National Aeronaval Service

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]

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

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]

  • Basic Level: Agente (Agent), Cabo Segundo (Second Corporal), Cabo Primero (First Corporal)
  • Deputy Officer Level: Sargento Segundo (Second Sergeant), Sargento Primero (First Sergeant)
  • Mid-level Officer Level: Subteniente (Second Lieutenant), Teniente (Lieutenant), Capitán (Captain)
  • Senior Officer Level: Mayor (Major), Subcomisionado (Deputy Commissioner), Comisionado (Commissioner)
  • Director Level: Deputy Director General, Director General.

As branch of Public Forces, SENAN personnel can be transferred to another police service according to service needs and vice versa.[12]

Equipment

Vessels
Class Type Boats Origin Reference
Patrol Boat
Class 900 Offshore Patrol Boat P-901 Italy [13]
Vosper Class Patrol Boat P-301 Panquiaco
P-302 Ligia Elena		 United Kingdom [14]
Point Class Patrol Boat P-204 3 de noivembre
P-206 10 de noivembre
P-207 28 de noivembre
P-208 4 de noivembre
P-209 5 de noivembre		 United States [15]
Super 200 Class Patrol Boat P-220 Pdte. Guillermo Endara
P-221 Pdte. Ernesto P. Balladares
P-222 Pdte. Mireya Moscoso
P-223 Pdte. Martin Torrijose Herrera		 Italy [16]
Mark-IV Class Patrol Boat P-843 Bocas del Toro United States [17]
Mark-II Class Patrol Boat P-814 Coclé United States [18]
Support Vessels
Buoy Tender Class Support Vessel
 A-401 Independencia

 United States [19]
Barcaza Class Support Vessel A-402 General Esteban Huertas United States [20]
Logistica Class Support Vessel L-24 Lina Maria Colombia [21]
Special Boat
Hunter Class Fast Boat Hunter 4506
Hunter 4508		 Honduras [22]
Nor-Tech BIM 43 Class Maritime Interdiction Boat BIM 4301
BIM 4302
BIM 4303
BIM 4304		 United States [23]
Damen Interceptor 1102 Maritime Interdiction Boat 11 Units Netherlands [24] [25]
Eduardoño Class Fast Boat BPC 3803
BPC 3804
BPC 3805
BPC 3806
BPC 3807		 Colombia [26]
Eduardoño BPC 32 Class Fast Boat 15 units Colombia [26]
Donzin Class Fast Boat Donzin 3401
Donzin 3402		 United States [27]

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 152[28] United States SAR / transport
Cessna 172[28] United States transport / patrol
Cessna 208 United States aeromedical transport 3[29]
Cessna 210[28] United States transport / patrol
Piper PA-31 United States transport / patrol 2[29]
Piper PA-34[28] United States transport / trainer 1[29]
Super King Air United States utility 100/350 2[29] 1 aircraft provides maritime patrol
CASA C-212 Spain utility / transport 3[29]
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada utility transport 2[29] STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
Bell 407 United States utility 1[29]
Bell 212 United States utility 6[30][28]
Bell 412 United States SAR / utility 5[30][5]
Bell UH-1 United States utility UH-1H 6[29] donated by United States[31]
AgustaWestland AW109 Italy MEDIVAC 1[29]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy SAR 7[29]
McDonnell Douglas MD500 United States patrol 1[29]
Trainer Aircraft
T-35 Pillán Chile trainer 4[29]

References
  1. http://aeronaval.gob.pa/Directorio.html
  2. "National Aeronaval Service Functions". aeronaval.gob.pa. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  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. . 7 September 2018 https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-trafficking/crimjust/news/unodc-supports-the-national-aeronaval-service-senan-of-panama-in-strengthening-institutional-integrity.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  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. "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.
  13. "SENAN P-901". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. "SENAN P-30x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. "POINT CLASS". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  16. "SENAN P-22x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  17. "P-843". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  18. "P-814". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. "A-401". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  20. "A-402". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  21. "L-24". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  22. "Hunter". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  23. "BIM-430x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  24. damen.com https://www.damen.com/en/news/2017/03/eight_damen_interceptors_for_panama. Retrieved 23 March 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com https://panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com/blog/news-from-panama/panama-taiwan-sign-agreement-naval-interceptor-craft/. Retrieved 11 April 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. "BPC 380x". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  27. "DONZIN". aeronaval.gob.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  28. "Grupo Aéreo". aeranaval.gob.pa. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  29. "World Air Forces 2021". FlightGlobal. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  30. "Arms Transfers Database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  31. "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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.