Namibian Defence Force Air Force

The Namibia Air Force was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base. Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air defence wing of the defence forces were established on 23 July 1994. The policy, mission statements and concept of operations envisage the development of an Air Force to operate in support of the Army and the Navy.
Five separate roles for Air Force are; surveillance, transport of personnel and transport of supplies/equipment; support to the civil authorities or civil community, and training.
With Grootfontein as the main Air Force Base, expansion projects are underway to expand the Keetmanshoop air base, as well as construct a new base at Karibib. This was reported by The Namibian on 20 June 2008. The Air Force Headquarters are now based at Karibib Air Force Base
The policy for the Air Force is as follows

To acquire dedicated air assets to undertake the surveillance and transport tasks. The MOD and NDF will train and employ their own pilots and technicians. Co-operation and co-ordination with other Ministries may extend to making such assets available for non-defence tasking. In addition, consideration will be given to arrangements whereby private and other national air assets could be employed where appropriate or necessary.

Aircraft

12 Chengdu F-7 Airguard jets were delivered in 2006 and 2008.

Aircraft	Orig	Type	Versions	Numbers In Service	Comments
Fighter / Trainer Aircraft
Chengdu F-7 Airguard	China	Fighter/Trainer	Total F-7NM FT-7NG	8 6 2	FT-7NG trainer versions received in November 2006 8 F-7NG on order
Hongdu K-8 Karakorum	Pakistan/China	Fighter/Trainer	K-8	12
MIG-21	USSR	Fighter	MIG-21	6	Namibia has received 2 MIG-21bis, and 1 MIG-21UM in 2002. They were then serviced by IAI, in Israel and returned in 2006. In addition Namibia has bought 3 MIG-21s from IAI, and were seen in a flypast at the formal commissioning of The Namibia Air Force on 13 March 2005.
Transports
Cessna Skymaster	USA	utility	FTB.337G O-2A	5
Antonov An-26 Curl	Ukraine	transport	An-26	2	One airframe damaged after crash landing at Omega airstrip while on LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 recovery mission
Harbin Y-12	China	Transport VIP transport	Y-12	2
Learjet 36	USA	VIP transport	Model 36	1
Dassault Falcon 900	France	VIP transport	Falcon 900	1
Attack Helicopters
Mil Mi-25	Russia	attack helicopter	Mi-25	2
Helicopters
Mil Mi-17 Hip	Russia	Assault helicopter	Mi-17	2
Harbin Z-9	China	Light Transport helicopter		1	Two delivered
HAL Cheetah	India	light utility		1	Indian variant of French Aérospatiale Lama.
HAL Chetak	India	light utility		3	Indian variant of French Aérospatiale Alouette III.

Retired aircraft

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

Air Force Bases

List of bases of the Namibian Air Force

Karibib Air Force Base, Karibib
Grootfontein Air Force Base, Grootfontein
Keetmanshoop Air Base, Keetmanshoop

Expansion of the Air Base at Keetmanshoop is planned.

Flying Units

Air Defence Wing

23 Squadron

Nicknamed ‘Daredevils’ the 23rd Squadron is a fighter squadron and is home to the Chengdu F-7 Airguards.
15 Wing

151 Squadron

Consists of the helicopters in the Air Force. The squadron participated in the Second Congo War. The squadron lost two helicopters that were involved in a Mid-air collision .
13 Wing
Hosting the Fixed wing transport aircraft is the 13 wing. The wing consists of the AN-26 and Y-12 Aircraft.

Deployments

National

The Air Force has deployed numerous times to help civic authorities during disasters. Health outreach workers have been ferried during immunization campaigns . It has assisted in transporting Electoral material and personnel during National elections. It has also flown foreign Heads of States during their stay in Namibia

International

The Air force was deployed to the DRC during the Second Congo War. Harbin Y-12 Transport aircraft where utilized on logistics supply missions to the DRC as well as withdrawing Namibian troops at the end of the War.Two Namibian Allouette helicopters crashed in mid air while on operations during the war due to bad weather.The accident claimed nine lives including two Namibian pilots and three technicians. During the 2014 floods at Tokwe-Murkosi in Masvingo, Zimbabwe the air force deployed a flight consisting of one Harbin Z-9 and two Allouette’s to assist with the evacuation of the affected people. The mission lasted seven days in which 600 residents were airlifted with 56 tons of goods.

Other establishments and units

School of Air Power Studies

The school of air power studies will offer 6 months training to candidates.

Technical Training Centre

The Air Force operates the Technical Training Centre (TTC) at Grootfontein Air Base. The centre caters for technical training of the Air force’s ground personnel. Students from SADC Air Forces have also been accepted to institution’. Its curriculum are run in conjunction with the Namibian Aviation Training Academy. Qualifications offered include certificates and diplomas in:

Mechanics
Avionics
Armament

Ranks, Uniforms, Proficiency Badges

Commissioned officers

The highest rank a commissioned officer can attain in the Air Force is Air Vice Marshal. There may however be an exception when an Air Force officer is appointed as Chief of the Defence Force for which the individual which ascend to the rank of Air Marshal.

Air Marshal
Air Vice Marshal
Air Commodore
Group Captain
Wing Commander
Squadron Leader
Flight Lieutenant
Flying Officer
Pilot Officer

Non-commissioned officers/Other ranks

The highest rank an enlisted member can attain is Warrant Officer Class 1.

Warrant Officer Class 1
Warrant Officer Class 2
Flight Sergeant
Sergeant
Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Private

See Also