| Senegalese Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise | |
Senegalese Air Force badge
| |
| Founded | 1 April 1961; 63 years ago (1961-04-01) |
| Country |  Senegal |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Senegalese Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Ouakam[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Général Pape Souleymane Sarr[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | KAI KT-1 Woongbi |
| Helicopter | Mil Mi-2, Mi-17, Eurocopter AS355, Bell 206, Aérospatiale Alouette III |
| Attack helicopter | Mil Mi-35 |
| Patrol | CASA/IPTN CN-235 |
| Trainer | Aerospatiale Epsilon, KAI KT-1 Woongbi |
| Transport | Fokker 27, CASA/IPTN CN-235 |
The Senegalese Air Force (French: Armée de l'Air Sénégalaise) is the air force branch of the Senegalese Armed Forces.
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] During the 1981 Gambian coup d'état attempt one of the SA 330F was shot down attempting to recapture the Radio Syd transmitter outside Banjul, killing all 18 onboard.[3]
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]
Senegal ordered 4 Aero L-39NGs for both light attack / COIN and training duties in April 2018.[4] By March 2022 it was reported that the Senegal had cancelled the order.[5][6][7]
The Air Force's 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]
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritime Patrol | |||||
| IPTN CN-235 | Indonesia | maritime patrol | 1[6] | ||
| Transport | |||||
| Fokker 27 | Netherlands | VIP transport | 1[6] | ||
| IPTN CN-235 | Indonesia | transport | 2 | 1 on order[6] | |
| Casa C-295 | Spain | transport | 2[8] | ||
| Helicopters | |||||
| Bell 206 | United States | utility | 2[6] | ||
| Mil Mi-2 | Soviet Union | liaison | 2[6] | ||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | utility | 2[6] | ||
| Mil Mi-24 | Russia | attack | Mi-35 | 5[6] | |
| Eurocopter AS355 | France | utility | 1[6] | ||
| Aérospatiale Alouette III | France | liaison / utility | 1[6] | ||
| Trainer Aircraft | |||||
| Socata TB 30 | France | basic trainer | 6[6] | ||
| KAI KT-1 Woongbi | Republic of Korea | primary trainer | 4[6] | ||
| International |
|
|---|---|
| National |
|
