| Haitian Aviation Corps | |
|---|---|
| Corps d'Aviation Militaire d'Haiti (French) Kò Aviyasyon Militè Ayiti (Haitian Creole) | |
| Founded | 1942–1995 2017–present |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Branch | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare,Aerial Reconnaissance,Surveillance |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Haiti |
| Primary Garrison | Military Aviation Base Clercine,Port-au-Prince,Haiti |
| Mottos | Vigilate Supra, Vigilate Infracode: lat promoted to code: la (Veye Anwo, Veye Anba) 'Keep Watch Above and Below' |
| Mascots | Ridgway's hawk 'Ti malfini savann' |
| Anniversaries | September 20 |
| Engagements | Battle of the Caribbean |
| Commanders | |
| President | Transitional Presidential Council |
| Minister of Defense | Jean Michel Moïse |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces |  Lt.Gen.Derby Guerrier (acting) |
| Commander of the Military Aviation Corps | Col. Brierre Mars |
| Notable commanders | Col. Edouard Roy 2nd. Lt. Raymond Cassagnol Lt. Col. Gustave Silva Col. Serge Bourdeau |
| Insignia | |
| Roundels (1942–1964) | .svg) |
| Roundel (1964–1986) | .svg) |
| Roundel (1986–1994) | .svg) |
TheHaitian MilitaryAviation Corps (French:Corps d'Aviation Militaire) is theair force component of theArmed Forces of Haiti. The air corps was disbanded along with the rest of the armed forces afterOperation Uphold Democracy, the U.S. invasion of 1994.
Since the remobilization of the Armed Forces in 2017, the ranks are slowly being filled, and it has reclaimed its maingarrison at the Military Aviation base in Clercine (nearToussaint Louverture International Airport)
The formerly named Haitian Air Corps was founded in 1942 with aircraft supplied by the US.[1] The main task for this new air force was to patrol Haitian territory, transport and communication.[1] Its first commander was Colonel Edward Roy. The Haitian Air Corps was headquartered atBowen Field which was a formerU.S. Marine Corps airfield.[1]Môle-Saint-Nicolas Airport was a secondary airfield. DuringWorld War II, the Haitian Air Corps was engaged in the Caribbean anti submarine warfare campaign against theGerman Navy.[2] In 1950 the Haitian Air Corps received its first combat aircraft: six F-51D Mustangs which were active during the Duvalier period. In October 1970 the Mustangs were replaced by T-28 Trojans from France. The T-28s were then replaced by O-2As in 1975. In the 1980s the Haitian Air Corps received its first jet aircraft: the SIAI-Machetti S-211 and these were accompanied by SF-260s to replace the O-2s which were sold for parts. In 1990 the SIAI-Machetti S-211s were sold, 2 were sold to United States private companies and the other two were sold to the Singapore Air Force.[3] During Operation Uphold Democracy, the Haitian Air Corps played almost no role in Haitian defence, the Haitian inventory at the time included: TwoO-57 Grasshopper scout planes, ThreeBT-13 Valiant trainer planes, OneC-78 Bobcat transport plane, and oneC-46 Commando transport plane.[4] Almost all of the inventory at the time of the invasion dated back to World War II and was in very poor condition at the time, the air corps was disbanded along with the rest of the armed forces in 1994.
At the time of disbandment of the Haitian Air Corps composed of:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liaison | |||||
| Taylorcraft O-57 Grasshopper | United States | Liaison | 2[4] | ||
| Transport | |||||
| Cessna C-78 Bobcat | United States | Light transport | 1[4] | ||
| Curtiss C-46 Commando | United States | Heavy transport | 1[4] | ||
| Trainer | |||||
| Vultee BT-13 Valiant | United States | Trainer | 3[4] | In service since 1940s | |
Many of Haiti's air force aircraft were donated second hand from the United States and France:
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In 2021, talks were held between Dr. Louis Marie Montfort Saintil, the Ambassador of Haiti inSpain, andColonel Carlos Sanchez Bas of theSpanish Air and Space Force in the objectives of exploring avenues of cooperation, more precisely in the field of reorganization and modernization of theAeronautical Corpsof theArmed Forces of Haiti.[5]
TheArgentine Air Force has been providing technical assistance to the FAD'H via theEscuela de Aviación Militar, where 2 Haitian cadets are currently in attendance.[6] On 16 March 2023, Ambassador Vilbert Bélizaire andBrigadier General Xavier Isaac signed a cooperation protocol between theArmed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the Armed Force of Haiti, formalizing a program of training and technical assistance from the Escuela de Aviacion to the FAD'H.[7]
In an interview withLe Nouvelliste on December 23, 2024, Mexican Chargé d'Affaires to Haiti, Mr. Jésus Cisneros, stated that Mexico would be providing pilot training to a select group of Haitian servicemen.[8]
After his second visit to Haiti, Colombian President announced that his country would be training 250 recruits for the aviation corps.[9] The recruits are anticipated to travel toColombia later this year to train with theColombian Aerospace Force.
On Taiwan's National holiday event, Taiwanese ambassador to Haiti, Mr. Cheng-Hao Hu stated that Taiwan would be helping with the Haitian military's aerial transport capacities.
The main garrison of the Aviation Corps is theMilitary Aviation Base (Base de l'Aviation Militaire) in Clercine, Port-au-Prince (next door to Toussaint Louverture International Airport). It previously housed aChilean Air Force battalion of theMINUSTAH.
| Rank group | General/Flag/Air officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haitian Aviation Corps |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant général | Major général | Général de brigade | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||
| Lyetnan jeneral | Majò jeneral | Jeneral brigad | Kolonèl | Lyetnan kolonèl | Majò | Kapitèn | Lyetnan | Soulyetnan | ||||||||||||||||
There are no aircraft currently in the inventory of the Aviation Corps. After a meeting between PresidentsLeslie Voltaire (coordinator of theTransitional Presidential Council at the time) andEmmanuel Macron, a press release informed that France would evaluate the aerial needs of Haitian security forces.
On October 15, 2025, Defense minister Jean-Michel Moïse announced that aerial vehicles were on the way to reinforce the Aviation Corps.[10]