National Aeronaval Service
National Aeronaval Service shield
Active20 August 2008 – present
Country Panamá
BranchNaval air force
RoleNational defense
SAR
Size3,800 personnel
Part ofPanamanian Public Forces
Motto(s)"God Homeland and Honor"
Dios, Patria y Honor
Equipment45 boats
40 aircraft
Commanders
Current
commander		Commissioner Jeremías Urieta Quintero [1]
Insignia
Roundel
Low visible roundel
Racing stripe
Aircraft flown
HelicopterMD500
AgustaWestland AW139
PatrolKing Air
Cessna 208
TransportDHC-6 Twin Otter

The National Aeronaval Service of Panama, also called SENAN (abbreviation for Spanish: Servicio Nacional Aeronaval), is a branch of the Panamanian Public Forces which is responsible for carrying out naval and air operations. Its role is to perform protection, surveillance, security and defense of the air and maritime jurisdictional areas.[2] The service has approximately 2,500 personnel, with 45 boats and approximately 40 aircraft.[3][4][5]

Introduction

The SENAN is the result of a merger between the former National Maritime Service and the National Air Service of Panama in 2008. The unit was created as civilian police forces and component of the Public Forces attached to Ministry of Public Security, protect rights and freedoms of people, maintain public order, prevent and investigate crimes, and protect the air and maritime jurisdictional areas, thus contributing to public policy, humanitarian relief and facilitating an environment for development social and economic development of Panama.[6]

According to the national law, the SENAN will act as a public security entity in the maritime, air, port and airport areas throughout the national territory, by performing the following functions:[7]

Organisation

The organisation of SENAN consist of:[3]

  • Political-Director Level
    • Director General as head of SENAN.
    • Deputy Director General, along with Director General are appointed by President of Panama with recommendation of Ministry of Public Security.[8]
  • Advisory Level : General Directory, General Inspectorate, General Secretariat and Legal Department.
  • Investigator Level : Internal Auditor and Internal Affairs.
  • Auxiliary Support Level : National Directorate of Comprehensive Action, National Directorate of Human Resources, National Directorate of Logistics and General Services, National Directorate of Administration and Finances, National Directorate of Aerial Maintenance, National Directorate of Naval Maintenance and National Directorate of Teaching.
  • Operational Level : National Directorate of Intelligence, National Directorate of Operations, National Directorate of Technology, National Directorate of Territorial Surveillance and three Aeronaval Region.

Base

The SENAN's bases and stations are located within three region of Aeronaval.[9]

1st Region (Primera Región) 2nd Region (Segunda Región) 3rd Region (Tercera Región)
  • Chiriqui Grande Aeronaval Station
  • Quebrada de Piedra Aeronaval Station
  • Coiba Aeronaval Station
  • De Rambala Air Station
  • Mayor Azael Adames Air Station
  • Subteniente Vicente Vargas Air Station
  • Captain Lloyd Nunez Command Base
  • Almirante Cristobal Colon Aeronaval Base
  • Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Naval Base
  • Captain Juan Delgado Air Base
  • Isla Chapera Aeronaval Station
  • Punta Coco Aeronaval Station
  • Mensabe Aeronaval Station
  • de Chame Air Station
  • Octavio Rodriguez Garrido Air Station
  • Major Salvador Cordoba Air Station

Personnel

As of 2018, SENAN personnel consist of approximately 3,800 sworn officers and 200 administrative personnel.[10] Sworn officers perform SENAN tasks and missions, while administrative personnel only conduct administrative and technical functions.[3]

Sworn offices are consist of following levels:[11]

Commissioned officer ranks
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Panama National Aeronaval Service[12]
Director General Subdirector General Comisionado Subcomisionado Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
Other ranks
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Panama National Aeronaval Service[12]
 No insignia
Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Agente

As branch of Public Forces, SENAN personnel can be transferred to another police service according to service needs and vice versa.[13]

Equipment

Aircraft

Panama's Servicio Nacional Aeronaval Cessna 208B
An AW-139 helicopter landing on the USNS Comfort
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Cessna 208 United States MEDEVAC 3[14]
Piper PA-31 United States transport / patrol 2[14]
Piper PA-34 United States utility 1[14]
Super King Air United States utility 100/350 3[14] 1 aircraft provides maritime patrol
CASA C-212 Spain utility / transport 3[14]
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada utility transport 2[14] STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
Bell 412 United States SAR / utility 6[14]
Bell UH-1 United States utility UH-1H 6[14] donated by United States[15]
AgustaWestland AW109 Italy MEDEVAC 1[14]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy SAR 7[14]
McDonnell Douglas MD500 United States patrol 1[14]
Trainer Aircraft
T-35 Pillán Chile trainer 4[14]

Vessels

A patrol boat similar to this one is used by the SENAN
Vessel Origin Type Class Notes
Patrol Boat
P-901[16] Italy coastal enforcement Class 900
P-302 Ligia Elena United Kingdom patrol boat Vosper class
P-301 Panquiaco[17] United Kingdom patrol boat Vosper class
P-204 3 de Noviembre[18] United States patrol boat Point class
P-206 10 de Noviembre[18] United States patrol boat Point class
P-207 28 de Noviembre[18] United States patrol boat Point class
P-208 4 de Noviembre[18] United States patrol boat Point class
P-209 5 de Noviembre[18] United States patrol boat Point class
P-220 Pdte. Guillermo Endara[19] Italy patrol boat Super 200 class
P-221 Pdte. Ernesto P. Balladares[19] Italy patrol boat Super 200 class
P-222 Pdte. Mireya Moscoso[19] Italy patrol boat Super 200 class
P-223 Pdte. Martin Torrijose Herrera[19] Italy patrol boat Super 200 class
P-814 Coclé[20] United States patrol boat Mark-II class
P-843 Bocas del Toro[21] United States patrol boat Mark-IV class
Support Vessels
L-24 Lina Maria[22] Colombia Support vessel Logistica class
A-401 Independencia[23] United States Support vessel Buoy Tender class
A-402 General Esteban Huertas[24] United States Support vessel Barcaza class second hand from the U.S. Navy
Special Boat
Hunter Class Honduras fast boat 2 in service[25]
Nor-Tech United States maritime interdiction BIM 43 Class 4 in service[26]
Eduardoño Class Colombia fast boat 5 in service[27]
Donzin Class United States fast boat 2 in service[28]

References

  1. ↑ "Director General del Servicio Nacional Aeronaval". Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  2. ↑ "National Aeronaval Service Functions". aeronaval.gob.pa. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Donadio 2013, p. 147.
  4. ↑ "Naval Fleet". aeronaval.gob.pa. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "World Air Forces 2020". Flightglobal Insight. 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Decreto Ley No. 7 - Que crea el Servicio Nacional Aeronaval de la República de Panamá". Article 2, 3 and 85, Act No. 7 of 20 August 2008 (PDF) (in Spanish). República de Panamá Órgano Ejecutivo.
  7. ↑ "Functiones" [Functions]. aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Decreto Ley No. 7 - Que crea el Servicio Nacional Aeronaval de la República de Panamá". Article 14, Act No. 7 of 20 August 2008 (PDF) (in Spanish). República de Panamá Órgano Ejecutivo.
  9. ↑ Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (2009). Plan Estratégico Institucional (2009 - 2024) (PDF).
  10. ↑ "UNODC supports the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) of Panama in strengthening institutional integrity". UNODC. 7 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Decreto Ley No. 7 - Que crea el Servicio Nacional Aeronaval de la República de Panamá". Article 46, Act No. 7 of 20 August 2008 (PDF) (in Spanish). República de Panamá Órgano Ejecutivo.
  12. 1 2 "DECRETO EJECUTIVO Nº 104" (PDF). Ministerio de Gobierno y Justicia de la República de Panamá. 13 May 2009. p. 20.
  13. ↑ "Decreto Ley No. 7 - Que crea el Servicio Nacional Aeronaval de la República de Panamá". Article 39, Act No. 7 of 20 August 2008 (PDF) (in Spanish). República de Panamá Órgano Ejecutivo.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "World Air Forces 2023". Flightglobal Insight. 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "United States Transfers Panama Helicopters, Security Equipment, Training Worth $54 Million". Embassy of the United States in Panama. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "SENAN P-901". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  17. ↑ "SENAN P-30x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "POINT CLASS". gob.pa. 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "SENAN P-22x". gob.pa. 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "P-814". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "P-843". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "L-24". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "A-401". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "A-402". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "Hunter". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "BIM-430x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  27. ↑ "BPC 380x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  28. ↑ "DONZIN". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
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