equipped a new anti-submarine squadron based at São Jacinto, in Aveiro. In 1951, the Naval Aviation tested, at the Lisbon Naval Aviation Centre, a civilian Westland WS-51 Dragonfly Mk.1A for possible shipborne operations. This helicopter was later sold to Italy and later served in the Italian Air Force with the tail number MM80118I. Aeronaval Forces With the unification of the Army and Navy's military aviation services by the Under-Secretary of State for the Aeronautics (), the Portuguese Air Force ( (FAP)) was created in 1952 and all Naval Aviation assets were transferred to this new branch. However, the naval aviation's units formed inside the Air Force a semi-independent branch for operational and training purposes designated Aeronaval Forces (). By 1958, with the anti-submarine and maritime patrol squadrons completely integrated into the Air Force, the Naval Aviation was finally disbanded and its last remaining technicians and officers returned to the Navy. Fully integration in the Air Force Between 1958 (when it integrated the Army Light Aviation and the Aeronaval Forces assets) and 1993, the Portuguese Air Force maintained the monopoly of the military aviation activities in Portugal, including those which were once performed by the Naval Aviation. The former Montijo Naval Air Station (now the Montijo Air Force Base) continued to concentrate the maritime aviation assets, namely the maritime patrol aircraft. In 1964, in the Guinean theatre of the Portuguese Overseas War, a FAP Alouette II made what is considered the first helicopter operation from a Portuguese Navy ship, by performing personnel transport and medical evacuation missions from a wooden platform constructed on the Nuno Tristão frigate. Later in the war other helicopter medical evacuations were made by FAP helicopters to Sam Brás support ship. During the war and after the war Alouette III helicopters operated on the flight decks of the João Coutinho-class and Baptista de Andrade-class corvettes and of the São Gabriel support ship. In 1987, upon the modernization of the João Belo-class frigates, it was considered equipping them with a flight deck and a telescopic hangar to enable them to carry an organic anti-submarine helicopter. However, the modernization program continued without making these changes to the ships. Navy's Helicopter Squadron The Navy's Helicopter Squadron (, EHM) was created as part of the Navy's acquisition program of the new s, which included a helicopter as an anti-submarine warfare system. In 1977, with the need to replace older ships in