The Yemeni Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية اليمنية, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya) is the air operations branch of the
Yemeni Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of Yemen ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْيَّمَّنِيَّة, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Yamaniyah) are the military forces of the Republic of Yemen. They include the Yemeni Army (including t ...
. Numbers of aircraft can not be confirmed but serviceability of these aircraft is low. Aircraft have been acquired by donations from other countries supporting either the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
or the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. However, most of the air force was destroyed by
airstrike
An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...
s conducted by the "Arab coalition" consisting mainly of Saudi Arabia and UAE:
2015 military intervention in Yemen
Fifteen or 15 may refer to:
*15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16
*one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015
Music
*Fifteen (band), a punk rock band
Albums
* ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005
* ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
.
History
Early Yemeni military flying
After being confronted to British air power during several conflicts in the 1920s,
Imam Yahya
, succession1 = King of Yemen
, succession2 = Imam of Yemen
, image = Imam yahya cropped.png
, image_size =
, caption = Portrait of Yahya by Ameen Rihani, 1922. Imam Yahya steadfastly refused to be photographed thro ...
, the King of Yemen, sought support from Italy in order to acquire aircraft for his country. In January 1926, an Italian was contracted to deliver six aircraft, the first three of which arrived in April. However, these were found to be in a poor state. After the Imam complained about this issue to the Italians, they agreed to provide Yemen some better aircraft. In August, one was presented to Yemen. In 1927, 12 Yemenis were sent to Italy for flight training; with the help of an Italian team, a flight school was also set up in Yemen. A
Junkers A 35
Junkers A 35 was a two-seater cantilever monoplane, used for postal, training and military purposes. The aircraft was designed in the 1920s by Junkers in Germany and manufactured at Dessau and by AB Flygindustri in Limhamn, Sweden and conversion ...
and a
Junkers F 13
The Junkers F 13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, developed in Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced cantilever-wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passengers. 322 planes of the type were manufa ...
were acquired that same year. The A 35 crashed less than two months after its delivery, killing all three on board. This, added to language issues and renewed fighting with the British, caused Imam Yahya to stop the efforts to establish an air force.
This changed in the late 1940s, when several aircraft were bought from different sources: a single
Amiot AAC-1 Toucan
The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers.
Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German Aeros ...
was purchased from Lebanon, as well as one
Noorduyn Norseman
The Noorduyn Norseman, also known as the C-64 Norseman, is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Distinctive stubby landing gear protrusions from the lower fuselage make it easily recognizable.
Intro ...
from Egypt, and two
Douglas C-47
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...
s from Italy. Two
North American T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
s were also donated by Saudi Arabia in 1955. In 1957, a major arms deal was signed with Czechoslovakia, including 24
Avia B-33 attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
. However, due to a lack of support materiel and spare parts, none of these aircraft was ever flown in Yemen. In the same period, the Soviets provided four
Mil Mi-4
The Mil Mi-4 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 36", NATO reporting name "Hound") is a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.
Design and development
The Mi-4 was designed in response to the American H-19 Chick ...
and two
Mil Mi-1
The Mil Mi-1 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 32", NATO reporting name "Hare") was a Soviet three- or four-seat light utility helicopter. It was the first Soviet helicopter to enter serial production. It is powered by one Ivchenko AI-26V radial ...
helicopters, as well as a single
Ilyushin Il-14
The Ilyushin Il-14 (NATO reporting name: Crate) was a Soviet twin-engine commercial and military personnel and cargo transport aircraft that first flew in 1950 in aviation, 1950, and entered service in 1954. The Il-14 was also manufactured in Eas ...
transport aircraft. An aviation college was also created, and it was equipped with 10 Czechoslovak-made
Zlin Z-126s that had been ordered together with the B-33s.
Birth of the North and South Yemeni Air Forces
The Yemen Arab Republic Air Force (YARAF) was officially established on 20 November 1967. On this month, the Soviets delivered nine
MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
fighters and a single
MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (russian: Микоя́н и Гуре́вич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of ...
UTI training aircraft, as well as four
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-28; NATO reporting name: Beagle) is a jet aircraft, jet bomber of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Forces. It was the Soviet Union's first such ai ...
s, and three
Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 ("kukuruznik"—corn crop duster; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bure ...
s. Together with four MiG-17Fs, two Il-28s, two Il-14s and some
Yakovlev Yak-11
The Yakovlev Yak-11 (russian: Яковлев Як-11; NATO reporting name: "Moose") is a trainer aircraft used by the Soviet Air Force and other Soviet-influenced air forces from 1947 until 1962.
Design and development
The Yakovlev design burea ...
s donated by the Egyptians when they withdrew, and the remaining
Zlin Z-126s, these aircraft constituted the whole fleet of the newly created air force as of late 1967. The YARAF was immediately engaged in the fighting against Royalist tribesmen, notably during the
Siege of Sanaa. Some of the aircraft were flown by Soviet and Syrian pilots. While MiG-17s, Yak-11s and Il-28s attacked Royalist troops, Il-14s brought in supplies and evacuated the wounded from the besieged capital. During the 70 days of the siege, two MiG-17s were destroyed and their pilots killed, as well as one Yak-11 that was piloted by a Soviet, who was killed too. Five more airmen were killed during the siege, in unknown circumstances.
Meanwhile, in what would then become South Yemen, the British had started to form an embryonic air force. Called the South Arabian Air Force (as an air corps of the
Federation of South Arabia
The Federation of South Arabia ( ar, اتحاد الجنوب العربي ') was a federal state under British protection in what would become South Yemen. Its capital was Aden.
It was formed on 4 April 1962 from the 15 protected states of ...
under British protection), it had received six
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used ...
s, eight
BAC Jet Provost
The BAC Jet Provost is a British jet trainer aircraft that was in use with the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1955 to 1993. It was originally developed by Hunting Percival from the earlier piston engine-powered Percival Provost basic trainer, and ...
Mk52As, six
Bell 47G
The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...
helicopters and four
Douglas C-47
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...
s by December 1967. Four
BAC Strikemaster Mk 81s were delivered in 1970. When the Federation of South Arabia was released into independence, on 30 November 1967, it was instantly renamed the
People's Republic of Yemen
South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
. A day later, the new country's air force was officially established, and named the People's Republic of Yemen Air Force (PRYAF). The nationality markings on the aircraft were changed too. Roundels and fin flashes using the colors of the FSA's flag were replaced by a light blue triangle with a dark outer part and a red star in the centre, and the new national tricolor flag with a blue triangle bearing a red star, respectively. In 1968, Soviet advisors arrived in the country to help build up the air force. The first 10 MiG-17Fs arrived in January 1969, and they were reinforced by eight more in 1970: these aircraft were used by No. 5 Squadron.
On 1 December of the same year, the country was renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY), and the air force's name was changed accordingly. It was in this period that the triangular roundel was replaced by a circular one, consisting of the three colors of the national flag, with the top quarter being a sky-blue chevron with a red star in the middle. By 1972, the PDRYAF had received eight
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968.
It is now produced by Russia.
In addition t ...
and four
Kamov Ka-26
The Kamov Ka-26 (NATO reporting name Hoodlum) is a Soviet light utility helicopter with co-axial rotors.
Development
The Ka-26 entered production in 1969 and 816 were built. A variant with a single turboshaft engine is the Ka-126. A twin turbo ...
helicopters, four
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-28; NATO reporting name: Beagle) is a jet aircraft, jet bomber of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Forces. It was the Soviet Union's first such ai ...
s, and eight
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 (Russian/Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-24) (NATO reporting name: Coke) is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport/passenger aircraft designed in 1957 in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau and manufactured by Kyiv, Irku ...
and
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 ( NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twin ...
transport aircraft from the Soviet Union.
Build-up and wars between the two Yemens
The PDRYAF participated in the short
Yemenite War of 1972
The First Yemenite War was a short military conflict between the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR; North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY; South Yemen).Gause, GregorySaudi-Yemeni relations: domestic structures and foreign influe ...
, flying transport missions in support of the ground units, and air strikes with its
MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
fighters. One of these aircraft was shot down by the Northerners, with its pilot killed. The North Yemeni air force isn't known to have been involved in the conflict, even though it received five MiG-17s and four
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-28; NATO reporting name: Beagle) is a jet aircraft, jet bomber of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Forces. It was the Soviet Union's first such ai ...
s donated by Egypt and flown by Egyptian pilots midway through the war. However, these pilots weren't allowed to fly any combat sorties against the South Yemeni forces.
Shortly after the end of the conflict, the PDRYAF started receiving its first
MiG-21MFs. By 1974, more than 40 of them had been delivered. Training on the new aircraft was supported by a group of Cuban advisors.
Around 1976, a dozen of
Sukhoi Su-22s was delivered to replace the Il-28 bombers.
In the frame of South Yemeni involvement in the
Ogaden War
The Ogaden War, or the Ethio-Somali War (, am, የኢትዮጵያ ሶማሊያ ጦርነት, ye’ītiyop’iya somalīya t’orineti), was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the Ethiopi ...
, the PDRYAF sent 12 MiG-17Fs and two
MiG-15UTIs to Ethiopia in 1977, together with pilots and ground personnel. Another contingent followed in early January 1978, including some MiG-21 pilots; one of them was killed when his aircraft, a MiG-21MF donated to Ethiopia by the USSR, was shot down by Somalian air defences on 15 February.
The MiG-15s and MiG-17s were never returned to South Yemen, and most of their pilots converted to Su-22s.
In February 1979,
a new war between the two Yemens broke out. It was preceded by skirmishes that involved both air forces: on 25 February, a YARAF MiG-17 was damaged by a
9K32 Strela-2
The 9K32 Strela-2 (russian: Cтрела, "arrow"; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (or MANPADS) system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing guid ...
MANPADS
Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters.
Overview
MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...
. On 28 February, the Southerners launched an invasion of North Yemen, and their air force bombed the
Taiz airfield, and claimed to have destroyed up to six aircraft. Northern air defences were then bolstered and they shot down two PDRYAF Su-22s. In response, a campaign against the YAR's major air defence positions started, and most of these were destroyed. Moreover, three YARAF MiG-17s were shot down by PDRYAF MiG-21s. At the end of the war, the YARAF's combat aircraft fleet was almost completely destroyed.
Following the
Yemen Arab Republic
The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية اليمنية '), also known simply as North Yemen or Yemen (Sanaʽa), was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the northwestern part of what is now Yemen.The United States extend ...
's defeat, Saudi Arabia and the United States arranged a $390 million arms deal, in which the Saudis would finance the acquisition of military hardware and transfer some of their own surplus weapons to the YAR. The United States delivered
F-5E
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and the ...
fighters and two
Lockheed C-130H Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
transport aircraft, while Saudi Arabia transferred four of its own F-5Bs to the YARAF. Saudi financial aid also enabled North Yemeni president
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh al-Ahmar (, ''ʿAlī ʿAbdullāh Ṣāliḥ al-Aḥmar;'' 21 March 1947There is a dispute as to Saleh's date of birth, some saying that it was on 21 March 1942. See: However, by Saleh's own confession, he was born in 1947 al ...
to order new weapons from the Soviet Union. These included 60
MiG-21bis
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nick ...
, 14
Su-22Ms, 18
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968.
It is now produced by Russia.
In addition t ...
s, three
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 (Russian/Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-24) (NATO reporting name: Coke) is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport/passenger aircraft designed in 1957 in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau and manufactured by Kyiv, Irku ...
s and three
An-26s. Soviet advisors also helped repair some of the remaining
MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (russian: Микоя́н и Гуре́вич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of ...
s,
MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
s and
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-28; NATO reporting name: Beagle) is a jet aircraft, jet bomber of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Forces. It was the Soviet Union's first such ai ...
s. This rapid expansion of the YARAF meant that foreign advisors were necessary to support its operations: while the Soviets helped with Soviet-built types, Taiwanese pilots and ground crews constituted the majority of the F-5 squadron's personnel until 1985, and they only left the country in 1991, after the unification. Moreover, the aircraft loss rate was high, due to the crews' inexperience.
Meanwhile, the PDRYAF was getting some reinforcements as well: six additional MiG-21s were delivered shortly after the 1979 war, while 40 Su-22Ms, Su-22M3s and Su-22UM3Ks were delivered by 1986. 16 secondhand
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...
A helicopters were also delivered in 1985-1986. For the southern air force, the first half of the 1980s was spent training in intensive joint exercises, in order to increase the armed forces' readiness in the prospect of a new war with the YAR. This period was brought to an abrupt end in January 1986, when a coup resulted in an 11-day civil war, colloquially known in Yemen as ''
The Events
''Derren Brown: The Events'' is a Channel 4 television series featuring the illusionist Derren Brown. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, this series is made up of four one-hour specials, during which Brown attempted what he had describe ...
''. This short civil war resulted in the destruction of around 75% of the air force, while dozens of thousands of people fled to the North, including up to 40 PDRYAF pilots. Even though the Soviet Union subsequently delivered additional MiG-21bis,
Mil Mi-25
The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter ...
helicopters, and a batch of between 12 and 14
Sukhoi Su-22M-4Ks, rebuilding the South Yemeni military to pre-1986 strength proved impossible.
Unification and civil war
On 22 May 1990, North and South Yemen were officially
unified. The military forces of the two countries were to be gradually merged, but the process did not go as planned. Indeed, tensions started to rise up, and eventually led to the
Yemeni Civil War of 1994.
Even though the PDRYAF had been considerably weakened by the 1986 civil war, its commanders still assessed it as superior to its northern counterpart, and expected it to establish air dominance. On the morning of 4 May, around 40 MiG-21s and Su-22s were sent to attack several targets in the north, including the
Presidential Palace in
Sanaa
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Governo ...
and several YARAF air bases. While these attacks caused significant damage and the YARAF did not react to it, the results still fell short of expectations. However, the PDRYAF kept on trying, and its Su-22 units performed several additional long-range bombing missions through the war, achieving notable results. Meanwhile, the YARAF was also using its own Su-22s, as well as MiG-21s, against targets in the south. YARAF F-5Es were also used in air combat and scored several victories. They allowed the Northerners to achieve local air dominance over crucial parts of the front lines. Since both air forces operated similar types of aircraft, friendly fire incidents were very common.
As the war continued, the Northerners' territorial gains and the losses took their toll on the PDRYAF. Even though its pilots often flew three or four sorties per day, the general situation of the Southerners was worsening. It was in this context that the PDRYAF introduced to service
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG- ...
fighter-bombers. Bought second-hand from Moldova, these aircraft were flown by Eastern European mercenaries, and saw their first combat use on 29 June. Despite being the most modern combat aircraft available in Yemen, the MiG-29s did not provide the PDRYAF with an advantage in air combat, because their pilots were inadequately trained in air-to-air combat. Indeed, the only reported air-to-air action involving a MiG-29 was an encounter between one MiG and two F-5Es on 29 June. Neither side opened fire, and all three aircraft came away safely. The next day, South Yemeni president
Ali Salem al Beidh
Ali Salem al-Beidh ( ar, علي سالم البيض, translit=‘Alī Sālim al-Bīḍ; born 10 February 1939) is a Yemeni politician who served as the General Secretary of the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) in South Yemen and as Vice President o ...
fled abroad, followed by thousands of South Yemenis. Dozens of PDRYAF members fled to Djibouti, Oman, and even the United Arab Emirates with their aircraft, while others fought to the bitter end. The war ceased on 7 July.
Unified Yemeni Air Force
While the unified air force took on the remaining aircraft of the former PDRYAF, including around a dozen each of MiG-21s and Su-22s, several MiG-29s, and some Mi-8s, Mi-17s and Mi-14s, it almost only consisted of the former YARAF. Its combat aircraft were concentrated on air bases in the north of the country, and it retained the YARAF's structure. In 1995-1996, two additional MiG-29s were bought from Kazakhstan. In 1996, the remaining Su-22s and Su-22Ms were withdrawn, and four Su-17M4s were bought from Ukraine. Most aircraft of the more modern Su-22 variants were then overhauled, a process which lasted well into the 2000s. In 1999, 12
Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer designed and produced in Czechoslovakia by Aero Vodochody. It is the most widely used jet trainer in the world; in addition to performing basic and advanced pilot training, it has also fl ...
Cs and 12
Zlin Z-242s were bought from the Czech Republic, and 12 more L-39Cs were bought from Ukraine in 2005.
Even though the appearance of MiG-29s in Yemen during in 1994 did not have much of an impact on the air war, the type left an impression on
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh al-Ahmar (, ''ʿAlī ʿAbdullāh Ṣāliḥ al-Aḥmar;'' 21 March 1947There is a dispute as to Saleh's date of birth, some saying that it was on 21 March 1942. See: However, by Saleh's own confession, he was born in 1947 al ...
's government. Correspondingly, in March 2000 negotiations were opened with Russia for the purchase of 24 aircraft. A year later, a contract for the delivery of 14 single-seaters and one MiG-29UB was signed. These aircraft, as well as those obtained from other countries, were to be upgraded to the MiG-29SM standard. Deliveries started in 2002, and continued until 2007. At that time, the Yemeni MiG-29 fleet reached its maximum strength, with a total of around 36 aircraft. These aircraft were the most advanced in the Yemeni combat fleet, as they were armed with
R-77
The Vympel NPO R-77 missile (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder) is a Russian active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. It is also known by its export designation RVV-AE. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRA ...
air-to-air missiles, and
Kh-29
The Kh-29 (russian: Х-29; NATO: AS-14 'Kedge; GRAU: 9M721) is a Soviet air-to-surface missile with a range of 10–30 km. It has a large warhead of 320 kg, has a choice of laser, infrared, active radar or TV guidance, and is typically ...
T and
Kh-31
The Kh-31 (russian: Kha (Cyrillic), Х-31; AS-17 'Krypton') is a Russian air-to-surface missile carried by aircraft such as the MiG-29 or Su-27. It is capable of Mach number, Mach 3.5 and was the first supersonic anti-ship missile that could be la ...
P air-to-surface missiles.
War in Sadah
The Yemeni Air Force was used extensively against the
Houthi insurgency in Yemen
The Houthi insurgency in Yemen, also known as the Houthi rebellion, the Sa'dah War, or the Sa'dah conflict, was a rebellion, military rebellion pitting Zaidiyyah, Zaidi Shia Islam, Shia Houthis (though the movement also includes Sunni Islam, Sun ...
. The Yemeni Air Force was proven effective in destroying enemy positions and buildings. Most enemy casualties were attributed to air raids. A number of accidents did occur, including one in which a fighter plane accidentally fired a missile and killed more than 80 civilians. During
Operation Scorched Earth
Operation Scorched Earth (Arabic language, Arabic: عملية الأرض المحروقة) was the code-name of a Military of Yemen, Yemeni military offensive in the Saada Governorate that began in August 2009. It marked the fifth wave of vio ...
on 2 and 5 October and 8 November 2009, three fighter jets reported as a MiG-21 and two Su-22 respectively crashed during military missions. The government claimed the crashes were due to technical malfunctions, while the rebels claimed they shot them down with MANPADS. In 2006, F-5Es, MIG 21s and Su-22s repeatedly bombed Houthi positions all over Saada.
War on Terror
As part of the
Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown
The Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen is an ongoing armed conflict between the Yemeni government, the United States and their allies, and al-Qaeda-affiliated cells in Yemen. It is a part of the Global War on Terror.
Government crackdown again ...
, the Yemeni Air Force launched air raids on terrorist bases throughout Yemen to kill important terrorist leaders. The raids were confronted with anti-aircraft fire. After Ali Abdullah Saleh declared his support for George Bush in the war on terror, America provided Yemen with military aid. This included the Yemeni air force. The USA helped the YAF through training, funds, and munitions. They also provided them with Aircraft and Helicopters including 2 Cessna 208 light transport planes, 2 C-130 Hercules Cargo planes, 14 F-5E fighter jets, 1 CASA CN.295 medium cargo plane, 1 Beechcraft super king air, 3 Bell 206 helicopters, 6 Bell 212 helicopters, 3 Bell 214 helicopters, and 4 UH-1H helicopters. The Yemeni air force benefited immensely from US assistance. The US trained them in providing close air support for Yemeni Special Forces fighting against Al Qaeda.
2011 Yemeni uprising
The Yemeni Air Force performed air strikes against opposition forces to the Saleh government during the
2011 Yemeni uprising
The Yemeni Revolution (intifada), also known as the Yemeni Revolution of Dignity followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and other Arab Spring protests in the M ...
.
On 28 September 2011, a Su-22 was shot down during a bombing mission north of Sanaa by rebel soldiers using a MANPADS. The pilot ejected and was captured.
On 30 October, the al-Dailami air base, which shares the structures with
Sana'a International Airport
Sanaa International Airport is the primary international airport of Yemen located in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. It services Sanaa City as well as the entire population of the Northern Provinces of Yemen. Initially, a small passenger terminal ...
, was attacked by uprising forces. Different official sources reported two or three fighter jets destroyed on the ground either by mortar shells or with planted explosive charges. The aircraft were loaded with ammunition and combat ready for strikes on the next day. Among the destroyed aircraft, at least one MiG-29 was reported.
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015–present)
On 19 March 2015, a first air raid against the internationally recognized Yemeni president
Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ( ar, عبدربه منصور هادي, translit=ʿAbd Rabbih Manṣūr Hādī Yemeni pronunciation: ; born 1 September 1945) is a Yemeni politician and former field marshal of the Yemeni Armed Forces who served as the pres ...
, indicated that at least some elements of the Yemeni Air Force had switched allegiance to fight alongside the Houthis rebels.
On 25 March 2015, two Yemeni Air Force aircraft, probably
Su-22
The Sukhoi Su-17 (''izdeliye'' S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter ...
, took off from Sana'a Al-Dailami Air Base, which was under Houthis control, to launch an attack on the Yemeni president's residence in the al-Maasheeq district of Aden, becoming the third time in a week that elements of the Air Force acted against the internationally recognized government. The Houthis sent two Su-22s to bomb the presidential compound in Aden with one MiG 29 flying top cover. As the Sukhois made their first bombing run the Hadi loyalists responded with fierce ground fire but failed to shoot down any aircraft. During this attack, a few pro-Hadi MiG-29s scrambled from
Al Anad Air Base
Al Anad Air Base is a military airbase in the Lahij Governorate, Yemen. It is the biggest air base in Yemen.
History
The base was built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The base witnessed heavy clashes during the Yemeni Civil War (199 ...
to protect the presidential compound from Houthi -controlled warplanes.
During the initial days of the
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Saudi may refer to:
* Saudi Arabia
* Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia
* Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia
* House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is c ...
, Saudi Arabia Air Forces carried out air attacks on the Yemeni Airforce Al-Dulaimi Air Base next to the Sadaa International Airport, destroying one Beechcraft King Air 350ER surveillance aircraft, one CN-235 transport aircraft and two Bell 214 Huey helicopters.
The Yemeni Air Force did not completely join the Houthi rebels, as most of the personnel refused to take orders from their former enemy. Also the maintenance of the air-frames was mostly halted since the ousting of the Saleh regime in 2012 and thus, at the beginning of 2015, the situation of the Air Force seemed chaotic with most of the personnel deserted and air-frames lacking maintenance, effectively preventing the Yemeni Air Force to enter in the fight, remaining grounded during the Saudi-led intervention.
The following few days, the coalition strikes started targeting the structures and air-frames to a more severe extent.
On 15 April 2015, a Saudi debriefing showed the Arab coalition strikers destroying two Su-22 and one
F-5 jet fighters while they were sitting on the tarmac. The F-5 looked covered by a net, while the Su-22s were parked in the open. Another picture showing the wrecks of two Su-22 and one F-5 jets emerged on 30 April 2015.
On 4 May 2015, evidence of a Yemeni Il-76TD at Sana'a International Airport engulfed in flames emerged.
The fate of 10 Yemeni MiG-29 fighters remained unknown while the assessment on the number of other air-frames destroyed is difficult to establish. As of 2017 the Yemeni Air force after years of warfare and the Saudi-led coalition bombing is inoperable and non-functional.
After government troops recaptured the Al Anad Air Base, the Yemeni air force was rebuilt and was trained by the UAE. They provide close air support.
Houthis
The Houthi movement (; ar, ٱلْحُوثِيُّون ''al-Ḥūthīyūn'' ), officially called Ansar Allah (' ''Partisans of God'' or ''Supporters of God'') and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamist political and armed movement that ...
operate
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
s allegedly delivered by
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
Aircraft
Air Defense
The Air Defense, once separated from the Air Force, according to the standard Soviet segregation of armed forces, was merged into the Air Force.
Up to more than six hundred
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
launchers may have been procured over the time, including
MANPADS
Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters.
Overview
MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...
, mostly if not all of Soviet and Russian origin.
There are about 8 Air defense brigades in the Yemeni air force. 6 of these sided with the Houthis and during the start of the Yemeni civil war, the Saudi-led coalition destroyed much of the systems and bases of 4 of these brigades, but two brigades survived the Saudi-led airstrikes as pro-Houthi army units scattered and hid most of the systems operated by these units. The remaining air defenses succeeded in shooting down two coalition F-16Cs, two Apaches and about a dozen UAVs. A new system built by pro-Houthi air defense personnel, which are originally
R-27T air to air missiles guided by FLIR ULTRA 8500 Turrets and launched from APU-60 and P-12 launch rails, succeeded in damaging two Saudi F-15s. Defensive
anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
(AAA) fire was clearly visible at night over Sana'a till mid April 2015.
Roundels
File:Royal Yemen roundel (1957).svg, Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen ( ar, المملكة المتوكلية اليمنية '), also known as the Kingdom of Yemen or simply as Yemen, or, retrospectively, as North Yemen, was a state that existed between 1918 and 1962 in the nor ...
Air Force roundel (until 1962)
File:Roundel of the North Yemen Air Force.svg, Yemen Arab Republic
The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية اليمنية '), also known simply as North Yemen or Yemen (Sanaʽa), was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the northwestern part of what is now Yemen.The United States extend ...
Air Force roundel (1962–1990)
File:South Arabian Air Force Roundel.svg, South Arabian Air Force Roundel (1966-1967)
File:South Yemen Roundel.svg, People's Republic of Yemen
South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
Air Force roundel (1967–1969)
See also
*
Military of Yemen
The Armed Forces of Yemen ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْيَّمَّنِيَّة, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Yamaniyah) are the military forces of the Republic of Yemen. They include the Yemeni Army (including t ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
{{Air forces
Air forces by country
Military of Yemen
Aviation in Yemen