Military of Mali Air Force

Mali Air Force
Roundel of Mali
Active 1961-present
Country  Mali
Part of Military of Mali
Engagements Agacher Strip War
The Christmas War (1985)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Air Chief Marshal
Aircraft flown
Attack Mig-21
Helicopter Harbin Z-9
Transport Harbin Y-12, An-26

The Military of 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 month 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 Other jets withdrawn from service were six L-29 Delfins's, which were used for training.[2]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

Malian soldiers stand MiG 21bis fighters at Bamako–Sénou International
A Malian Air Force Z-9B coming in to land
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21 USSR Ceremonial aircraft Mig-21MF 2 [4]
A-29 Super Tucano Brazil COIN / attack 2 on order[5]
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 Iatly Basic COIN 1[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 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
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 Italy Basic COIN 1[6]
Cessna FTB337 USA Basic COIN 1[10]

Retired inventory

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 USSR Fighter Mig-15UT 1
Areo L-29 Czech Republic COIN 6
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 USSR Fighter MiG-17F 5
Transport
Ilyushin Il-14 USSR Transport 2
Antonov AN-2 Colt USSR Transport 4
Helicopters
Mil Mi-4 USSR Transport 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. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Military Database – Scramble". scramble.nl. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. 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. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Aviation Photo #1344361: Douglas (Basler) BT-67 Turbo-67 (DC-3) - Mali - Air Force". Airliners.net. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  11. ↑ "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. 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. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
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