TheSomali Air Force (SAF;Somali:Ciidamada Cirka Soomaaliyeed,Osmanya: 𐒋𐒕𐒆𐒖𐒑𐒖𐒆𐒖 𐒋𐒘𐒇𐒏𐒖 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒜𐒆, CCS;Arabic:القوات الجوية الصومالية,Al-Qūwāt al-Gawwīyä as-Ṣūmālīyä) is theair force ofSomalia. Called theSomali Aeronautical Corps (SAC) during its pre-independence period (1954–1960), it was renamed asSomali Air Force (SAF) after Somalia gained independence in 1960.Ali Matan Hashi, Somalia's first pilot and person principally responsible for organizing the SAF, was its founder and served as its the country's first air chief.^[1] At one point, the Somali Air Force had the strongest airstrike capability in theHorn of Africa.^[2] But by the timePresident Siad Barre fledMogadishu in 1991, it had completely collapsed. The SAF headquarters was technically reopened in 2015.^[3]

Somali Air Force
Ciidamada Cirka Soomaaliyeed القوات الجوية الصومالية
Founded	1960; 65 years ago (1960)
Country	Somalia
Part of	Somali Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Afsione, Mogadishu
Motto(s)	Somali:Isku Tiirsada "Lean Together"
Ensign
Engagements	1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Shifta War Ogaden War 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Somali Civil War
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	PresidentHassan Sheikh Mohamud
Chief of the Armed Forces	Major GeneralOdowaa Yusuf Rageh
Chief of the Air Force	Major General Mohamud Sheikh Ali
Notable commanders	Brigadier GeneralAli Matan Hashi
Insignia
Roundel
Fin Flash
Flag of the Air Force
Aircraft flown
Attack	Akıncı
Fighter	MiG-17,MiG-21,Shenyang J-6

Following an agreement signed between the Somali and Italian governments in 1962, Somali airmen began training in Italy with the assistance of Italian technical staff and pilots.^[4] At the time, fifty Somali cadets also started training in the Soviet Union asjet pilots, later joined by over two hundred of the nation's eliteNCOs andofficers for general military training.^[5] Most of the newly trained personnel then returned to Somalia.^{[citation needed]}

TheCorpo Aeronautico della Somalia was established in the 1950s, and was first equipped with a small number of Western aircraft, including twoDouglas C-47 Skytrains, eightDouglas C-53 Skytrooper Dakota paratroop variants, twoBeech C-45 Expeditors for transport tasks, twoNorth American T-6 Texans (H model), twoStinson L-5 Sentinels, and sixNorth American P-51 Mustangs for use asfighter aircraft. However, all the surviving Mustangs were returned to Italy before Somalia gained independence in June 1960.^[6] The Aeronautical Corps was officially renamed the Somali Air Force in December 1960.^[7] TwoHeliopolis Gomhouria light aircraft soon arrived from Egypt (Egyptian-built Zlín 381 Czech licence versions of the GermanBücker Bü 181 Bestmann), and eightPiaggio P.148 trainers were donated by Italy in 1962.^[7]

On 15 October 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town ofLas Anod, Somali PresidentAbdirashid Ali Shermarke was shot dead by one of his bodyguards. A militarycoup d'état took place on 21 October 1969, the day after his funeral, in which theSomali Army seized power without encountering armed opposition. The putsch was spearheaded by Major GeneralMohamed Siad Barre, who at the time commanded the army.^[8] Barre then proclaimed Somalia asocialist state and initiated rapidmodernization programs. Numerous Somali airmen were sent abroad to train in countries such as Italy, the United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom. After their training, many of these men went on to become the nation's leading instructors andfighter pilots. FiftyMiG-17s were donated by the Soviets, while 29MiG-21MFs were purchased by the Somali government.^{[citation needed]}

Asli Hassan Abade was the first female pilot in the Somali Air Force. She received training on single-propeller aircraft, and later earned a scholarship to study at theUnited States Air Force Academy.

In July 1975, according toInternational Institute for Strategic Studies estimates, the Somali Air Force had threeIl-28 bombers (confirmed in 2015 by author Tom Cooper), two fighter-ground attack squadrons with twoMiG MiG-15s and a total of 23MiG-17s andMiG-19s; a fighter squadron with 24MiG-21s; a transport squadron with threeAntonov An-2s and threeAn-24/26s; a helicopter squadron withMil Mi-2s,Mi-4s andMi-8s; other survivors of the early SAF years reportedly included three C-47s, one C-45, and six Italian Piaggio P.148s.^[9]

The roles of the Air Force in the late 1970s included aerial warfare and air defence.^{[10][11][page needed]}

In July 1977, theOgaden War broke out after Barre's government sought to incorporate the predominantly Somali-inhabitedOgaden region inEthiopia into a pan-SomaliGreater Somalia.^[11] TheSomali Armed Forces invaded the Ogaden and were initially successful, capturing most of the territory. But the tide turned with the Soviet Union's sudden shift of support to Ethiopia, soon followed by nearly the entireEastern Bloc. The Soviets halted their supplies to Barre's regime and increased distribution of aid, weapons, and training to Ethiopia's newly-communistDerg regime. They also brought approximately 15,000Cuban troops to assist the Ethiopian military. By 1978, the Somali troops had been pushed out of the Ogaden.

Before the war, Somalia had acquired fourIlyushin Il-28 bombers. Flown by MiG-17 pilots, the aircraft could have played a decisive role in the conflict. Although only three of the Il-28s remained in service by the time war broke out,^[12] they supported the initial invasion. But the planes were rendered fairly ineffective because they were used to fly high-altitude bombing missions. Once theEthiopian Air Force began to contest the skies, the Il-28s were withdrawn from combat, remaining at their airfields until Ethiopian air strikes destroyed them. None of the Il-28s survived the war.

According to Nelson et al. in 1980, out of approximately twenty-one Somali combat aircraft, less than half a dozen — MiG-17s and MiG-21s — were reportedly kept operational by Pakistani mechanics.^[13] Six Italian single-engineSIAI-Marchetti SF.26OW trainer/tactical support aircraft delivered in late 1979 were reportedly grounded the following year because of the lack of110-octane gasoline in Somalia for thepiston-engined aircraft. The shortage of combat aircraft was reportedly being addressed by the planned delivery of thirty ChineseShenyang J-6 fighter-bombers, which began to arrive in the country in 1981.

TheLibrary of Congress Country Studies wrote in 1992–93 that: "..there [were] numerous unconfirmed reports of Somali-South African military cooperation. The relationship supposedly began on December 18, 1984, whenSouth African Foreign MinisterPik Botha visited Somalia to hold discussions with Barre. The two leaders reportedly signed a secretcommuniqué grantingSouth African Airways landing rights in Somalia and theSouth African Navy access to the ports ofKismayo andBerbera. It was said that Somalia also agreed to sell South Africa eight MiG-21 fighters. In exchange, South Africa supposedly arranged to ship spare parts and ammunition forHawker Hunter fighter aircraft that theUnited Arab Emirates had supplied to Somalia, and to cover the salaries of ten formerRhodesian Air Force pilots already in Somalia helping to train Somali pilots and technicians and flying combat missions in the north."^[14]

On 28 October 1985, a Somali MiG-21 crashed.^[15]

By 1987–88, the Somali armed forces were fragmenting, as were wider state structures, and multiple insurgencies were growing, leading the country into theSomali Civil War.^[16]

In response toSomali National Movement (predominantlyIssaq clan) attacks on the cities ofHargeisa andBurao, Barre responded by ordering indiscriminate "shelling andaerial bombardment of the major cities in the northwest and the systematic destruction of Isaaq dwellings, settlements and water points".^[17] To end what he saw as the "Isaaq problem", Barre's regime specifically targetedcivilian members of the clan,^[18] especially in Hargeisa and Burao.^[19][20] Atrocities his forces committed against the Isaaqs includedaerial strafing of fleeing refugees before they could reach the Ethiopian border.^[21]Genocide scholarAdam Jones said the following of Barre's campaign against the Isaaq:

In two months, from May to July 1988, between 50,000 and 100,000 people were massacred by the regime's forces. By then, any surviving urban Isaaks – that is to say, hundreds of thousands of members of the main northern clan community – had fled across the border into Ethiopia. They were pursued along the way by British-made fighter-bombers piloted by mercenary South African and ex-Rhodesian pilots, paid $2,000 per sortie.^[22]

Despite the government's continued refusal to grant foreigner access to the north to report on the situation,^[23]The New York Times reported that Isaaq refugees had been strafed:

Western diplomats here said they believed that the fighting in Somalia... was continuing unabated. More than 10,000 people were killed in the first month after the conflict began in late May, according to reports reaching diplomats here. The Somali Government has bombed towns and strafed fleeing residents and used artillery indiscriminately, according to the officials.^[24]

Metz et al. 1993 wrote that in 1990, "the SAF was organized into three fighter ground-attack squadrons equipped with J-6 and Hawker Hunter aircraft; three fighter squadrons equipped with MiG-21MF and MiG-17 aircraft; a counterinsurgency squadron equipped with SF-260W aircraft; a transport squadron equipped withAn-2,An-24,An-26,BN-2,C-212, andG-222 aircraft; and a helicopter squadron equipped withMi-4,Mi-8, and Agusta-Bell aircraft;" it was also equipped with a number of training aircraft.^[25] The IISSMilitary Balance for 1990–91 estimated that the Somali Air Force had 2,500 personnel and a total of 56 combat aircraft, listing four Hunters, 10 MiG-17s, 22 J-6s, eight MiG-21MFs, six SF-260Ws, and a singleHawker Hunter FR.76 reconnaissance aircraft (p. 117).

By the time President Barre fledMogadishu for his home region ofGedo in late January 1991, the country's air force had effectively ceased to exist amid theSomali Civil War. In 1993, eight MiG-21s (six MiG-21MFs and two MiG-21UMs), three MiG-15UTIs, one SF-260W and an unknown number of MiG-17 wrecks were seen at Mogadishu airport.^[26][27] Three Hawker Hunters (serial numbers 704, 705 and 711) were seen atBaidoa Airport byAustralian forces during theUNOSOM II intervention, but later removed.^[28]

During the decades since theSomali Civil War began, former members of the air force during Barre's regime kept in contact with each other. On 29 October 2012, 40 former senior Somali National Army and Air Force officers participated in a three-day workshop calledImproving Understanding and Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), organized by theAfrican Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) inDjibouti.^[29] In October 2014, Somali Air Force cadets underwent additional training in Turkey.^[30]

On 1 July 2015,Somali Defence MinisterAbdulkadir Sheikh Dini reopened the headquarters of the Somali Air Force in Afisone, Mogadishu, to help re-establish the air force after a quarter century of civil war.^[3]

As of 2017 the Somali air force was not operational and possessed no aircraft. It is composed of approximately 170 personnel: 40-50 officers, ranging from second lieutenant to colonel, and 120-130 non-commissioned officers and airmen. The Turkish Air Force delivered residential training to a group of young Somali air force personnel and with the intention to support further development of Somali aviation capabilities. The potential cumulative ten-year cost of redeveloping a Somali air arm was estimated to be $50 million.^[31]

On 6 March 2020, Somali Brigadier General Sheikh Ali met with Pakistani Air Chief MarshalMujahid Anwar Khan inIslamabad to discuss cooperation efforts andbilateral ties between the Somali Air Force andPakistani Air Force.^[32][33]

In July 2023, Somalia received twoBell 412s from Italy. The aircraft will perform a variety of roles including troop transport, medical evacuation, and SAR. The aircraft were delivered as part of a larger shipment of weapons to boost Somalia's counter-insurgency capabilities in its efforts againstAl-Shabaab.^[34]

Somali Air Force servicemen wore green flight suits withshoulderboards indicating their rank, along with a visored pilot mask and helmet when actively flying. The Air Force would traditionally wear a sky blue (in summer) or navy blue service shirt, navy blue trousers, beret or sidecap, shoulderboards and black boots.^[35] Dress uniforms consisted of a navy bluepeaked cap, blazer, trousers, black formal shoes and tie and sky blue shirt. Servicemen would wear ribbons on their left breast, as well as Air Force insignia.^[36]

The following table uses Nelson et al.'s 1981 Somali Air Force's aircraft estimates:

The SAF purchased twoPiaggio P.166-DL3 utility aircraft and two P.166-DL3/MAR maritime patrol aircraft in 1980.^[40]

An Air Defence Command – seemingly a fourth service – was formed by the late 1980s. In 1987, according to U.S.DIA records, it was 3,500 strong, headquartered inMogadishu, with sevenAA gun/SAM brigades and one radar brigade.^[41]Eight years later, the Somali Air Defence Force operated most of the surface-to-air missiles. As of 1 June 1989, the IISS estimated that Somali surface-to-air defence equipment included 40SA-2 Guideline missiles (operational status uncertain), 10SA-3 Goa, and 20SA-7 surface-to-air missiles.^[42]

Officers

Enlisted

• Somali Navy
• Somali Police Force
• Somali Custodial Corps

• Cooper, Tom (19 April 2015).Wings over Ogaden: The Ethiopian-Somali War (1978-1979). Africa @ War. Solihull: Helion.ISBN 978-1909982383.
• Metz, Helen (1993).Somalia: A Country Study(PDF) (Fourth ed.). Library of Congress. Retrieved12 July 2019. Research complete May 1992.
• Nelson, Harold (1982).Somalia: A Country Study(PDF) (Third ed.). Washington, D.C..: Foreign Area Studies, American University. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 4 October 2012. Research complete October 1981.
• Robinson, Colin D. (2016). "Revisiting the rise and fall of the Somali Armed Forces, 1960–2012".Defense & Security Analysis.32 (3):237–252.doi:10.1080/14751798.2016.1199122.S2CID 156874430.
• World Aircraft Information Files Brightstar publishing London File 338 sheet 4
• WorldAirForces.com,Historical Somali Aircraft

• Court Chick & Albert Grandolini, with Tom Cooper & Sander Peeters,Somalia, 1980-1996^[usurped], Air Combat Information Group, 2 September 2003.
• "/k/ Planes — /k/ Planes Episode 94: Cripple Fight!". Kplanes.tumblr.com. 26 February 2016. Retrieved23 May 2020.
• Somali Hunters
• Image of Somali Hunter
• Derelict Somali MiG, 1993
• ASN Aircraft accident Blackburn Beverley C.1 XL151 Aden – Beechcraft missing report 1960
• Siad's Fears: Replacement of Somali Air Force Commander change of air force chief, 1975