Senegalese Air Force

The Senegalese Air Force French: Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise is the air force branch of the Senegalese Armed Forces.

Senegalese Air Force
Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise
Founded1 April 1961 (1961-04-01)
Country Senegal
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size1,000 personnel
28 aircraft (2017)
Part ofSenegalese Armed Forces
HeadquartersOuakam [1]
Commanders
Current
commander		Général Joseph Mamadou Diop
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
HelicopterMil Mi-2, Mi-17, Eurocopter AS355, Bell 206, Aérospatiale Alouette III
Attack helicopterMil Mi-35
PatrolCASA/IPTN CN-235
TrainerAerospatiale Epsilon, KAI KT-1 Woongbi
TransportFokker 27, CASA/IPTN CN-235, BN-2 Islander

History

It was formed on 1 April 1961 with Douglas C-47s, 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.[1]

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.[1]

Later expansion saw the delivery of six Fokker F27 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.[1]

Organisation

The Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise headquarters are currently located at Ouakam, near the capital of Dakar, on the opposite side of the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport.[1] The air force has the role of defending Senegalese airspace, protecting airport areas, supporting other Senegalese forces, medevac and maritime patrol.[1]

Funding remains a constant problem for the Senegalese Air Force and the increasing cost of aviation fuel restricts the number of available flying hours.[1]

Air Force Chiefs of Staff
Alain Pereira, Chef d'état major de l'armée de l'air of Senegal.
  • 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
  • General Alain JC Pereira

Aircraft

Current inventory
A Senegalese Fokker 27
A Senegalese Bell 206
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
L-39NG Czech Republic light attack / COIN 4 on order[2]
Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano Brazil light attack / COIN 3 on order[3]
Maritime Patrol
C-212 Aviocar Spain maritime Patrol 2 on order[2]
CASA/IPTN CN-235 Indonesia maritime Patrol 1[2] 1 on order[2]
Transport
Fokker 27 Netherlands VIP 1[2]
CASA/IPTN CN-235 Indonesia transport / medevac 1[2]
Helicopters
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy VIP 1[4]
Bell 206 United States utility 2[2]
Mil Mi-2 Soviet Union liaison 2[2]
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility 2[2]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-35 5[2]
Aérospatiale Alouette III France liaison / utility 1[2]
Eurocopter AS355 France utility 1[2]
Trainer Aircraft
Socata TB 30 France basic trainer 6[2]
KAI KT-1 Woongbi Republic of Korea primary trainer 2 [5] 2 on order [5]

References
  1. Force Report: Senegalese Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, November 2008 issue, pp. 48–50.
  2. "World Air Forces 2021". FlightGlobal. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  3. Haynes, Brad (9 April 2013). "Brazil's Embraer sells six planes to help Guatemala's drug war". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. https://www.africanaerospace.aero/senegal-sees-strength-in-modernisation-plan.html
  5. Grohmann, Jan. "Dodávky L-39NG do Senegalu až v roce 2022". armadninoviny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 11 June 2020.

World aircraft information files Brightstar publishing File 338 sheet 4

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.