Guinea-Bissau Air Force

Guinea-Bissau Air Force
Active 1973-2015 (2015 when aircraft stopped flying)
Country Guinea-Bissau
Type Air force
Role Defence
Garrison/HQ Bissau
Aircraft flown
Attack Mig-21, Mig-17, Mig-15UT
Utility helicopter Alouette II, Alouette III
Transport Falcon 20

The Guinea-Bissau Air Force (Portuguese: Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau) is the air force arm of the military of Guinea-Bissau.

History

On leaving Bissalanca by 1973-74, the Portuguese Air Force left three North American T-6Gs.[1]

After achieving independence from Portugal, the air force was formed by officers returning from training in Cuba and the USSR. The FAGB was re-equipped by the Soviet Union with a limited aid package in which its first combat aircraft were introduced. Five MiG-17s and two MiG-15UTI trainers entered service with a single Mil Mi-8 helicopter. In 1978 France provided more aircraft aid in the form of a Reims-Cessna FTB.337 for coastal patrol and a surplus Alouette III. A Dassault Falcon 20F was donated by the Angolan government but was soon sold to the United States. In the late 1980s a similar number of MiG-21s replaced the MiG-17s, also delivered an Antonov An-24, a Yakovlev Yak-40 and another Mi-8 helicopter. In the early 90s they received ex-polish PZL-Mielec Lim-6 Fresco fighter bombers from Poland and East Germany.

The force's title was changed to Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau (FAGB) after the outbreak of the civil war in 1998[2]. Cooper and Weinert state 'when sighted for the last time in ..1991, most of the MiG fleet was in 'storage' inside several hangars on the military side of Bissalanca IAP (Osvaldo Vieira International Airport), and in a deteriorating condition.[3]

As of 2015 Guinea-Bissau has no aircraft in flying condition, with the last known type a SE.3105 helicopter, which ceased operating in 2011.[4]

Aircraft condition

The status of most of the aircraft is unknown.[4] All of the current aircraft are "in storage" at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport along with retired aircraft like the An-2 and Yakovlev Yak-40. The MiG-21s, MiG-17s, MiG-15s and Alouette IIs can be seen in the multiple hangars. The only aircraft in operation is one Mil Mi-8.[4]

Aircraft

Current inventory

An aerial view of the airbase at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport with a Falcon 20 of the GBAF
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
MiG-21 Soviet Union fighter / interceptor 4 withdrawn from service 2004[5]
MiG-17 Soviet Union fighter MiG-17F 5 2 placed in storage[6]
MiG-15 Soviet Union fighter / trainer MiG-15UTI 1 1 placed in storage[6]
Transport
Falcon 20 France VIP 2 1 unserviceable[6]
Helicopters
Alouette II France light utility 1 1 placed in storage[6]
Alouette III France liaison 3 2 placed in storage[6]
Mil Mi-8 Soviet Union utility 1 is the only aircraft in service[4]

Former inventory

References

  1. ↑ Cooper and Weinert 2010, 207
  2. ↑ Cooper and Weinert 2010, 207
  3. ↑ Cooper and Weinert 2010, 210
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pike, John. "Guinea-Bissau Air Force". Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  5. ↑ Gordon, Yefim "MiG-21" ISBN 978-1-85780-257-3
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "World Air Forces 2004 pg. 62". Flightglobal Insight. 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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