Kenya Air Force
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| Kenya Air Force | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Founded | 1 June 1964 |
| Country | Kenya |
| Part of | Kenyan Armed Forces |
| Commanders | |
| Air Force commander | Major General Harold M Tangai |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the national Air force of Kenya. Due to lack of combat it largely provides relief services.
The main air base hosting fighters is the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is another major airport used by the Kenya Air Force.
Contents |
[edit] Fleet
Until the recent purchase of Chinese Y-12 planes, all of the aircraft were provided by Western countries as military aid. The fleet consists of:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[1][2] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma |  France
 Romania |
transport helicopter | SA 330G | 12 | Since 1977, 9 built by IAR |
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France |
helicopter | SA 342 | 1 | Since 1979 |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo |  Canada |
tactical transport | DHC-5D | 7 | Since 1977 |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 | Canada |
transport | DHC-8 | 3 | Since 1990 |
| Fokker 70 |  Netherlands |
tactical transport | F70 | 1 | |
| Harbin Y-12 |  China |
utility transport | Y-12 | 12 | Since 1999 |
| MD Helicopters MD 500 |  United States |
utility helicopter
scout helicopter attack helicopter |
MD 500M
MD 500MD MD 500MD/TOW |
10
15 15 |
Since 1979 |
| Northrop F-5 Tiger II | United States |
fighter
trainer |
F-5E
F-5F |
18
4 |
Since 1978 |
| Piper PA-31 Navajo | United States |
light trainer | - | 10 | |
| Scottish Aviation Bulldog |  United Kingdom |
trainer | Bulldog 103
Bulldog 127 |
3
2 |
Since 1972, 5 built
9 built |
| Shorts Tucano | United Kingdom |
trainer | Tucano | 11 | Since 1990 |
The anti aircraft equipment includes Mistral anti aircraft missiles and 25, 35 and 40mm cannons all under optoelectronic control.
In addition to the Air Force, the police air wing operates 11 aircraft.
Former fleet:
- BAC 167 Strikemaster fighters (in operation since 1971) (sold to Botswana 1993-94)
- BAE Hawk 52 (in operation since 1980, 8 or more built)
- Hawker Hunter fighters (bought from RAF, in operation 1974-79)
- De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk trainers (in operation 1964-74)
- De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver bush planes (in operation 1964-83)
- De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou transport (in operation 1966-87)
- Dornier Do 28D utility, (in operation since 1977, 4 or more built)
[edit] History
Kenya Air Force was formed on 1 June 1964, soon after independence, with the assistance of United Kingdom.
From 1979-1982 President Daniel arap Moi used Air Force F-5 fighter jets to escort his flights in and out of country, while there was no threat justifying such waste of fuel.[3]
After a failed coup by a group of Air Force officers on August 1, 1982, the Air Force was disbanded. Air Force activity was reconstituted and placed under tighter army control as '82 Air Force. The Air force regained its independent status in 1994. Currently it is a professional force with F-5 upgrade and procurement underway (10 F-5E, 2 F-5F, and 3 F-5EM from Jordan[4]).
On April 10, 2006 an Harbin Y-12 plane owned by Kenya Air Force crashed near Marsabit. The plane was carrying several local and national politicians. It had 17 on board, of which 14 died. Bonaya Godana, a former minister was among the casualties. The pilot in command was Major David Njoroge.
[edit] Commanders
The following officers have been in command of the Kenya Air Force:[5]
- 12 December 1964 Group Captain I S Stockwell CBE DFC RAF[6]
- 22 February 1967 Group Captain F Rothwell DFC TD RAF
- 9 August 1971 Group Captain David John Edwards CBE AFC RAF[7]
- 17 April 1973 Colonel Dedan Gichuru
- 27 June 1980 Major General P M Kariuki
- 1982 Major General Mohamoud Mohamed (as commander of the 82 Air Force)
- 27 February 1986 Major General Dedan N Gichuru (as commander of the 82 Air Force)
- 10 May 1989 Major General D K Wachira
- 28 June 1994 Major General N L Leshan
- 1 December 2000 Major General S K Muttai
- 27 November 2003 Major General J W Karangi
- 10 August 2005 Major General Harold M Tangai
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
- ^ MilAviaPress: Order of Battle - Kenya (Updated May 2009)
- ^ http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/826850/-/view/DEFAULT/-/9o7xgf/-/index.html
- ^ http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1143989992&cid=159&j=2008&m=7&d=12
- ^ http://www.mod.go.ke/Kafsite/history2.htm
- ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Stockwell.htm
- ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Edwards_DJ.htm
[edit] External links
- The EastAfrican, June 19, 2006: Kenyatta, Kissinger and the fighter jets
- http://www.worldairforces.com/Countries/kenya/ken.html
- http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ke%5Eaf.html
- http://aviation-safety.net/database/operator/airline.php?var=5882
[edit] External links
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