Storm Kristin Rips Roof Off Portuguese F-16 Hangar, Up to 14% of Fighter Fleet Damaged
Portuguese Air Force suffered unexpected and quite substantial losses in F-16 fighters from weather. Several aircraft received damage due to storm that struck airbase No. 5 at Monte Real on country’s western coast.
Storm Kristin delivered the strike on Portuguese airbase January 28, having third category on five-point scale with wind gust speeds up to 178 km/h. It also caused significant civilian infrastructure damage: 0.8 million people left without electricity, at least five deaths reported.
Officially, Portuguese Air Force acknowledged significant damage, and photos from scene show one hangar where at least four F-16s were located remained without doors and roof. Metal structures hit at least two fighters.
Evidently this concerns an aircraft maintenance hangar. Photos show one F-16 had engine removed, another canopy and nose cone.
Note that airbase No. 5 hosts 201st Squadron Falcões, to which damaged two-seat F-16 numbered 15118 belongs, plus 310th Jaguares, which owns also-damaged single-seat fighter numbered 15108.
Considering Portuguese Air Force has up to 28 F-16 fighters 24 single-seat F-16AMs and 4 two-seat F-16BMs the storm may have damaged from 7% to 14% of country’s entire fighter aviation fleet.
Usually when weather threats loom, aircraft including combat ones relocate to safer areas. But these fighters remained at airbase, quite possibly precisely because they were under maintenance and not in flying condition.
Or because danger was assessed incorrectly. Particularly, civilian pilots also received significant damage. Storm destroyed civilian airfield near Coimbra city 50km north of military airbase.
As a reminder, in October 2023, quite a similar situation occurred in Brazil. Country’s Air Force lost part of Air Force Academy squadron, remaining without several T-27 Tucano trainers and A-29A Super Tucano combat trainers due to weather strike.
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