The Mozambique Air Force ( pt, Forca Aérea de Moçambique; FAM) 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 ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

. From 1985 to 1990 it was known as the People's Liberation Air Force (''Força Aérea Popular de Libertação''; FAPL).

Overview

Due to Mozambique's colonial background, the air force has a history of using former Portuguese aircraft. At its setting-up after independence in 1975 the air force was supported by

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and the

USSR 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 nationa ...

. As such there was an influx of Soviet-built aircraft to support the government during the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Following the ceasefire in 1992 and the change in government policies away from communist one-party rule towards Western-style economics and multi-party democracy, Cuban support for the Air Force dwindled and most of the aircraft have now fallen into disrepair. The FAM is now effectively a token force, and the defence budget has been cut down to 1.5 percent of Mozambique's

Gross National Product The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total domestic and foreign output claimed by residents of a country, consisting of gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes earned by foreign ...

. The number of personnel in the Air Force is estimated at 4000. The air force operates out of three main bases; Beira,

Nacala Nacala, also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto is a city on the northern coast of Mozambique. Located in the southwestern indentation of inner Fernao Veloso Bay, it is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. Nacala serves as ...

and

Nampula Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique. With a population of 743,125 (2017 census), it is the third-largest city in Mozambique after Maputo and Matola. The city is located in the interior of Nampula Province, approx ...

. In 2011, the Portuguese Air Force offered FAM two Cessna FTB-337, updated with the latest technology for the use in training, aeromedical evacuation and maritime surveillance operations. This is part of the permanent technical-military cooperation (CTM) programme between Portugal and Mozambique. Regarding specifically the FAM, the Portuguese-Mozambican cooperation also includes other areas such as the training of pilot officers, NCOs and aviation technicians, the creation of

aviation medicine Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent conditions to which aircr ...

and the air operations centres and also the development of search and rescue and

flight safety Aviation safety is the study and practice of managing risks in aviation. This includes preventing aviation accidents and incidents through research, educating air travel personnel, passengers and the general public, as well as the design of airc ...

capabilities. Currently several Mozambican officer cadets attend the Portuguese Air Force Academy. In 2014, the Brazilian Minister of Defense disclosed its intention to donate 3

Embraer EMB 312 Tucano The Embraer EMB 312 Tucano (English: '' Toucan'') is a low-wing, tandem-seat, single-turboprop, basic trainer with counter-insurgency capability that was developed in Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force sponsored the EMB-312 project at the end of 1 ...

and assist on financing the purchase of 3 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano. In 2016, the donation deal was cancelled by the Brazilian government. In 2014, Mozambique News and Clippings 256 (Hanlon, J) reported the following: "The Romanian company Aerostar has completed the overhaul and upgrade of eight Mozambique Air Force MiG-21 fighters, some of which had not flown operationally for more than 20 years. The package also included the overhaul of a L-39 jet trainer along with six single-seat MiG-21 fighter jets and two double-seat MiG-21 trainer aircraft, as well as a full training programme for ground staff and pilots. Two R-40S basic trainer aircraft were also delivered. Six MiG-21s are now back in Mozambique with the final two aircraft shipped from Romania in early July".

Aircraft

Current inventory

References

Notes

Bibliography

* {{Air forces Air forces by country Military of Mozambique Aviation in Mozambique Military aviation in Africa