The outbreak of World War II hindered any further expansion until 1942, when Guatemala started to receive lend-lease military assistance.

[2] At the beginning of the 1970s, there was also tension concerning a dispute with the United Kingdom over the territorial status of neighboring British Honduras (now Belize).

By 1968 the insurgency was almost neutralized but the cost was an estimated 8,000 civilians killed, so in 1977 the US was pressured to cut off overt military aid due to human rights violations.

[2] To circumvent this, Guatemala turned to countries like Argentina, Israel and Switzerland, and the United States continued to supply dual-use aircraft and covertly provided the air force with millions of dollars in overhauls and spare parts for previously purchased aircraft.

By the late 1970s the insurgency had been reborn as a mostly Maya peoples rebellion organized around four Maoist-oriented rebel groups, mostly the Guerrilla Army of the Poor.

[2] In early 1982 the various guerrilla forces were inflicting 250 casualties per month on the army,[2] so the military again resorted to destroy villages suspected of providing support to the rebels.

By the late 1980s an estimated one million Guatemalans had been displaced within their own country and another 250,000 had fled to Mexico and settled in refugee camps there.

[2] Between 1975 and the early 1980s Israel supplied 11Arava IAI-201 twin engine transport aircraft, which are excellent for small runways and were easily modified as gunships with the addition of rocket pods and side-mounted machine guns.

During those disasters, helicopters were used to rescue stranded people, and cargo planes were used to carry food, water and emergency medical equipment to villages and remote places that had been cut off.

Now it is composed of three operational commands, along with 2 schools, a Hospital (Hospitalito de la Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca), a Presidential Transport Squadron (Escuadron Presidencial), and a Headquarters Command (Comandancia de la Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca).

"[7] Previous notable aircraft operated consisted of the P-51D Mustang, Douglas B-26, C-47, Lockheed T-33, Fouga CM.170 Magister and more recently the S-76 Spirit helicopter[9][10] [11]