The Tanzania Air Force Command ( sw, Kamandi ya Jeshi la Anga) is the
aerial service branch
Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state.
Types of branches
Unified armed forces
The Canadian Armed Forces is the unifi ...
of the
Tanzania People's Defence Force
The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) ( sw, Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania) is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force ...
(TPDF).
The current commander of the Tanzania Air Force Command is
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
SB MANI
, who replaced major general Ingram upon the latter's retirement in 2021
.
History
Tanzania established its air force as the "Air Wing" (
Kiswahili
Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili ...
: ''Usafirashaji wa Anga'') of the
Tanzania People's Defence Force
The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) ( sw, Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania) is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force ...
's (TPDF) Air Defence Command in 1965. An autonomous branch, its purposes were to support the TPDF ground forces and ensure air links between the government and distant areas of the country.
The Tanzania Air Defence Command defeated the nominally stronger
Uganda Army Air Force during the
air campaign of the Uganda–Tanzania War (1978–79).
A few of the Tanzanian air wing's transport remain serviceable. However, its
Shenyang F-5s, and
Chengdu F-7s are reported to fly only on rare occasions because of airworthiness problems. Tanzania's long coastline means that transports are also used for patrol flights.
In 1980, an order for 10 F-7Bs and two TF-7s was issued to China, and in 1997 also two F-7Ns were purchased from Iran, together with four ex-Iraqi Air Force transports of an unknown type. Today, no Russian-supplied MiG-21s remain in service with the TPDF/AW, and only three or four F-7s remain operational. The TPDF/AW MiG-21MFs are now confirmed to have carried serials - in black or green - underneath the cockpit, but no details about these are known.
On 14 November 2013, Helmoed-Römer Heitman reported for ''
Jane's Defence Weekly
''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...
'' that a 'usually reliable source' had informed ''Janes that the TPDF had replaced its 12 old CAC J-7 fighters with 14 new J-7s, twelve single-seat and two dual-seat. Deliveries were completed in 2011. Heitman also reported that the aircraft were fully operational at Dar es Salaam and Mwanza air bases.
Recent estimates (2014) suggest that
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
's air force command operates 32 aircraft in three different types. It is believed they are operating 14
fighters
Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to:
Combat and warfare
* Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict
* Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
, 11 fixed-wing attack aircraft and 7
transport aircraft Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes:
* Airliners, aircraft, usually large and most often operated by airlines, intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service
* Cargo aircraft or freighters, fix ...
. On October 1, 2015, a
K-8 trainer jet of Tanzania Air Force Command crashed into the sea killing both pilots.
Aircraft
Bases
*
Ukonga Air Base, Dar es Salaam
*
Mwanza Air Base
Mwanza International Airport is a major regional airport in northern Tanzania serving the city of Mwanza. It is located near the southern shores of Lake Victoria approximately from the city. It serves as the main hub for Auric Air and a seconda ...
, Mwanza
*
Ngerengere Air Force Base
Ngerengere Air Force Base is a military airbase of the Tanzania Air Force Command. It is located about west of Dar es Salaam, in Ngerengere ward, Morogoro District of Morogoro Region in Tanzania.
History
The airbase was built with assistance ...
, Morogoro
Commanding officer
References
Works cited
*
*
*
External links
Shenyang J-6September 2014
{{Air forces
Military of Tanzania
Air forces by country
Military aviation in Africa
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 ...