Guinea-Bissau Air Force

The Guinea-Bissau Air Force (Portuguese: Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau) is the air force arm of the military of Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau Air Force
Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau
Active1973-2015 (2015 when aircraft stopped flying)
CountryGuinea-Bissau
TypeAir force
RoleDefence
Garrison/HQBissau
Aircraft flown
Utility helicopterMil Mi-8

History

On leaving Bissalanca by 1973-74, the Portuguese Air Force left three North American T-6Gs.[1] After achieving independence from Portugal, the air force was formed by officers returning from training in Cuba and the USSR. The FAGB was re-equipped by the Soviet Union with a limited aid package in which its first combat aircraft were introduced. Five MIG-17s and two MiG-15UTI trainers entered service with a single Mi-8 helicopter.

In 1978 France provided more aircraft aid in the form of a Reims-cessna FTB.337 for coastal patrol and a surplus Alouette III. A Dassault Falcon 20F was donated by the Angolan government but was soon sold to the USA. In the late 1980s a similar number of MiG 21s replaced the MiG 17s, also delivered an An-24, a Yak-40 and another Mi-8 helicopter. In the early 90s they received ex-polish PZL-Mielec Lim-6 Fresco fighter bombers from Poland and East Germany.

The force's title was changed to Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau (FAGB) after the outbreak of the civil war in 1998.[1] Cooper and Weinert state 'when sighted for the last time in ..1991, most of the [MiG] fleet was in 'storage' inside several hangars on the military side of Bissalanca IAP (Osvaldo Vieira International Airport), and in a deteriorating condition.'[2]

As of 2015 Guinea-Bissau has no aircraft in flying condition, with the last known type a SE.3105 helicopter, which ceased operating in 2011.

Aircraft condition

The status of most of the aircraft is unknown.[3] All of the current aircraft are "in storage" at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport along with retired aircraft like the An-2 and Yakovlev Yak-40. The MiG-21s, MiG-17s, MiG-15s and Alouette IIs can be seen in the multiple hangars. The only aircraft currently in operation is one Mil Mi-8.[3]

Aircraft
An Alouette III of the FAGB

Current inventory
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Helicopters
Mil Mi-8 Soviet Union utility 1 The only aircraft in service[3]

Former inventory: MiG-21, MiG-17, MiG-15, Alouette III, Falcon 20, Alouette II Yakovlev Yak-40, Dornier Do 27, PZL-Mielec Lim-6, North American T-6, Antonov An-2, Reims-Cessna FTB.337, Douglas DC-3, Antonov An-26, Mil Mi-4.[4]

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gollark: You should be using Turi instead.
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gollark: > upper class romans spoke Greek I believeI was not aware of this.
gollark: How weird.

References
  1. Cooper and Weinert 2010, 207
  2. Cooper and Weinert 2010, 210
  3. Pike, John. "Guinea-Bissau Air Force". Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  4. "World Air Forces 2004 pg. 62". Flightglobal Insight. 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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