The Djiboutian Air Force (DAF) (french: Forces Aériennes Djiboutiennes (FADD)), ( so, Ciidanka Cirka Jabuuti) is the

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 ...

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

. It was established as part of the

Djibouti Armed Forces The Djibouti Armed Forces (DJAF; ar, الجيش الجيبوتي, aljaysh aljibutiu, so, Ciidanka Dalka Jabuuti) are the military forces of Djibouti. They consist of the Djiboutian National Army and its sub-branches the Djiboutian Air Force a ...

after the country obtained its independence on June 27, 1977. The first aircraft included three Nord N.2501 Noratlas transport aircraft, as well as a French

Aérospatiale Alouette II The Aérospatiale Alouette II (, " lark"; company designations SE 313 and SA 318) is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine ...

helicopter. The DAF is mandated with protecting Djibouti's airspace, and in assisting ground forces.

History

In 1982, the Djibouti Air Force was augmented by two

Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2 The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS355 Écureuil 2 (or Twin Squirrel) is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and originally manufactured by Aérospatiale in France The Écureuil 2 was directly derived from the single-engin ...

helicopters and a

Cessna 206 The Cessna 205, 206, and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane) are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air ...

followed in 1985 by a Cessna 402C Utiliner. In 1985 the

Aérospatiale Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III (, ''Lark''; company designations SA 316 and SA 319) is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by French aircraft company Sud Aviation. During its production life, it proved to be a relatively popular r ...

was withdrawn from use and put on display at Ambouli Air Base as Djibouti's airport is called. Two years later, the three Nord Noratlas were also put aside and given back to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

later. New equipment came in 1991 by means of a

Cessna 208 Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargo ...

followed by all the Russian types in the early nineties. They included four Mi 2, six Mi 8 and two Mi 17 helicopters and a single

Antonov An-28 The Antonov An-28 (NATO reporting name Cash) is a twin-engined light turboprop transport aircraft, developed from the Antonov An-14M. It was the winner of a competition against the Beriev Be-30, for use by Aeroflot as a short-range airliner. It ...

light transport aircraft. Pilot training, if necessary, is conducted in France and continued on the type of flying at home, although demand for new pilots is low with only approximately 310 men in the Djiboutian Air Force. As of 2018, the Air Force had a strength of 360 personnel, and operated a small number of transport aircraft and helicopters.IISS (2016), p. 432

Aircraft

References

;Citations ;Works consulted * {{Authority control Air forces by country

Military units and formations established in 1977 1977 establishments in Djibouti