I've grown to
where I like much of what Key Publishing provides. Their aircraft histories are
quite nice and this is the first of their air forces series that I have had the
opportunity to read. The history of the air arms in South and Central America is
quite interesting. During the pre-WWII era their equipment was dominated by
German, Italian, and French manufacturers. Post war, it was mostly the US with
some input from the French and to a lesser degree the British and the
Russians/Soviets. Dealing with the US and to some degree with those aircraft
that use US engines, was always a bit of a touchy subject. The US has routinely
vetoed the acquisition of more modern aircraft in an attempt to have some
semblance of parity between Latin American nations. In more recent years, this
has become more difficult as nations purchase aircraft from sources over which
the US has no control.
This particular book covers the air arms of Colombia.
There is a very brief introduction and history of the Colombian Air Force before
getting right down to what this book is about, and that is its current
inventory. We are provided a look at the organization of the services and then
we are provided a closer look at each major command and the aircraft that it
operates. This includes not only the air force, but the navy, army and the
national police. The latter has a surprisingly large air arm as they have to
deal with not only smugglers, but also the various insurgent factions that
plague Colombia.
Since it is a look at the current equipment, all the
photos in the book are in full color. In all, it makes for a very interesting
read and a nice reference as well. Worth picking up if Latin American aviation
is your interest.
January 2023
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