Central African Republic Air Force
Encyclopedia
The Central African Republic Air Force (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

: Force Aérienne Centrafricaine) is the aerial warfare branch of the Central African Republic Armed Forces
Military of the Central African Republic
The Forces armées centrafricaines are the armed forces of the Central African Republic, established after independence in 1960. Today they are a rather weak institution, dependent on international support to hold back the enemies in the current civil war...

.

The Air Force is reported to be almost inoperable. Mirage F1
Dassault Mirage F1
The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies...

 planes from the French Air Force regularly patrol troubled regions of the country and also participate in direct confrontations. According to some sources, Bozizé used the money he got from the mining concession in Bakouma
Bakouma
Bakouma is a sub-prefecture in the prefecture of Mbomou in Central African Republic. The area is known for its prosperity of mineral resources which have for a long time remained unexploited.-History:...

 to buy two old MI 8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....

 helicopters from Ukraine and one Hercules C 130
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...

, built in the 1950s, from USA. The air force operates otherwise 7 light aircraft, including a single helicopter:
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Aermacchi AL-60
Aermacchi AL-60
-External links:* * *...


|
| utility
| AL-60C-5 Conestoga
| 6
|
|-----
| Eurocopter AS 350 Ecureuil
|
| utility helicopter
| AS 350B
| 1
| Acquired in 1987
|-----
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK