Rwandan Air Force
| Rwandan Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Force Aérienne Rwandaise | |
| Founded | 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 |
The Rwandan Air Force (French: Force aérienne rwandaise) is the air branch of the Rwandan Defence Forces.
History
[edit]After achieving independence in 1962, the Air Force was formed with the aid of Belgium, the initial aircraft consisted of three ex-French Air Force CM.170 Magisters, which operated in a counterinsurgency role along with a Britten-Norman Islander. Other deliveries included SA 342L Gazelles, Nord Noratlas, SOCATA Guerrier, and C-47 Skytrains. After fighting began between the RPA and the government in 1990 most aircraft were 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] | ||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | utility | 342 | 3[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. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
- ^ "World Air Forces1983 pg. 366". flightglobal.com. 6 August 1983. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Oryx. "An International Export Success: Global Demand For Bayraktar Drones Reaches All Time High". Oryx. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air 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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