| Somali Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Ciidanka Cirka Soomaaliyeed القوات الجوية الصومالية | |
| Founded | 1960; 66 years ago (1960) |
| Country | Somalia |
| Part of | Somali Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Afsione, Mogadishu |
| Mottos | Somali:Isku Tiirsada "Lean Together" |
| Ensign | |
| Engagements | |
| 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 | .svg) |
| Flag of the Air Force |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | T129 ATAK ,Akıncı ,Bayraktar TB2 |
TheSomali Air Force (SAF;Somali:Ciidanka 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.[3] At one point, the Somali Air Force had the strongest airstrike capability in theHorn of Africa.[4] But by the timePresident Siad Barre fledMogadishu in 1991, it had completely collapsed. The SAF headquarters was technically reopened in 2015[5] and from 2023 new helicopters arrived. It is now carrying out operations againstAl-Shabaab, mostly supporting ground forces.[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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] The Aeronautical Corps was officially renamed the Somali Air Force in December 1960.[10] 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.[10]
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.[11] 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.[12]
The roles of the Air Force in the late 1970s included aerial warfare and air defence.[13][14][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.[14] 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,[15] 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.[16] Six Italian single-engineSIAI-Marchetti SF.260W 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."[17]
On 28 October 1985, a Somali MiG-21 crashed.[18]
An Air Defence Command – seemingly a fourth service – was formed by the late 1980s. In 1987, according to U.S.Defense Intelligence Agency records, it was 3,500 strong, headquartered inMogadishu, with sevenanti-aircraft gun/surface-to-air missile brigades and one radar brigade.[19]Eight years later, theSomali 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 40S-75 Dvina (SA-2 "Guideline") missiles (operational status uncertain), 10SA-3 Goa, and 20SA-7 surface-to-air missiles.[20]
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.[21]
In response to the (predominantlyIsaaq)Somali National Movement 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".[22] To end what he saw as the "Isaaq problem", Barre's regime specifically targetedcivilian of the clan,[23] especially in Hargeisa and Burao.[24][25] The Somali Armed Forces aeriallystrafed fleeing refugees before they could reach the Ethiopian border.[26]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.[27]
Despite the government's continued refusal to grant foreigner access to the north to report on the situation,[28]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.[29]
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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, andAeritalia G.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.[30] 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.[31][32] Three Hawker Hunters (serial numbers 704, 705 and 711) were seen atBaidoa Airport byAustralian forces during theUNOSOM II intervention, but later removed.[33]
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 inDjibouti.[34] In October 2014, Somali Air Force cadets underwent additional training in Turkey.[35]
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.[5]
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.[36]
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.[37][38]
In December 2021, a batch of TurkishBayraktar TB2 drones were rumored to have been delivered and videos of them flying over Mogadishu started to surface online.[39][40]
In September 2022, the Minister of InteriorAhmed Moalim Fiqi confirmed that Bayraktar TB2 drones were being used againstAl-Shabab.[41][42] In October 2022, the yearly Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts on Somalia wrote that :
"The Panel sent letters to Türkiye and the Federal Government of Somalia requesting clarification on this matter as well as information on the nature of cargo delivered by the two A400M without notification to the Security Council Committee on Somalia, but has not yet received a reply from Somalia. Türkiye informed the Panel that it has not delivered any type of unmanned combat aerial vehicles to the Somali authorities and that the systems in question are assigned to be used by Türkiye in the fight against terrorism in Somalia. ..the Panel considers that the delivery of these systems to Somalia is not compliant with the arms embargo. The Panel noted that Türkiye has never publicly reported on any airstrikes in Somalia"[43]
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 was delivered as part of a larger shipment of weapons to boost Somalia's counter-insurgency capabilities in its efforts againstAl-Shabaab.[44]
In December 2023, the Somali military began constructing an airbase in Wargaadhi, located in the Middle Shabelle region. The project was confirmed during an official visit by the Chief of the Somali National Army, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyiddin, who inspected the site alongside regional commanders.[45]
According to The Somali Digest, the airstrip is intended to strengthen military logistics and enhance mobility in the central regions, contributing to the broader goals of modernizing Somalia’s security infrastructure. Though initiated under the Somali National Army, the facility is widely expected to be incorporated into the Somali Air Force's operational network as its capabilities continue to expand, particularly to support aerial operations against terrorist groups in central Somalia.[46][47]
Both Somali National Television (SNTV) and Somali National Army Radio reported that the airbase is intended to assist Somali Air Force operations supporting the Somali National Army and is part of ongoing efforts to expand the Air Force’s presence beyond its current base in Mogadishu.[48][49]
Following the announcement of the Wargaadhi airbase, Egypt delivered anti-aircraft weapons to Somalia twice in 2024 under a bilateral security agreement. The equipment, delivered by Egyptian warships and aircraft, was intended to enhance Somalia’s air defense capabilities.[50][51][52][53]
Alongside ongoing training programs with Turkey and Pakistan, some Somali Air Force personnel have reportedly been present in Eritrea. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has visited the Eritrean Air Force headquarters in Asmara on multiple occasions, including in 2022 and again in July 2024. During these visits, Somali trainees were seen at the facility, with the earlier trip suggesting that training activities may have begun well before 2024. Although official details remain scarce, videos and photos circulating online show individuals in Somali uniforms working around Eritrean Air Force aircraft, including Mi-24 helicopters, fixed-wing trainers, Su-25 aircraft and MiG-29 fighters which Eritrea operates. These observations suggest a focus on maintenance and technical training, highlighting Somalia’s efforts to rebuild its air capabilities through regional partnerships.[54][55][56]
In late 2024 the United Nations Panel of Experts reported the arrival of five Bell 412EPX helicopters (the same aircraft that may be misidentified AB.205s) and said "However, sustaining this aerial capacity will remain challenging, given the high maintenance costs of the helicopters and the limited financial resources of Somalia."[57] They said the aircraft were maintained by Somali and Turkish ground crews.
In March 2025, threeTAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK helicopters and a number ofBaykar Bayraktar Akıncı drones were delivered by Turkey.[58][59]
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There have been repeated reports that Bell utility helicopters have entered military service with Somalia. Some helicopters with Somali Air Force markings remain registered as civilian aircraft, including 6O-AAG (an Agusta-Bell 412) and 6O-AAH (an Agusta-Bell 412SP). These helicopters entered service with Gamtecs Aviation Academy in Mogadishu, that provides flight training to both military and civilian personnel. They are reported to be exclusively used for military tasks, including combat missions.[citation needed] Flight training on civilian aircraft takes place separately on Cessna 172s and is also limited to government personnel, not the general public.[60][61][62][63][64] In May 2025 there were reports that the helicopters operated by Gamtecs Aviation Academy, while registered as civilian aircraft, had been rented out in private charters to "military officials and personnel from other security sectors" at US $5-8,000 a flight.[65]
In addition to the two civil-registered Bell 412s, at least four Bell 412EPX helicopters have been verified in Somali Air Force service, with evidence of active deployment and SAF markings. A UN panel report lists five Bell 412EPX helicopters delivered to Somalia. According to defense sources, Somalia paid approximately $16 million for the acquisition.[66][67][68] The widely reported delivery of four Bell 412 helicopters from Italy in August 2024 has been questioned by one source claiming they were AB.205 helicopters. However, most independent and reliable reports confirm these helicopters were indeed Bell 412EPX models.[69][70][71][72]
In early June 2025, Turkey delivered three other T129 ATAK helicopters, the package also comprised two unnamed utility helicopters for theSomali Navy.[73] The delivery follows a phone call between Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan and Somali PresidentHassan Sheikh Mohamud, during which Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to supporting Somalia's counter-terrorism operations.[74]
Later in June 2025, the newly delivered T129 ATAK helicopters underwent a series of test flights at the Turksom military facility in Mogadishu. These test flights were conducted by Somali pilots trained in Turkey. Turkish advisors supervised the process to ensure operational readiness and systems integration.[75] However,Middle East Eye had been told by a Somali source in late May 2025 that "Somali pilots were still in training in Turkey [though] their training would be completed in the next two months, potentially allowing Somali army to fly helicopters later this year."[76]
Shortly after completing their test flights, the T129 ATAK helicopters flew combat missions against al-Shabaab.[77]
Turkish-built drones have conducted several drone strikes against al-Shabaab militants. On March 21, NISA announced that airstrikes in Lower Shabelle had killed 82 insurgents.[78] Later, on May 21, security sources who requested annonymity claimed that further strikes had targeted al-Shabaab training camps and weapons depots in Middle Jubba and Lower Shabelle, killing at least 29 commanders and damaging militant infrastructure.[79][80]
In September 2025, a Somali reporter writing forForeign Policy recorded the Turkish drone strike process as:[81]
Turkey is waging a drone war against al-Shabab in Somalia from a joint command with Somalia’s intelligence agency. (The United States and United Arab Emirates are also involved in Somalia’s drone operations.) It carries out drone strikes at the behest of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), with Somalia’s NISA feeding Turkey intelligence on targets, and Turkey then carrying out the strikes. According to two senior Mogadishu-based Somali intelligence officials, the strike on Quracley followed this process. (Officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t cleared to speak with the press.)
This description supports the likelihood that "Somali Air Force" participation in the operation of drones is minimal.
In early 2026, reports emerged that Somalia was in advanced talks with Pakistan to acquire 24JF‑17 Thunder Block III fighter jets as part of efforts to modernize its air force.[82] According to the reports, the discussions followed a visit by a Somali delegation to Pakistan led by the commander of the Somali Air Force, Mohamud Sheikh Ali, and, if finalized, the deal would represent the largest defense acquisition by Somalia since the collapse of its central government in 1991.[83][84][85][86]
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.[87] 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.[88]
Aircraft reportedly delivered to the Somali Armed Forces include those listed below. In addition, Bell 412s have been pictured in Somali Air Force markings.
Multiple reliable sources explicitly identify the Somali Air Force as the operator of the aircraft listed, including Bayraktar Akıncı UCAVs,[89] and T129 ATAK attack helicopters.[90][91]
| Aircraft | Variant | Type | Country of Manufacture | Inventory | Notes / Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | |||||
| Bell 205 | Helicopter |  USA | 4 | [92] | |
| Bell 412 | 412, 412SP, 412EPX | Helicopter | USA / Canada | 7 | [92][44][68][57] |
| TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK | Phase II | Attack helicopter |  Turkey | 6 | Delivered in March and June 2025.[93][94][95] |
| Aircraft | Variant | Type | Country of Manufacture | Inventory | Notes / Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAVs | |||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | — | Tactical UCAV / MALE drone | Turkey | 5 (estimated) | Delivered December 2021, operated by Somali forces.[96][41][42] |
| Bayraktar Akinci | — | Advanced UCAV / MALE drone | Turkey | 2 | Delivered March 2025.[97] |
The following table uses Nelson et al.'s 1981 Somali Air Force's aircraft estimates:
| Aircraft | Type | Country of Manufacture | Inventory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||
| MiG-17/F "Fresco" | Fighter-bomber |  Soviet Union | 54 (MiG-17×27, MiG-17F×27)[98] | |
| MiG-21MF "Fishbed J" | Interceptor | 33[18] or 29 | ||
| F-6C | Fighter |  China | 30 | |
| Aermacchi SF.260W | Light attack |  Italy | 6 | |
| Hawker Hunter FGA.76 | Attack /Reconnaissance |  United Kingdom | 9 (post-war estimatation) | |
| Transport aircraft | ||||
| Antonov An-2 "Colt" | Transport | Soviet Union | 3 | |
| An-24/-26 | Transport | |||
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain | Transport | United States | ||
| C-45 | Light transport | 1 | ||
| Aeritalia G.222 | Transport | Italy | 4 | |
| Helicopters | ||||
| Mil Mi-4 "Hound" | Utility | Soviet Union | 4 | |
| Mil Mi-8 "Hip" | Utility | 8 | ||
| AB-204 | Utility | United States / Italy | 1 | |
| AB-212 | 4 | |||
| Trainers | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI "Fagot" | Jet trainer | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 |
| MiG-21US Mongol B | Jet trainer | 20 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-11 "Moose" | Trainer | Soviet Union | ||
| Piaggio P.148 | Primary trainer | Italy | 6 | |
| SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019 | Training, observation, and light attack aircraft | |||
The SAF purchased twoPiaggio P.166-DL3 utility aircraft and two P.166-DL3/MAR maritime patrol aircraft in 1980.[99]
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Somali Air Force[100] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Sareeye guud | Sareeye gaas | Sareeye guuto | Gashaanle sare | Gashaanle dhexe | Gashaanle | Dhamme | Laba xídígle | Xídígle | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somali Air Force[100] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Musharax sarkaal | Sadex xarígle | Laba xarígle | Xarígle | Sadex alífle | Laba alífle | Alífle | Dable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ministries | |
|---|---|
| Somali Armed Forces |
|
| Commanders | |
| Personnel | |
