103 Squadron ( Portugal ) The 103 Squadron " " Caracóis " " ( " Esquadra 103 " ) is a jet advanced training squadron of the Portuguese Air Force . Prior to 1978 , the " " Caracóis " " also received following designations : 22 Squadron , " Esquadra de Instrução Complementar de Pilotagem " ( EICP ) and " Esquadra de Instrução Complementar de Pilotagem em Aviões de Combate " ( EICPAC ) . Roles and missions . Its primary mission is the complementary flying training on jet aircraft and operational transition training . History . The origins of the 103 Squadron date back to 1953 with the beginning of the operational service of the T - 33A Shooting Star and later that same year with the delivery of the first jet fighters , the F - 84G Thunderjet , in service with the Portuguese Air Force ( PoAF ) . These aircraft were assigned to then - Air Base No . 2 ( BA2 ) , Ota , to equip the first jet fighter squadron , the 20 Squadron . That same year a new Flight ( " Esquadrilha de Voo sem Visibilidade " , VSV ) was created and integrated in the 20 Squadron to train in the flight by instruments and the operational conversion on a twin - seat jet of the new pilots for the single - seat F - 84 . With the formation of a second jet fighter squadron , the 21 Sqn . , in 1954 , the VSV Flight became more independent . In 1955 , the 22 Squadron , the third squadron of the 201st Operational Group of Air Base No . 2 , was created and equipped with the totality of the existing T - 33 fleet and a small detachment of F - 84G — resulting in the T - 33A being finally assigned to an independent squadron of its own . The primary mission of this squadron was to provide the conversion and transition training for jet fighters to pilots who had experience with conventional aircraft , like the F - 47D Thunderbolt and SB2C Helldiver . This training consisted of about 40 hours of flight in basic flying , acrobatic flying , formation , flight by instruments , navigation , and night flight , and also the conversion to the F - 84G before the pilots were assigned to an operational fighter squadron . In 1956 , with the complete conversion of the pilots of the last conventional fighter squadron , the 22 Squadron mission was changed from the conversion of pilots to jet fighters , to the instruction of pilots , thus adopting the new designation of Pilot Complementary Instruction Squadron ( , EICP ) . On August 1957 , the squadron was then transferred to then - Air Base No . 3 ( BA3 ) and assigned to the PoAF ' s Directorate of Instruction ( DINST ) . The trainee - pilots where then transferred directly from the Pilot Basic Instruction Squadron ( , EIBP ) , which was equipped with the T - 6 Texan . The training in T - 33A also was changed from 40 to 80 hours of flight and trips of navigation instruction to other countries were added . On December , due to logistic - administrative reasons , the EICP adopted the designation of Combat Aircraft Piloting Complementary Instruction Squadron ( , EICPAC ) , so that the subsidy of operational pilots in jet aircraft was also attributed to the squadron ' s instructors , also adding to the instruction subsidy . On September 1960 , the squadron was transferred back to Ota , and with the disbandment of the 20 and 21 Squadrons , the totality of the F - 84G fleet was also assigned to EICPAC . This resulted in the squadron being organized in two independent Flights , having only the command of the squadron as common between them . The T - 33 Flight continued with the mission of complementary instruction while the F - 84 Flight had as mission the operational conversion of pilots for the F - 86F Sabre . However , with the beginning of the conflict in Africa , the F - 84 were transferred to new squadrons in the colonies , along with many of its pilot - instructors . On November 1974 , the squadron was transferred to Air Base No . 5 , in Monte Real ; by then with more than 90 hours of flight training . In 1978 , with the organic restructure of the Air Force , the squadron ' s designation is changed to 103 Squadron , while not losing the previous designation of EICPAC . During July 1980 , 103 Squadron started to receive the T - 38A Talon , until then operated by 201 Squadron . This resulted in the EICPAC being organized , for the second time , in two independent flights . The T - 38 flight was dependent of the Operational Command ( COFA ) while the T - 33 flight continued under the command of the DINST . In 1987 , 103 Squadron is transferred to Air Base No . 11 , in Beja . On January 1990 , the Operational Introduction Course ( , CIO ) is implemented in the T - 38 Flight , to provide operational introduction to the pilots trained in the United States , helping in their integration with the combat squadrons . With the beginning of the retirement of the T - 33 in 1988 , the T - 38 started replacing it in the main course of complementary instruction of combat aircraft . By 1991 the retirement of the T - 33 was completed . On June 1993 , the T - 38 was retired and by November the 103 Squadron started its first course in the Dassault / Dornier Alpha Jet . Commanders . List of commanders of the 103 Squadron since the squadron ' s transference from Ota to Monte Real , in November 1974 .