Air Force
After achieving independence in 1962, the air arm (Force Aerienne Rwandaise) was formed with Belgian help. By 1972 the first modern equiment started to arrive in the form of seven Alouette IIIs. Other deliveries included SA 342L Gazelles, Britten-Norman Islanders, Nord Noratlas, SOCATA Guerrier armed light planes and AS 350B Ecureuils. After fighting began between the RPA and the government in 1990 most aircraft were shot down, destroyed on the ground or crashed. Few survived.
Aircraft reported to be currently in service are listed below.
| Aircraft | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin | utility helicopter | SA 365CS | 1 | |
| Aérospatiale SA 355 Ecureuil | utility helicopter | SA 355F | 1 | |
| Mil Mi-24 Hind | attack helicopter | 2 | ||
| Mil Mi-8 Hip | transport helicopter | 3 | ||
| SA-342 Gazelle |
attack helicopter |
6 |
||
| SA-316B Alouette-III |
utility helicopter |
7 |
Read more about this topic: Rwandan Defence Forces
Famous quotes related to air force:
“I recently learned something quite interesting about video games. Many young people have developed incredible hand, eye, and brain coordination in playing these games. The air force believes these kids will be our outstanding pilots should they fly our jets.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)