Ecuador FAE Cheetah Simon GrigorFAE Cheetahs withdrawn from use

The Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE, Ecuador Air Force) has withdrawn its Cheetah fighters, Pucará Defensa reports.

Ten Cheetah C single-seaters and two Cheetah B two-seaters were sourced in South Africa, the first three arrived 31 May 2011 and the type was officially taken on charge 14 February 2012.

In 2016 two replacement aircraft were obtained for aircraft that were damaged beyond economical repair.

No official ceremony at Ala 21's home base Taura has been held yet as far as we know. No immediate successor has been acquired yet either.

According to the Scramble Magazine database, the FAE operated the following Cheetahs with Escuadrón de Combate 2112 / Ala de Combate No.21 at Base Aérea Taura.

Cheetah C
FAE-1346 ex SAAF 346, replacement for FAE-1352
FAE-1347 ex SAAF 347
FAE-1352 ex SAAF 352, back to South Afirca for repairs
FAE-1354 ex SAAF 354
FAE-1356 ex SAAF 356, replacement for FAE-1368
FAE-1359 ex SAAF 359
FAE-1362 ex SAAF 362
FAE-1365 ex SAAF 365
FAE-1366 ex SAAF 366
FAE-1368 ex SAAF 368, damaged beyond repair, preserved at Taura
FAE-1371 ex SAAF 371, w/o 13 December 2017
FAE-1377 ex SAAF 377
Cheetah B
FAE-1860 ex SAAF 860
FAE-1862 ex SAAF 862

Photo by Simon Grigor

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