Namibian Air Force

Namibian Air Force
Official Emblem, NAF.
Founded 23 July 1994 (Namibia Defence Force Air Wing)
13 March 2005 (Namibian Air Force)
Country Namibia
Allegiance Constitution of Namibia
Branch Air force
Role Aerial warfare
Size

1200 personnel [1]

43 Aircraft
Part of Namibia Defence Force
Colors Air Force blue
Commanders
Air Force Commander Air vice-marshal Martin Pinehas

The Namibia Air Force was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base.[2] Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air defense wing of the defense forces were established on 23 July 1994.[3] The policy, mission statements and concept of operations envisage the development of an Air Force to operate in support of the Army and the Navy.

Five separate roles for Air Force are; surveillance, transport of personnel and transport of supplies/equipment; support to the civil authorities or civil community, and training.[4]

With Grootfontein as the main Air Force Base, expansion projects are underway to expand the Keetmanshoop air base, as well as construct a new base at Karibib. This was reported by The Namibian on 20 June 2008. The Air Force Headquarters are now based at Karibib Air Force Base.[5]

The policy for the Air Force is as follows

To acquire dedicated air assets to undertake the surveillance and transport tasks. The MOD and NDF will train and employ their own pilots and technicians. Co-operation and co-ordination with other Ministries may extend to making such assets available for non-defence tasking. In addition, consideration will be given to arrangements whereby private and other national air assets could be employed where appropriate or necessary.

History

After commissioning in 1994 the first aircraft of the force were six Cessna 02A donated by the United States government. The US also offered two advisors to train four pilots, six co-pilots and seven Namibian Mechanics.[6] In December 1994 a total of four Cheetah and Chetak light utility helicopters bought from HAL where delivered to the then Air Wing at Eros Airport. The Indian air force also provided a chief engineer, five technicians and two pilots to train Namibian crews for at least six months. Two Harbin Y-12's were delivered in December 1997.

Aircraft

12 Chengdu F-7 Airguard jets were delivered in 2006 and 2008.[7]

Aircraft Orig Type Versions Numbers In Service Comments
Fighter / Trainer Aircraft
Chengdu F-7 Airguard China Fighter/Trainer Total
F-7NM
FT-7NG		 8[8]
6[8]
2[8]		 FT-7NG trainer versions received in November 2006[9] 8 F-7NG on order
Hongdu K-8 Karakorum Pakistan/China Fighter/Trainer K-8 12[8]
MIG-21 USSR Fighter MIG-21 6[10]
 Namibia has received 2 MIG-21bis, and 1 MIG-21UM in 2002. They were then serviced by IAI, in Israel and returned in 2006.[10] In addition Namibia has bought 3 MIG-21s from IAI, and were seen in a flypast at the formal commissioning of The Namibia Air Force on 13 March 2005.[11]

Transports

Cessna Skymaster USA utility FTB.337G
O-2A		 5[12]
Antonov An-26 Curl Ukraine transport An-26 2 One airframe damaged after crash landing at Omega airstrip while on LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 recovery mission [13]
Harbin Y-12 China Transport
VIP transport		 Y-12 2
Learjet 36 USA VIP transport Model 36 1
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP transport Falcon 900 1
Attack Helicopters
Mil Mi-25 Russia attack helicopter Mi-25 2[8]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-17 Hip Russia Assault helicopter Mi-17 1[8]
Harbin Z-9 China Light Transport helicopter 1[14] Two delivered
HAL Cheetah India light utility 1[15] Indian variant of French Aérospatiale Lama.
HAL Chetak India light utility 3 Indian variant of French Aérospatiale Alouette III.

Aircraft Accidents

The Air Force has suffered a number of aircraft incidents and accidents.The first notable accident occurred during Operation Atlantic in the DRC, where during bad weather a Cheetah and Chetak helicopters air frame serials H-702 and H-708 crashed mid air,resulting in the death of 11 personnel 5 of which where Namibian.[16] On 27 November 2003 an MI-8 helicopter Airframe serial H-804 made a heavy landing resulting in it being written off. While in Opuwo on 1 August 2008 Chetak H-706 crashed resulting in injuries to the crews and passengers.[16] A AN-26 transport plane airframe NAF-3-642 crash landed at Omega Airfield during a mission to recover human remains of a Mozambican.In April 2014 a Harbin Z-9 helicopter air frame H-700 crash during take off at Grootfontein Air Force Base resulting in it being written off.

Retired aircraft

Air Force Bases

List of bases of the Namibian Air Force

Expansion of the Air Base at Keetmanshoop is planned.[17]

Flying Units

Air Defence Wing

  • 23 Squadron

Nicknamed 'Daredevils' the 23rd Squadron is a fighter squadron and is home to the Chengdu F-7 Airguards.

15 Wing

  • 151 Squadron

Consists of the helicopters in the Air Force. The squadron participated in the Second Congo War. The squadron lost two helicopters that were involved in a Mid-air collision.[18]

13 Wing

    Hosting the Fixed wing transport aircraft is the 13 wing. The wing consists of the AN-26 and Y-12 Aircraft.

    Deployments

    National

    A Namibian F-7 skybolt

    The Air Force has deployed numerous times to help civic authorities during disasters. Health outreach workers have been ferried during immunization campaigns . It has assisted in transporting Electoral material and personnel during National elections.[19] It has also flown foreign Heads of States during their stay in Namibia[20]

    International

    The Air force was deployed to the DRC during the Second Congo War. Harbin Y-12 transport aircraft where utilized on logistics supply missions to the DRC as well as withdrawing Namibian troops at the end of the war. Two Namibian Allouette helicopters crashed in mid-air while on operations during the war due to bad weather.The accident claimed nine lives, including two Namibian pilots and three technicians.[21] During the 2014 floods at Tokwe-Murkosi in Masvingo, Zimbabwe the air force deployed a flight consisting of one Harbin Z-9 and two Allouettes to assist with the evacuation of the affected people.[22] The mission lasted seven days in which 600 residents were airlifted with 56 tons of goods.[23]

    Other establishments and units

    School of Air Power Studies

    The primary training institute in the Air Force is the School of Air Power Studies (SOAPS) under the Command of Group Captain Hosea Ndjibu. The SOAPS is composed of three centres.

    Flight Training Centre

    The flight training centre is responsible for training flight personnel for the Air Force.

    Leadership Training Wing

    The school of air power studies will offer 6 months training to candidates.[19]

    Technical Training Centre

    Also under the SOAPS, the Technical Training Centre (TTC) at Grootfontein Air Base. The centre caters for technical training of the Air force's ground personnel.[24] Students from SADC Air Forces have also been accepted to institution'.[25] Its curriculum are run in conjunction with the Namibian Aviation Training Academy.[26] Qualifications offered include certificates and three year diplomas in:

    • Mechanics
    • Avionics
    • Armament[27]

    Ranks,Insignia, Uniforms, Proficiency Badges

    Commissioned officers

    Officer rank insignia

    The highest rank a commissioned officer can attain in the Air Force is Air Vice Marshal. There may however be an exception when an Air Force officer is appointed as Chief of the Defence Force for which the individual which ascend to the rank of Air Marshal.

    Commissioned officer rank structure of the Namibian Air Force
    Air Marshal Air Vice Marshal Air Commodore Group Captain
    AM AVM ACDRE GCAPT
    Wing Commander Squadron Leader Flight Lieutenant Flying Officer Pilot Officer Officer Cadet
    WGCdr SQNLDR FLTLT FLGOFF PLTOFF CO

    Non-commissioned officers

    The highest rank an enlisted member can attain is Warrant Officer Class 1.

    Non Commissioned officer rank structure of the Namibian Air Force
    Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Flight Sergeant Sergeant
    WO1 WO2 FSGT GSGT
    Aircraftman Leading Aircraftman Private
    No insignia
    ACM LACM PVT

    Uniforms

    Head Gear

    Proficiency Badges

    Air Crew

    References

    1. ↑ http://www.mof.gov.na/documents/27827/235390/BRM+Estimates+2015-2016/bbee3cb8-1cfb-4d9e-a172-deb14950840b
    2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 July 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007. Accessed 2007/07/27
    3. ↑ http://www.swapoparty.org/ndf_air_force_is_here_to_stay.html Accessed 2015/10/07
    4. ↑ http://www.mod.gov.na Accessed 2007/07/27
    5. ↑ https://www.newera.com.na/2016/03/07/air-force-capability-impresses-president/
    6. ↑ https://www.namibian.com.na/archive_pdf_19851990/1994_TheNamibian/21%20December%201994.pdf
    7. ↑ Hopwood, Graham (February 2012). "Flying high". insight Namibia.
    8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hoyle Flight International 13–19 December 2011, p. 44.
    9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 April 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007. Accessed 2007/07/27
    10. 1 2 PALOQUE The MiG 21 The Mikoyan-Gurevitch Fishbed (1955–2010) December 2009, p. 69.
    11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Accessed 2015/07/21
    12. ↑ AIR International, December 1994, page 323.
    13. ↑ Carin Pretorius – Developed CEIT Development CC. "The Namibian – Airforce plane in near horrific plane crash (News – Namibia)". The Namibian.
    14. ↑ "Ministry of Defense". Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
    15. ↑ HAL bags $10 mn order for Chetak, Cheetah from Namibia
    16. 1 2 http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/namibia.pdf
    17. ↑ Parliament of Namibia, Summary of Development and Investment Expenditure by Vote, Inside/Outside SRF – Vote Code 8: Defence Archived 3 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved August 2010
    18. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
    19. 1 2 http://www.gov.na/documents/10181/22710/STATEMENT+BY+HIS+EXCELLENCY++HIFIKEPUNYE+POHAMBA,+PRESIDENT++OF+THE+REPUBLIC+OF+NAMIBIA+AND+COMMANDER+%E2%80%93+IN-CHIEF+OF+THE+NAMIBIAN+DEFENCE+FORCE,+ON+THE+OCCASION+OF++THE+INAUGURATION+OF+THE+AIRFORCE++SCHOOL+OF+AIRPOWER+STUDIES+%282015+02+13%29/c292133a-c6ae-4fc1-9297-896083926eea
    20. ↑ http://www.namibiansun.com/local-news/crash-pilot-dreamt-flying-pohamba.65038
    21. ↑ "IRIN Update 591 for 20 Jan 1999".
    22. ↑ "Namibia helicopters rescue flood victims". The Zimbabwe Independent.
    23. ↑ New Era Publication Corporation. "Namibian Air Force returns from Zimbabwe mission". New Era Newspaper Namibia.
    24. ↑ Tomas, T (October 2016). "Adequate provision of knowledge and skills key to development". NDF Journal. 60: 13.
    25. ↑ Tomas, F (November 2011). "ATTC 5th graduation". NDF Journal. 42: 10.
    26. ↑ Tomas, F (December 2012). "ATTC 5th graduation". NDF Journal. 42: 10.
    27. ↑ Shikomba, T (March 2013). "Air Force Graduate Technicians". NDF Journal. 47: 9.
    • Hoyle, Craig (13–19 December 2011). "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International. Vol. 180 no. 5321. pp. 26–52. ISSN 0015-3710.

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