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The Armada de Chile Arma Aérea (Naval Air Arm) is a division of the Chilean Navy responsible for all heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air craft assigned to the Navy. The commander of the AdCAA holds the rank of Contraalmirante and reports directly to the Naval C-in-C.

The AdCAA maintains all shipborne floatplanes and the air wing of the carrier Mapuche.

[SIZE=3]Naval Aerodromes (Aeródromo Naval)[/SIZE]
Naval Aerodrome Antofagasta
The base at Antofagasta is shared with the FACh.

Naval Aerodrome Valparaiso
Actually located in the suburb of Quilpué, the base at Valparaiso is used for training new pilots in the AdCAA. An airship hanger is also under construction here.

Naval Aerodrome Coronel
Coronel serves as the AdCAA's main operation center as it is close to the Navy's base at Talcahuano. Coronel is the land-side base of the Mapuche's air wings. Floatplanes for the Navy's aircraft-equipped warships are maintained at a separate base on the Canal El Morro.

Naval Aerodrome Puerto Varas
A small seaplane base and aerodrome has been developed concurrently with the airship base.

Naval Aerodrome Easter Island
Easter Island is being developed with a 10,000-foot runway in conjunction with the FACh. The AdCAA plans to deploy search-and-rescue and patrol aircraft from Easter Island. An airship mooring mast is also being constructed.

[SIZE=3]Airship Facilities[/SIZE]
Naval Dirigible Aerodrome Puerto Varas
Located on Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas is being developed as the southern airship base. Two 990-foot airship hangers are under construction, mounted on turntable tracks to rotate 360 degrees. Two smaller 375-foot turntable-mounted hangers will be built from 1938-1939. The base includes an underground helium storage farm and fuel reserve (1.2x10^7 ft³ of helium) and a helium retreatment facility.

Naval Dirigible Facility Valparaiso
An airship mooring mast is being constructed here, capable of managing smaller airships.

Naval Dirigible Facility Ahu Akivi
Ahu Akivi, Easter Island, has an airship mooring mast capable of managing smaller airships, but able to manage larger airships in good weather.

Naval Dirigible Aerodrome Caldera
The base at Caldera is being constructed as the northern airship base. One 990-foot airship hanger is under construction, mounted on turntable tracks to rotate 360 degrees. Two smaller 375-foot turntable-mounted hangers are being built from 1937-1938. The base includes an underground helium storage farm and fuel reserve (8x10^6 ft³ of helium) and a helium retreatment facility.

[SIZE=5]DEPLOYMENTS[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]The Armada de Chile Arma Aérea is divided into four main components: Scouting, Carrierborne, Shore, and Airships. The Scouting Component is equipped with floatplanes and deployed from catapult-equipped warships for naval reconnaissance roles. The Carrier Component is equipped with torpedo and dive bombers as well as naval fighters. The Shore Component is responsible for aircraft permanently deployed ashore, whether in training, ASW, or scouting roles. (4 Grupo, however, was seconded to FACh command during the Peruvian war, and fought as land-based fighter units.) The Airship Component is responsible for all dirigible units, including parasite aircraft.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Escultismo Component/Scouting Component[/SIZE]
- CO Capitán de Fragata Marcel Marinakis

- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-01 (8 Late-298): Michimalonco
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-02 (8 Late-298): Lautaro
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-03 (8 Late-298): Guardia Marina Hyatt
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-04 (2 Sea Coatis) Capitan Oyama
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-05 (2 Sea Coatis) General O'Higgins
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-06 (2 Sea Coatis) Nevado Ojos del Salado (to be reassigned to Constitucion)
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-07 (2 Sea Coatis) Volcan Osorno
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-08 (2 Sea Coatis) Atacama
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-09 (2 Sea Coatis) Picunches
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento: R-10 (2 Sea Coatis) Antofagasta

[SIZE=3]Portaaviones Component/Aircraft Carrier Component[/SIZE]
- CO Capitán de Navío Vicente Matthei

[SIZE=1]The three Grupos of the Portaaviones Component rotate, spending a month each deployed aboard Mapuche and two months at Coronel. Only one Grupo is aboard at a time. 1 Grupo (Blue) was the fighting unit during the Peruvian War. They claim a destroyer sunk (BAP Pantera) and claim a shared battleship kill (BAP Huascar) with the airgroup of the Atlantean carrier Alioth.[/SIZE]

1 Grupo (Blue) (January, April, July, October) - Comandante de Grupo Eleuterio Serebrier (CAG)
Formed: 1930
Nickname: "Peuchens"
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-01 (18 FMA I-01N)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos: T-01 (9 ANAF TBN-8)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-01 (9 Accrisius DBN-1)

2 Grupo (Gold) (February, May, August, November) - Comandante de Grupo Luis Acevedo
Formed: 1936
Nickname: Huasos
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-02 (18 Spartan SP-20)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos: T-02 (9 ANAF TBN-8)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-02 (9 Accrisius DBN-1)
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento/Guerra Antisubmarina: R-02/GA-02

3 Grupo (Green) (March, June, September, December) - Comandante de Grupo Tonka Mirosevic
Formed: 1937
Nickname: Trauco
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-03 (18 Spartan SP-20)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos: T-03 (equipped ANAF TBN-8)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-03 (equipped Accrisius DBN-1)
- Escuadrón de Reconocimiento/Guerra Antisubmarina: R-02/GA-02

[SIZE=3]Componente de la Costa/Shore Component[/SIZE]
- CO Capitán de Navío Gabriel Larraín

[SIZE=1]4, 5, and 6 Grupo are groups slowly forming for training and instruction purposes at Coronel. In January 1939, 5 Grupo (White) will be deployed aboard the training carrier Chiloe while 6 Grupo will be formed for shore training.[/SIZE]

4 Grupo (Black) - Comandante de Grupo Baltazar Rufe
Formed: 1934
Nickname: Bolas
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-04 (18 FMA I-01N)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos (Hidroavión): T-04-H (8 Late-298)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-04 (Paper Unit)

5 Grupo (White) Training Unit - Comandante de Grupo Rudolphy Imboden (CAG).
Formed: September 1938 in Coronel
Nickname: "Brujo de Chiloé" (Witches of Chiloe)
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-05 (Training Unit, 8 Coati-N)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos: T-05 (Training Unit, 8 Coati-N)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-05 (Training Unit, 8 Coati-N)

6 Grupo (Red) - Comandante de Grupo Alejandro Leighton (CAG).
Formed: February 1939 in Coronel
Nickname: N/A
- Escuadrón de Cazas/Interceptores: C-06 (Paper Unit)
- Escuadrilla de Torpederos: T-06 (Paper Unit)
- Escuadrón de Bombarderos: B-06 (Paper Unit)

7 Grupo
- Escuadrón de Guerra Antisubmarina: GA-01

[SIZE=3]Dirigible Componente Naval/Naval Airship Component[/SIZE]
- CO: Capitan de Navio Philip Prien

First Dirigible Squadron
Based in Puerto Varas
- CNAS Capitan Prat (ZRS-01)
- CNAS Aquiles (ZRS(T)-02)
- Escuadrón de Parasitismo Cazas: Z-1 (3 ENAER ZTS) Capitan Prat
- Escuadrón de Parasitismo Cazas: Z-2 (3 ENAER ZTS) Aquiles

Second Dirigible Squadron -
Based in Puerto Varas
- CNAS Galvarino (ZN-01)
- CNAS Ainavillo (ZN-02)

Third Dirigible Squadron -
Based in Caldera
- CNAS Calfucurá (ZN-03)
- CNAS Lientur (ZN-04)

Fourth Dirigible Squadron -
Based in Valparaiso/Caldera
- CNAS Nangoniel (ZN-05)
- CNAS Cadeguala (ZN-06)

[SIZE=3]Order of Battle[/SIZE]
Escultismo Component/Scouting Component
4 reconnaissance squadrons (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04)

Portaaviones Component/Aircraft Carrier Component - Coronel
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.1 “Peuchens”
-- 1 fighter squadron
-- 2 bomber squadrons
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.2 “Huasos”
-- 1 fighter squadron
-- 2 bomber squadrons
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.3 “Traucos”
-- 2 fighter squadrons
-- 1 patrol squadron
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.4 “Los Rojos”
-- 2 fighter squadrons
-- 1 patrol squadron
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.5 “Los Albos”
-- 1 training squadron
-- 1 helicopter squadron
Portaaviones Grupo Aéreo No.6 “Brujo de Chiloé”
-- 1 fighter squadron
-- 1 patrol squadron

Componente de la Costa/Shore Component
Seaplane Patrol Group
- 1 seaplane squadron
Coastal Patrol Group
- 2 heavy patrol squadrons
- 1 SAR squadron
Liaison Group No.1 (South)
- 2 liaison squadrons
- 1 seaplane squadron
Liaison Group No.2 (North)
- 2 liaison squadrons
Naval Scout-Bombing Group
- 2 scout-bomber squadrons

Dirigible Componente Naval/Naval Airship Component
4 Dirigible Squadrons
2 Parasite Aircraft Squadrons

School of Naval Aviation
Coronel School
-- 2 training squadrons
Valparaiso School
-- 2 training squadrons
Puerto Varas School
-- 2 training squadrons


Notes: The six carrier air groups are composed of varying numbers of planes and pilots depending upon their billet. As of the beginning of 1940, three groups (Nos. 1, 2, and 3) are rotating through the Mapuche on a monthly basis; two more groups (Nos. 5 and 6) rotate through the carrier Chiloe. The final group (No.4) serves ashore as a fighter-training cadre.

In late 1940, with the completion of the fleet carrier Libertad, the groups will be substantially reordered in order to build a completed carrier group for her.

The Chilean Navy maintains two complete, fully-equipped air groups for every aircraft carrier in the Navy. This is to permit the rapid replacement of aircraft losses in case of combat.