Senegalese Air Force

Senegalese Air Force
Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise
Senegalese Air Force roundel
Founded 1961
Country Senegal
Size 1,000 personnel
28 aircraft (2017)
Garrison/HQ Ouakam[1]
Commanders
Current
commander		 Général Birame Diop
Aircraft flown
Attack Mil Mi-35
Helicopter Mil Mi-2/Mi-17/Mi-35/Eurocopter AS355/Bell 206
Trainer Aerospatiale Epsilon

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

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 C47's 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
EMB 314 Super Tucano Brazil light attack / COIN 3 on order[2]
Aero L-39NG Czech Republic Light attack 4 on order. Delivery planned in 2020.[3]
Transport
Fokker 27 Netherlands VIP 2[2]
CASA C-212 Spain transport / SAR 1[2]
CASA/IPTN CN-235 Indonesia transport / medevac 2[4]
Helicopters
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 2[2]
Bell UH-1 United States utility UH-1H 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 4 on order[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Force Report: Senegalese Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, November 2008 issue, pp. 48–50.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "World Air Forces 2017". Flightglobal Insight. 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Hoyle, Craig (4 April 2018). "Senegal signs for new-generation L-39NGs". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Defence Web". Retrieved 15 July 2017.

World aircraft information files Brightstar publishing File 338 sheet 4

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