Djibouti Air Force

Djiboutian Air Force

Djibouti Air Force Roundel
Active 1977-present
Country Djibouti Djibouti
Type Air force
Size 360 personnel
Part of Djibouti Armed Forces
Headquarters Djibouti City
Nickname(s) DAF
Colors Light Brown, Brown, Blue
Equipment 16 Aircraft
Insignia
Fin Flash
Aircraft flown
Attack Mil Mi-24
Patrol Cessna 206
Transport Let L-410 Turbolet, Harbin Y-12, Mil Mi-8, Xian MA60, C-23 Sherpa

The Djiboutian Air Force (DAF) (French: Force Aérienne du Djibouti (FAdD)), (Somali: Ciidanka Cirka Jabuuti) is the Air Force of Djibouti. It was established as part of the Djibouti Armed Forces after the country obtained its independence on June 27, 1977. The first aircraft included three Nord N.2501 Noratlas transport aircraft, as well as a French Allouette II helicopter. The Djibouti Air Force is mandated with protecting Djibouti's airspace, and in assisting ground forces.

History

In 1982, the Djibouti Air Force was augmented by two Aerospatiale AS.355F Ecureuil 2 helicopters and a Cessna U206G Stationair followed in 1985 by a Cessna 402C Utiliner. In 1985 the Allouette II was withdrawn from use and put on display at Ambouli Air Base as Djibouti's airport is called. Two years later the three N.2501 Noratlas were also put aside and given back to France later. New equipment came in 1991 by means of a Cessna 208 Caravan followed by all the Russian types in the early nineties. They included four Mi 2, six Mi 8 and two Mi 17 helicopters and a single Antonov An 28 light transport aircraft. Pilot training, if necessary, is conducted in France and continued on the type of flying at home although the need for new pilots isn't that big in the approximately 250 men of the Djibouti Air Force. The DAF has no units of its own and forms as a whole a part of the Army and its sole base is Ambouli. Serials system of the Djibouti Air Force is in the civilian bracket of the J2-MAA till MAW range although most of the time only last two letters are carried.

As of 2016, the Air Force had a strength of 360 personnel, and operated a small number of transport aircraft and helicopters.[1]

Aircraft

A Djiboutian Mi-35 on the taxi way
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Xian MA60 China transport MA60H-500 1[2]
Harbin Y-12 China transport Y-12E 2[3]
Cessna 208 United States utility transport 1[2]
Let L-410 Czech Republic transport 1[2]
Short C-23 Sherpa United Kingdom transport 2 former US Army aircraft[4]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility / transport 2[2]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-35 2[2]
Eurocopter AS355 France utility 1[2]
Eurocopter AS365 France utility 4[3]

See also

References

Citations
  1. ↑ IISS (2016), p. 432
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "World Air Forces 2015 pg. 14". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Djibouti Air Force gets two Y-12s; Dauphin helicopters". defenceWeb. 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  4. ↑
Works consulted
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