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

Rwandan Defence Forces french: Forces rwandaises de défense sw, Nguvu ya Ulinzi ya Watu wa Rwanda , image = Rwanda Defense Force emblem.png , alt = , caption = , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 ...

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 ...

, 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 Ar ...

CM.170 Magisters, 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 airc ...

. Other deliveries included SA 342L Gazelles,

Nord Noratlas The Nord Noratlas was a dedicated military transport aircraft, developed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Nord Aviation. Development commenced during the late 1940s with the aim of producing a suitable aircraft to replace the n ...

, SOCATA Guerrier,

C-47 Skytrain 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 ...

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 ...

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