Air Force of Zimbabwe
| Air Force of Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1980 – present |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Size | 5,000 personnel (1999) 94 aircraft (2014) |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Air Marshal Perence Shiri |
| Notable commanders |
Air Chief Marshal Azim Daudpota Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Mi-35P |
| Fighter | F-7II/N, F-7MG, MiG-23 |
| Reconnaissance | O-2 |
| Trainer | SF-260, K-8 |
| Transport | Ilyushin Il-76, An-12, C-212, Islander, AB412SP |
Air Chief Marshal Azim Daudpota
The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001.
The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was reconstituted into the Air Force of Zimbabwe in 1980. The RhAF's 12 Hunter FGA.MK 9s were joined by other aircraft in 1981, 1984 and in 1987, from Kenya and the British Royal Air Force. Pakistan Air Force trained most of the Zimbabwean Pilots in the initial days along with construction of Thorn Hill Air base, Pakistan also sent Air Marshal Azim Daudpota to Zimbabwe as a Chief of Air Staff of the Zimbabwean Air Force
In 1981, the Air Force of Zimbabwe ordered 8 eight Hawk MK60s, which were delivered in July 1982. On the night of 25 July 1982 a sabotage attack on Thornhill airbase damaged four Hawks, nine Hunters and a single FTB-337G. One Hawk was written off, another was repaired on site and the other two were returned to BAE for a rebuild. A follow-up order for five additional Hawks was completed in September 1992.
The first supersonic interceptor operated by the air force was the F7 Airguard, 12 of the IIN and II variants were delivered in 1986. In 1993, a pair of O-2As were delivered for anti-poaching patrols over Zimbabwe's national parks. Two Cougar helicopters were reported to be in use in 1997. One was delivered in April 1995 and the second in September 1996. They were used for VIP duties.
The Second Congo War, also known as "Coltan War" and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly called Zaire), and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; although hostilities are currently ongoing.
...
Wikipedia