Ghana Air Force
Ghana Armed Forces emblem
Founded	29 July 1959; 66 years ago (1959-07-29)
Country	Ghana
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	18 aircraft[1]
Part of	Ghana Armed Forces
Headquarters	Burma Camp
Colours
Engagements	First Liberian Civil War[2][3] Second Ivorian Civil War[4][5][6] Mali War[7][8]
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
Patrol	Diamond DA42 Twin Star
Trainer	Hongdu K-8 Karakorum
Transport	EADS CASA C-295

TheGhana Air Force (GHF) is theaerial warfare organizationalmilitary branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The GHF, along with theGhanaian army (GA) andGhanaian navy (GN), make up theGhanaian Armed Forces (GAF), which are controlled by theGhanaian Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The GHF (Ghana Air Force) started on 24 July 1959 as aFlying Training School with Israeli instructors and technicians, under the command of Lt. Col. Adam Shatkay of the IAF (Israeli Air Force). The School was established as a cradle of a service to complement the Army and the Navy. Later that year a headquarters was established inAccra under the command of IndianAir commodoreK. Jaswant-Singh who was appointed as the first Chief of Air Staff (CAS).^[9] In 1960Royal Air Force personnel took up the task of training the newly establishedGhana Air Force and in 1961 they were joined by a small group ofRoyal Canadian Air Force personnel. In September 1961 as part of PresidentKwame Nkrumah'sAfricanization program, a Ghanaian CAS was appointed, with the first beingJ.E.S. de Graft-Hayford, born in the U.K. of Ghanaian descent.

The Ghana Air Force was in the beginning equipped with a squadron ofChipmunk trainers, and squadrons ofBeavers,Otters andCaribou transport aircraft. In addition a DH125 jet was bought for Kwame Nkrumah, Hughes helicopters were bought for mosquito spraying plus DH Doves and Herons. British-madeWestland Whirlwind helicopters and a squadron of Italian-madeMB-326 ground attack/trainer jets were also purchased.

In 1962 the nationalSchool of Gliding was set up byHanna Reitsch, who was onceAdolf Hitler's top personal pilot. Under the command of Air Commodore de Graft-Hayford, she served as director, operations instructor and trainer of the school. She also acted as the personal pilot of Kwame Nkrumah from 1962 to 1966.

Current day, the air force has been advancing evacuation capabilities in Ghana through the US-Ghanaian partnership.^[10]

The GHF headquarters is located atBurma Camp and the main transport airfield is theAir Force Base Accra, which shares the same runway with theKotoka International Airport. Other GHF airfields include:

• Air Force BaseTamale, which shares its runway with theTamale Airport.
• GHF Air Force Station Sekondi-Takoradi started as RAF Station Takoradi, then became Ghana Air Force Station Sekondi-Takoradi on 1 March 1961. The Chipmunk Basic Trainer Aircraft was the first aircraft used at the Station with an all Rank Air Force Station.
• GHF Air Force stationAccra came into being soon after the Royal Air Force (RAF) had taken over the administration from the Indian and Israeli Air Force officers at the beginning of 1961. The station was housed at No 3 hangar at the Accra Airport (Kotoka International Airport) with hardly any aircraft. The Unit had four main sub-units, i.e. the Administration Wing, Flying Wing, Technical Wing and Equipment Wing. The School of Technical Training was also located at this station. The Station moved from No 3 hangar to its present location in Burma Camp towards the end of 1965.^[9]

The role of the Ghana Air Force, as defined in the National Defence Policy, is to provide "Air Transport and Offensive Air Support to the Ghana Armed Forces and to protect the territorial air space of Ghana". The National Defense Policy states certain specific tasks which the Ghana Air Force is expected to perform:

• To maintain Fighter Ground Attack capability and provide Close Air Support during operation.
• To provide transport support to the Ghana Armed Forces.
• To provide surveillance over the air space of Ghana and over theExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• To provide liaison and recce flight capability.
• To provide VIP flight capability.
• To provide transport support for civilians as government directs.
• To providemedical evacuation and air rescue assistance.

The Ghana Air Force is also responsible for the co-ordination and direction ofSearch and Rescue (SAR) within the Accra Flight Information Region.^[9]

In 2024 aFokker F27 Friendship with Ghana Air Force fin flash can be seen atAccra Air Base.^[13]

Ghana Air Force has consideredEmbraer EMB 314, aCOIN orlight attack aircraft fromBrazil. At one time, around 2015, 5 were on order^[14] but the deal did not close and no aircraft were acquired by Ghana.^[13] As of 2024, EMB 314 was still under consideration of being acquired by Ghana Air Force but no deal has been made.^[13]

The Ghana Air Force has also considered acquiringAero L-39NGjet trainer (orlight combat aircraft) fromCzech Republic. 6 were on order in 2021^[15] but in 2024 the acquisition was described as stalled.^[16]

Previous notable aircraft operated were theAermacchi MB-339,MB-326,DHC-4 Caribou,Fokker F27 Friendship,de Havilland Heron,Short Skyvan,BN-2 Islander,Beagle Husky,DHC-3 Otter,DHC-2 Beaver,Cessna 172,Bell 212,Westland Wessex,Aérospatiale Alouette III,Mil Mi-2,Scottish Aviation Bulldog,DHC-1 Chipmunk,L-29 Delfín,HAL HT-2 and theAero L-39ZO.^[17][18]

The senior appointment in the GHF is the Chief of Air Staff. The following is a list of the Ghana Air Force Chiefs of Air Staff:^[19]

The GHF's rank structure is similar to theRAF's rank structure from where its ranks were derived.

Commissioned officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Ghana Air Force[25] v t e
			Air chief marshal		Air marshal		Air vice-marshal		Air commodore		Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader		Flight lieutenant		Flying officer			Pilot officer

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Ghana Air Force[25] v t e																																			No insignia
	Warrant officer class I						Warrant officer class II		Flight sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal						Leading aircraftsman						Aircraftsman

• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 338 Sheet 03
• Veep Commissions CASA -C295 Aircraft Into Armed Forces Service.Ghanaian Times.newtimes.com.gh.
• Defence Equipment & TechnologyArchived 26 January 2013 atarchive.today.janes.com.

• Media related toGhana Air Force at Wikimedia Commons

• Military units and formations established in 1959
• Military of Ghana
• Air forces by country
• Aviation in Ghana
• Military aviation in Africa
• 1959 establishments in Ghana

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