The Senegalese Air Force () 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 army aviati ...

branch of the Senegalese Armed Forces.

History

It was formed on 1 April 1961 with

Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF 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. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...

s, MH.1521 Broussards, plus Sud Aloutte II and Agusta-Bell 47G helicopters. Close ties to France have been maintained with France through training and base facilities agreements. From the early 1970s saw further French deliveries, the first jet aircraft enter service. The Fouga Magister jet trainer/ground attack as well as an SA 341H Gazelle and SA 330F Puma helicopters were delivered. During the

1981 Gambian coup d'état attempt The 1981 Gambian coup d'état attempt began on 30 July 1981 and was quashed in early August following a Senegalese Armed Forces, Senegalese military intervention. The insurrection was carried out by members of the Gambia Socialist Revolutionary ...

one of the SA 330F was shot down attempting to recapture the Radio Syd transmitter outside Banjul, killing all 18 onboard. Later expansion saw the delivery of six

Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...

transport to replace the C-47s from 1977, when also four SOCATA Rallye light planes were acquired. Four armed Rallye 235A Guerrier version followed in 1984. Senegal ordered 4 Aero L-39NGs for both light attack /

COIN A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

and training duties in April 2018. By March 2022 it was reported that the Senegal had cancelled the order.

Organization

The Air Force's headquarters are currently located at Ouakam, near the capital of

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

, on the opposite side of the

Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (, ) is an international freight and former passenger airport serving Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The airport is situated near the town of Yoff, a northern suburb of Dakar. It was known as Dakar-Y ...

. The air force has the role of defending Senegalese airspace, protecting airport areas, supporting other Senegalese forces,

medevac Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...

and

maritime patrol Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to active ...

. Funding remains a constant problem for the Senegalese Air Force and the increasing cost of aviation fuel restricts the number of available flying hours.''Force Report: Senegalese Air Force'',

Air Forces Monthly ''Air Forces Monthly'' (AFM) is a military aviation magazine published by Key Publishing Ltd, based at Stamford in the English county of Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. Established in 1988, the magazine provides news and analysis on mi ...

magazine, November 2008 issue, pp. 48–50.

Air Force Chiefs of Staff

*General Pape Souleymane Sarr *General Birame Diop *General Ousmane Kane *General Alain JC Pereira *Captain Mamadou Mansour Seck *Commander Amadou Lam *Colonel Mamadou Diop *Colonel Sidy Ndiaye Bouya *Colonel Raoul Dacosta *Colonel Amadou Fall *Colonel Tamba Meissa *Colonel Mouhamadou Diawara

Aircraft

Current inventory

References

{{Authority control Air forces by country Military of Senegal Military units and formations established in 1961 Military aviation in Africa