Eritrean Air Force: Difference between revisions

Eritrean Air Force
Eritrean Air Force
	Eritrean Air Force roundel
Active	1994–present
Country	State of Eritrea
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	45 aircraft
Headquarters	Asmara, Eritrea
Colors	Green, Blue, Yellow and Red
Commanders
Commander	Teklai Habteselassie
Insignia
Fin Flash
Aircraft flown
Attack	MB-339, Mi-24, Su-25
Fighter	MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-27
Trainer	M-290
Transport	An-12, Y-12, Mi-8

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Revision as of 06:14, 21 September 2017

The Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) is the official aerial warfare service branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces and is one of the three official uniformed military branches of the State of Eritrea.

History

The Eritrean Air Force was established shortly after Eritrean War of Independence in 1994. It was first established by Commander Habtezion Hadgu, who used to be an Ethiopian Air force pilot during the Mengistu regime, and later defected to the Eritrean People Liberation Front (EPLF) in the late 1980s. When the air force was established, Commander Hadgu called many officers who served in the Ethiopian Air force, including Col. Abrahan (Chief of Staff), Col. Melake, Col. Mesfin, Col. Dr. Efrem and some others, like Major Shekay who came from Lebanon^{[citation needed]}. His deputy was a veteran EPLF fighter, a Major General, Aka. Wedi Kahsay until he was sent to the northern zone as a commander of a regiment in the army. The director of Air Force Intelligence and Administration was also a veteran EPLF fighter, Col. Mussie Lebassi, a member of the 72nd intelligence unit of the EPLF, which was dissolved in 1994. Commander Habtezion and Col. Mussie were later suspended form the air force. Eventually, the air force was taken over by Major General Teklay Habteselasie who is also the commander of the Sawa military training camp.

The make-up of the original force was composed of aircraft that were abandoned by the defeated Ethiopian armed forces. The Eritrean Air Force is a smaller branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces. Several MiG-21s which were taken from the Ethiopian Air Force are believed to be no longer in service. The main airbase is Asmara AP, which is a combined civil/military base. Serials are sometimes, but not always, worn with 'ERAF' in front of the digits.

The air force has experienced a number of notable defections in recent years. In 2012 two high ranking officers flew the air force's only luxury airplane out of the country to Saudi Arabia and sought asylum.^[1] In 2016 two pilots defected with two Eritrean Airforce jets to Ethiopia.^[2]

1998–2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian War

Expansion of the Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) did not occur until the Eritrean-Ethiopian War in which the two air forces fought for superiority. In a sort of arms race Eritrea responded to Ethiopia's purchase of Su-27s with a purchase of MiG-29s.^[3]^[4] In 2000 the ERAF bought eight Su-25s from Georgia, and six more MiG-29s from Moldova. In 2003 Eritrea also acquired several Su-27s.^[5] The Eritrean Air force trained and grew enormously in a short period and was able to challenge the Ethiopian army in the 1998 border conflict. Commander Habtezion, along with young Air Force pilots, retaliated in short time after the Ethiopian Air force, lead by popular pilot General Bezabh Petros - in captivity during the liberation war and recaptured again in the 1998 war - bombed Asmara.

Organization

Eritrean Air Force airbases

The Commander of the Eritrean Air Force is Major General Teklai Habteselassie. The official headquarters of the Eritrean Air Force is located in Asmara, Eritrea.^[6]

Aircraft

Current inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat Aircraft
Mikoyan MiG-29	Russia	multirole		5^[7]
Sukhoi Su-27	Russia	multirole		2^[7]
Transport
Super King Air	United States	utility	200	1^[7]
Harbin Y-12	China	transport		4^[7]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-17	Russia	utility/transport		6^[7]
Mil Mi-24	Russia	attack	Mi-24/35	6^[7]
Bell 412	United States	utility		1^[7]
Trainer Aircraft
Aermacchi MB-339	Italy	jet trainer		6^[7]
Aermacchi M-290	Italy/Finland	basic trainer		8^[7]	co-produced with Valmet

References

^ Rosen, Armin. "Why Two Eritrean Pilots Went Rogue and Stole Their President's Plane". The Atlantic. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
^ "2 Eritrean pilots defect to Ethiopia with jets, group says". News24. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
^ "Eritrean Republic Air Force Overview". Scramble. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Habte-Giorgis, Berhe (19 March 1999). "[DEHAI] capturing a helicopter". Dehai. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' – Operator List". Retrieved 9 March 2007.
^ "Eritrea Aircraft". Retrieved 8 June 2006. ^{[dead link]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "World Air Forces 2015 pg. 15". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 ==1998–2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian War==
-Expansion of the Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) did not occur until the [[Eritrean-Ethiopian War]] in which the two air forces fought for superiority. In a sort of [[arms race]] Eritrea responded to Ethiopia's purchase of [[Su-27]]s with a purchase of [[MiG-29]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scramble.nl/er.htm|title=Eritrean Republic Air Force Overview |publisher=[[Scramble (magazine)|Scramble]]|accessdate=2007-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Habte-Giorgis|first=Berhe|url=http://www.ephrem.org/dehai_archive/1999/m8117.html|title=[DEHAI] capturing a helicopter
+Expansion of the Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) did not occur until the [[Eritrean-Ethiopian War]] in which the two air forces fought for superiority. In a sort of [[arms race]] Eritrea responded to Ethiopia's purchase of [[Su-27]]s with a purchase of [[MiG-29]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scramble.nl/er.htm|title=Eritrean Republic Air Force Overview|publisher=[[Scramble (magazine)|Scramble]]|accessdate=2007-03-09|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307143150/http://www.scramble.nl/er.htm|archivedate=7 March 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Habte-Giorgis|first=Berhe|url=http://www.ephrem.org/dehai_archive/1999/m8117.html|title=[DEHAI] capturing a helicopter|accessdate=19 May 2012|newspaper=Dehai|date=19 Mar 1999|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102014847/http://www.ephrem.org/dehai_archive/1999/m8117.html|archivedate=2 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2000 the ERAF bought eight Su-25s from Georgia, and six more MiG-29s from Moldova. In 2003 Eritrea also acquired several Su-27s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-27/su-27_ops.htm|title=Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' – Operator List|accessdate=2007-03-09}}</ref>
-|accessdate=19 May 2012|newspaper=Dehai|date=19 Mar 1999}}</ref> In 2000 the ERAF bought eight Su-25s from Georgia, and six more MiG-29s from Moldova. In 2003 Eritrea also acquired several Su-27s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-27/su-27_ops.htm|title=Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' – Operator List|accessdate=2007-03-09}}</ref>
 The Eritrean Air force trained and grew enormously in a short period and was able to challenge the Ethiopian army in the 1998 border conflict. Commander Habtezion, along with young Air Force pilots, retaliated in short time after the Ethiopian Air force, lead by popular pilot General Bezabh Petros - in captivity during the liberation war and recaptured again in the 1998 war - bombed Asmara.