Gabonese Air Force
| Gabonese Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Armée de l'air gabonaise | |
| Active | January 25, 1972 - Present |
| Country |  Gabon |
| Type | Air Force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 1,500 |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Gabon |
| Headquarters | Libreville |
| Anniversaries | January 25 |
| Commanders | |
| Commander in Chief | President Ali Bongo Ondimba |
| Commander of the Air Force | General Jean Martin |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Fin flash |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Dassault Mirage F1 |
The Gabonese Air Force (Template:Lang-fr) is the official aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of Gabon.
History
In the early 1960s, following the country's independence from the French Republic, aerial detachments were inside the country, with the first official aerial installation being the Mouila Training Center which was established in 1966 in the south-west of the country. On January 25, 1972, by presidential decree signed by President Omar Bongo, the Gabonese Air Force became an official branch of the armed forces, separate from the army. In January 1980, at the initiative of President Bongo, the Air Force developed and adopted a combat structure, acquiring a fleet of fighters, and creating the Mvengue Air Base in the capital.[1][2]
Order of battle
- Fighter Squadron 1-02 Leyou at BA02 Franceville with:
- Mirage F-1AZ
- MB-326M Impala I
- Heavy Transport Squadron at BA01 Libreville with:
- C-130 Hercules
- CN-235
- Ministerial Air Liaison Group (Groupe de Liaison Aérien Ministériel or GLAM) at BA01 Libreville with:
- 1 Falcon-900EX
- 1 Gulfstream-III
Current aircraft inventory
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| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service[3] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | |||||
| Mirage F1 |  France
|
fighter | 6[4] | ||
| Transport | |||||
| ATR 42 | France
|
VIP | 1[5] | ||
| C-130 Hercules |  United States
|
transport | C-130H | 1[4] | |
| CASA CN-235 |  Spain /  Indonesia
|
transport | 1[4] | ||
| Helicopters | |||||
| Alouette III | France
|
light utility | SA 319 | 2[4] | |
| Eurocopter AS332 | France
|
transport | 1[4] | ||
| Eurocopter EC135 |  Germany
|
utility | 2[4] | ||
| Eurocopter EC120 | France
|
light utility | 2[4] | ||
| Aérospatiale SA330 | France
|
transport/utility | 5[4] | ||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France
|
scout/attack | SA 342 | 3[4] | |
Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force consisted of the CM.170 Magister, C-130H Hercules, Embraer EMB 110, Fokker F28, Aérospatiale N 262, Reims C.337, and the Alouette II helicopter.[6][7]
References
- ^ "LE DETACHEMENT DE L 'ARMEE DE L' AIR AU GABON". Centerblog. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Gabon Air Force / L'Armee de l'air". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ World Air Forces 2016 (PDF). Flightglobal International. December 2015. p. 19. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "World Air Forces 2021". FlightGlobal. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "ATR42 Gabon TR-KJD". Airport-data.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "World Air Forces 1987 pg. 56". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "World Military Helicopter Markey 1971 pg. 577". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
