Air Vigilance Service
This article's Public Forces of Costa Rica | |
Website | |
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www |
There is officially no Air Force of Costa Rica; the only
Mission and Functions
The SVA's mission is to: "Provide air support in security actions carried out by police forces, in humanitarian missions, transfers of government officials; Provide security and surveillance in the country's airports to protect domestic and foreign citizens."
Some of the most common functions of the SVA are transporting civilians in critical medical emergencies to the hospitals in the capital as well as helping in the war on drugs. Plenty of drug trafficking operations are carried in joint agreement with the U.S., mainly occurring in the coastal areas and at sea.
According to a new bill yet to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, the new designation for this police air wing would be Policia de Vigilancia Aérea (Air Vigilance Police).
History
Costa Rica is one of the oldest democracies in the region and formally abolished its army on December 1, 1949, just after the end of a revolution that reformed the country's political structures. The internal security of the country was administered by the Civil Guard that, over the years, has transformed into what it is now, the
Air Surveillance Service equipment
As a result of the many operations against drug trafficking, a number of aircraft have been added to the asset list by means of confiscation. The U.S. has also donated aircraft, equipment and logistic support. The prefix for most aircraft is MSP followed by a serial number.
Aircraft
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service[1] | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transport | ||||||
Super King Air | United States | patrol | 350 | 1 on order[2] | ||
Harbin Y-12 | China | transport | 2[3] | |||
Helicopters
| ||||||
MD 500 Defender | United States | light utility | 1 | |||
McDonnell Douglas MD 600 | United States | patrol | 2[4] | |||
Bell UH-1 Iroquois | United States | patrol | 4[5] |
References
- ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
- ISSN 0306-5634.
- ^ "Por primera vez país cuenta con barcos, helicópteros, aviones, radares y academia policial para lucha antidrogas". La Nación, Grupo Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-05-20.
- ^ "Moderno helicóptero policial fue presentado por Seguridad Pública". La Nacion. Archived from the original on 2012-12-22. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ^ "Vigilancia desde el aire se reforzará con cuatro helicópteros regalados". La Nación, Grupo Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-05-20.