" by Capt. Kevin Byrne in the Flying Boat Museum, Foynes - for the pricely sum of £2 !!!   '>

[FiannaFail]

The Landsverk ACs in the Irish Defence Forces were mainly built in Ireland with Irish specs!! Check out any decent Irish Army History book!  While the first ones may have been from Sweden, during the difficult years of the Emergency we were most enterprising!! I recall some of these armour cars serving with FCA Companies up to the mid 1970's. However they were most impressive lined up during the the Eater Parades rolling down O'Connell Street in waves. Anyone got decent photos of them?
FiannaFail '>