The Rwandan Air Force (french: Force aérienne rwandaise) is the air branch of the Rwandan Defence Forces.

History

After achieving independence in 1962, the Air Force was formed with the aid of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, the initial aircraft consisted of three ex-

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

CM.170 Magister The Fouga CM.170 Magister is a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer aircraft that was developed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Fouga, ''Établissements Fouga & Cie''. Easily recognizable by its V-tail, almost 1,000 have been built ...

s, which operated in a counterinsurgency role along with a

Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial air ...

. Other deliveries included SA 342L Gazelles, Nord Noratlas,

SOCATA Guerrier The SOCATA Rallye ( en, Rally) is a light aircraft that was manufactured by French aviation company SOCATA. It was originally developed during the 1950s by French aircraft manufacturer Morane-Saulnier as the MS.880. On 10 June 1959, the prototype ...

C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

s. After fighting began between the RPA and the government in 1990 most aircraft were shot down, destroyed on the ground or crashed.

Inventory

References

External links

Official website
* https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rwanda/air-force.htm * https://www.rwandan-flyer.com/rwanda-air-force-guide-2014

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Military aviation in Africa Air forces by country {{Mil-aviation-stub