Base Aérea Nº 8 (BA8), co-located with the civilian Mavalane Airport (now Maputo International Airport), served as the primary strategic and logistics command hub for the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa – FAP) in southern Mozambique. Because it was located far south in Lourenço Marques, it remained well out of range of FRELIMO’s northern guerrilla combat operations. This safe location allowed it to develop into a massive rear-guard installation.
Before the full-scale conflict erupted, Portugal relied on civilian infrastructure and minor military airfields to maintain a presence in East Africa. As geopolitical tensions mounted in 1961, the FAP officially established BA8 at the Mavalane complex to secure the capital city. In February 1961, the first elite paratroopers (Pára-quedistas) arrived at the base via Nord Noratlas transport aircraft, signaling its transformation into a military launchpad.
During the war, BA8 operated as the brain of Air Region 3 (ZA3). While frontline tactical bases like Mueda launched daily airstrikes, BA8 focused on heavy logistics and coordination:
- The Heavy Air Bridge: The base housed Esquadra 81, operating Nord Noratlas and Douglas C-47 Dakota transport planes. These aircraft formed a continuous air bridge to ferry ammunition, specialized troops, and fresh supplies from the capital up to northern combat zones.
- Medical Evacuation (Medevac): BA8 was the primary destination for wounded Portuguese soldiers. Severely injured personnel were flown back to Mavalane from northern field hospitals to receive advanced care at the capital’s central military hospital.
- The Helicopter Pool: Through Esquadra 82, the base acted as the central repair, maintenance, and rotation depot for the FAP's vital fleet of Alouette III and Eurocopter Puma helicopters.
Following the April 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, offensive military operations immediately ceased. BA8 became the critical extraction point for the massive withdrawal of Portuguese troops and European civilian refugees fleeing the country. When Mozambique gained formal independence in June 1975, the base and its runways were turned over to the newly formed Mozambican government, eventually becoming the headquarters for the new Força Aérea de Moçambique.