Malian Air Force

Malian Air Force
Armée de l'Air du Mali
Founded1961 (1961)
Country Mali
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Part ofMalian Armed Forces
Engagements
Commanders
Chief of Air StaffGeneral Souleymane Doucouré
Insignia
Roundels
Aircraft flown
FighterMiG-21, Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano
HelicopterHarbin Z-9
TransportHarbin Y-12, An-26

The Mali Air Force is the air force of Mali.

History

The Mali Air Force (Armée de l'air du Mali) was founded in 1961 with French supplied military aid. This included MH.1521 Broussard utility monoplane followed by two C-47 transports until Soviet aid starting in 1962 with four Antonov AN-2 Colt biplane transports and four Mi-4 light helicopters.[1]

In the mid-1960s the Soviets delivered five MIG-17F fighters and a single MIG 15UTI fighter trainer to equip a squadron based at Bamako–Sénou initially with Soviet pilots. Two Ilyushin Il-14 transports and a Mil Mi-8 helicopter were delivered in 1971 followed by two Antonov An-24 transports.

In 1974, 12 MiG-21Bis were obtained for the Soviet Union, with a pair of two-seat MiG-21UMs to follow a couple of years later. These initial Fishbeds served alongside the four remaining MiG-17Fs and saw combat on two occasions during the Agacher Strip War in 1974 against Upper Volta, and again in 1985 when the same country, was renamed Burkina Faso. In 2005, another three MiG-21MFs were delivered from the Czech Republic, reinforcing the surviving jets. By 2010, the Fishbeds were only flown on ceremonial occasions. By January 2012, only one MiG-21MF and one MiG-21UM remained operational, until they were grounded for lack of spare parts, ammunition, and pilots a few months later. In January 2013 the Nigerian Air Force sent a technical team to Bamako–Sénou International, with the aim of refurbishing the MiG-21’s, but the project was abandoned. Other jets withdrawn from service were six L-29 Delfins's, which were used for training.[2]

In June 2015 the Malian government ordered six Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the Brazilian company Embraer.[3]

Inventory

Current inventory
MiG-21MF fighters at Bamako–Sénou International Airport
A Malian Z-9B coming in to land
The Malian C-295W in 2018 with Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, then Prime Minister of Mali.
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
MiG-21 USSR Ceremonial aircraft Mig-21MF/UM 3 [4]
A-29 Super Tucano Brazil COIN / attack 4 ordered 2018.[5]
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 Italy Basic COIN / trainer 1[6] [6]
Transport
Harbin Y-12 China Transport 2[7]
Basler BT-67 USA Transport 1[8] modified DC-3 with P&W PT6A Turboprop engines
CASA C-295 Spain Transport C-295W 1[9]
Antonov An-26 USSR Transport 1[10]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-24 USSR attack Mi-24/35 5 2 on order[11]
Eurocopter AS332 France transport 2[12] formerly from Bristow Helicopters[13]
Harbin Z-9 China utility 2[14]
Trainers
Cessna FTB337 USA Basic COIN 1[10]

Retired inventory: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, Areo L-29, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis, Ilyushin Il-14, Antonov An-2 Colt, Mil Mi-4

References
  1. World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. Files 337, Sheet 04.
  2. Sands, Glenn (February 2018). "Mali's Air Force". Air Forces Monthly (359): 84–86.
  3. Hoyle, Craig (June 15, 2015). "T"PARIS: Mali to boost defences with Super Tucano"". Flightglobal. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. "Military Database – Scramble". scramble.nl. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  5. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  6. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  7. Sands, Glenn (February 2018). "Mali's Air Force". Air Forces Monthly (359): 84–86.
  8. Sands, Glenn (February 2018). "Mali's Air Force". Air Forces Monthly (359): 84–86.
  9. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. "Aviation Photo #1344361: Douglas (Basler) BT-67 Turbo-67 (DC-3) – Mali – Air Force". Airliners.net. Archived from the original on 2018-06-03. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  11. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  12. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  13. Sands, Glenn (February 2018). "Mali's Air Force". Air Forces Monthly (359): 84–86.
  14. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
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