Gabonese Air Force

Aerial warfare branch of the Gabonese Armed Forces
Gabonese Air Force
Armée de l'air Gabonaise
Gabonese Air Force roundel
ActiveJanuary 25, 1972 - Present
Country Gabon
TypeAir Force
RoleAerial warfare
Size1,500
Part ofArmed Forces of Gabon
HeadquartersLibreville
AnniversariesJanuary 25
Commanders
Commander in ChiefPresident Ali Bongo Ondimba
Commander of the Air ForceGeneral Jean Martin
Insignia
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
FighterDassault Mirage F1
HelicopterAlouette III, AS332, SA342, SA330, EC135, EC120,
TransportATR 42, C-130, CN-235
Military unit

The Gabonese Air Force (French: Armée de l'air Gabonaise) is the official aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of Gabon.

History

In the early 1960s, following the country's independence from the French Republic, aerial detachments were inside the country, with the first official aerial installation being the Mouila Training Center which was established in 1966 in the south-west of the country. On January 25, 1972, by presidential decree signed by President Omar Bongo, the Gabonese Air Force became an official branch of the armed forces, separate from the army. In January 1980, at the initiative of President Bongo, the Air Force developed and adopted a combat structure, acquiring a fleet of fighters, and creating the Mvengue Air Base in the capital.[1][2]

Order of battle

Current inventory

A Gabonese ATR-42 on approach
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
Mirage F1 France fighter 6[3]
Transport
ATR 42 France VIP transport 1[4]
CASA CN-235 Spain / Indonesia transport 1[3]
EADS CASA C-295 transport W 1[5]
C-130 Hercules United States transport C-130H 1[3]
Helicopters
Alouette III France light utility 2[3]
SA342 Gazelle France scout / attack 3[3]
Eurocopter AS332 France transport 1[3]
Aérospatiale SA 330 France transport / utility 5[3]
Eurocopter EC135 France utility 2[3]
Eurocopter EC120 France light utility 2[3]

Retired aircraft

Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force consisted of the CM.170 Magister, C-130H Hercules, Embraer EMB 110, Fokker F28, Aérospatiale N 262, Reims C.337, and the Alouette II helicopter.[6][7] The first fighters flown by the air force were Dassault Mirage 5Gs.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gabonese Air Force.
  1. ^ "LE DETACHEMENT DE L 'ARMEE DE L' AIR AU GABON". Centerblog. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Gabon Air Force / L'Armee de l'air". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "World Air Forces 2023". Flightglobal Insight. 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  4. ^ "ATR42 Gabon TR-KJD". airport-data.com flightglobal.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Gabonese C295 arrives home". defenseWeb. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  6. ^ "World Air Forces 1987 pg. 56". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  7. ^ "World Military Helicopter Markey 1971 pg. 577". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  8. ^ Ristor, p. 7

Bibliography

  • Ristor, Luc (January 1990). "Gabon: l'Armée de l'Air" [The Gabonese Air Force]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (242): 6–16. ISSN 0757-4169.
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