TheRwandan Air Force (French:Force aérienne rwandaise) is theair branch of theRwandan Defence Forces.
| Rwandan Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Force Aérienne Rwandaise | |
 Rwanda Air Force Roundel | |
| Founded | 1962; 63 years ago (1962) |
| Country |  Rwanda |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 1,000 personnel[1] |
| Part of | Rwanda Defence Force |
| Commanders | |
| President of Rwanda | Paul Kagame |
| Air Force Chief of Staff | Lt Gen Jean-Jacques Mupenzi[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack helicopter | Mil Mi-24 |
| Utility helicopter | Mil Mi-17,Aérospatiale Gazelle |
| Transport | Cessna 208 Caravan,Diamond DA42 Twin Star |
History
editAfter achieving independence in 1962, the Air Force was formed with the aid ofBelgium, the initial aircraft consisted of three ex-French Air ForceCM.170 Magisters, which operated in a counterinsurgency role along with aBritten-Norman Islander. Other deliveries includedSA 342L Gazelles,Nord Noratlas,SOCATA Guerrier, andC-47 Skytrains. During theRwandan Civil War, most of the aircraft were either shot down, destroyed on the ground or crashed.[3]
Inventory
edit
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||||||
| Cessna 208 Caravan | United States | Utility | 2[4] | |||
| Diamond DA42 | Austria | Utility | 2[4] | |||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | Utility | 12[4] | |||
| Mil Mi-24 | Russia | Attack | Mi-35 | 5[4] | ||
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | N/A | [5] | ||
References
edit- ^International Institute for Strategic Studies (25 February 2021).The Military Balance 2021.London:Routledge. p. 484.ISBN 9781032012278.
- ^de la Croix Tabaro, Jean (4 June 2021)."Maj. Gen. Mubarakh Muganga Promoted to Lt. Gen. as President Kagame Shuffles Army Top Brass".KT Press. Retrieved11 July 2021.
- ^"World Air Forces1983 pg. 366". flightglobal.com. 6 August 1983. Retrieved15 November 2019.
- ^abcdHoyle, Craig (2024)."World Air Forces 2025". Flight Global. Retrieved28 January 2025.
- ^Oryx."An International Export Success: Global Demand For Bayraktar Drones Reaches All Time High".Oryx. Retrieved4 January 2024.
External links
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toAir force of Rwanda.
- Official website
- https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rwanda/air-force.htm
- https://www.rwandan-flyer.com/rwanda-air-force-guide-2014
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