AHC: Sammarinese Air Force
- Thread starter SpanishSpy
- Start date
Possibly during the fascist period they might acquire a small number of Italian military aircraft to equip a composite squadron. A flight of CR32s being the spearhead of their airforce.
Post war the composite squadron is maintained with some light transport, training and utility types etc. Maybe even maintain a small number of fighters such as the Macchi 202 to hang onto their (mostly ceremonial) air defence flight. The allies bombed San Marino in WW2 in spite of it's neutrality according to wikipedia so there might be some incentive.
By the 1950s they have 3 or 4 mustangs and a few support aircraft but by the 1960s there are only light aircraft and small transports.
Today the air force of San Marino is equipped with a general purpose flight made up of helicopters.
Is that do-able?
Post war the composite squadron is maintained with some light transport, training and utility types etc. Maybe even maintain a small number of fighters such as the Macchi 202 to hang onto their (mostly ceremonial) air defence flight. The allies bombed San Marino in WW2 in spite of it's neutrality according to wikipedia so there might be some incentive.
By the 1950s they have 3 or 4 mustangs and a few support aircraft but by the 1960s there are only light aircraft and small transports.
Today the air force of San Marino is equipped with a general purpose flight made up of helicopters.
Is that do-able?
In that case they might continue with fixed wing, higher performance types such as Aermacchi jet trainers?
They get a collection of three or four helicopters for purposes of search/rescue/security and place them under the authority of whatever security forces they already have. Voila! An air force. If you're looking for a squadron of fighters, well - those things are expensive and probably don't make sense for such a small country.
I tend to agree HairySamarian, but we're just indulging in some silly fun, as the OP is too I'm sure.
It raises issues of sovereignty, but one could imagine a scenario where Italy subsidizes a small number of fighters for San Marino, who in return agree to cooperate in air defense of Italian airspace. I'm not sure why either side would agree to it, though. I thought maybe as part of an EU force, but apparently San Marino never joined the EU.
Could the Air Force become a kind of prestige thing for San Marino? Like, operating a world class aeronautics team, in some nimble trainer jets? Sending their guys to train with a 'real' air-force, and so on. This would definitely be a tourist boost, and small countries like that love tourism.
