TheMali Air Force(French:Armée de l'air du Mali), established in 1961, serves as the primary aerial warfare branch ofMali's armed forces.[3]The force was initially created with the assistance of theFrench military,which provided training and equipment to establish the air force's initial capabilities.[4]In the following years, the Mali Air Force received significant support from theSoviet Union,which provided both equipment and training to the force.[5]
| Malian Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Armée de l'air du Mali | |
 Malian Armed Forces emblem | |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Country |  Mali |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Part of | Malian Armed Forces |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Air Staff | General Alou Boi Diarra[1] |
| Deputy Chief of Air Staff | Lieutenant Colonel Adama Bagayoko[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Alternate roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Aero L-39 |
| Fighter | MiG-21 |
| Helicopter | H215,Mi-8,Mi-17 |
| Attack helicopter | Mi-24,Mi-35 |
| Reconnaissance | Cessna 208 |
| Trainer | EMB-314,SF.260 |
| Transport | An-26,BT-67,C-295,Y-12 |
History
editThe Mali Air Force (French:Armée de l'air du Mali) was founded in 1961 with French-supplied military aid. This includedMH.1521 Broussardutility monoplane followed by twoC-47transports until replaced by Soviet aid starting in 1962 with fourAntonov AN-2 Coltbiplane transports and fourMi-4light helicopters.[6]
In the mid-1960s the Soviets delivered fiveMiG-17Ffighters and a singleMiG-15UTIfighter trainer to equip a squadron based atBamako–Sénouinitially with Soviet pilots. TwoIlyushin Il-14transports and aMil Mi-8helicopter were delivered in 1971 followed by twoAntonov An-24transports.
In 1974, 12 MiG-21Bis were obtained from theSoviet Union,with a pair of two-seat MiG-21UMs to follow a couple of years later. These initial Fishbeds served alongside the four remainingMiG-17Fs and saw combat on two occasions during theAgacher Strip Warin 1974 againstUpper Volta,and again in 1985 with the same country, now renamedBurkina Faso.In 2005, another three MiG-21MFs were delivered from theCzech Republic,reinforcing the surviving jets. By 2010, the Fishbeds were only flown on ceremonial occasions. By January 2012, only one MiG-21MF and one MiG-21UM remained operational until they were grounded for lack of spare parts, ammunition, and pilots a few months later. In January 2013, theNigerian Air Forcesent a technical team toBamako–Sénou International,with the aim of refurbishing the MiG-21s, but the project was abandoned. Other jets withdrawn from service were sixL-29 Delfins,which were used for training.[7]
In June 2015 the Malian government orderedSuper Tucanolight attack aircraft from the Brazilian companyEmbraer.[8]Four were paid for and were delivered in 2018.[9]One of these crashed inSévarétwo years later, killing both pilots.[10]
In December 2020, theMalian governmentordered 4Mi-171helicopters. They were delivered byRussiaon 30 September 2021.[11]
In September 2023, the Malian government has lost their lastSu-25due to a crash caused by missile launched byAzawad rebels.However the pilot safely ejected.[12]
Equipment
edit| Aircraft | Origin | In service | Type | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | |||||
| Aero L-39 Albatros | Czech Republic | 12 | Attack/Jet trainer | L-39C | [13] |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | Soviet Union | 9 | Fighter | [13] | |
| Reconnaissance aircraft | |||||
| Cessna 208 | United States | 1 | Reconnaissance | [13] | |
| Transport | |||||
| Antonov An-26 | Soviet Union | 1 | Transport | [13] | |
| Basler BT-67 | United States | 1 | Utility | [13] | |
| CASA C-295 | Spain | 2 | Transport | [13] | |
| Harbin Y-12 | China | 2 | Utility | [13] | |
| Helicopters | |||||
| Airbus Helicopters H215 | France | 2 | Utility | H215M | [13] |
| Mil Mi-8 | Russia | 1 | Utility | [13] | |
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | 4 | Utility | Mi-171Sh | [14] |
| Mil Mi-24 | Russia | 7 | Attack | Mi-35M | 1 on order.[13] |
| Trainer aircraft | |||||
| Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano | Brazil | 3 | Trainer | [13] | |
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 | Italy | 1 | Trainer | [13] | |
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | |||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | +20[15] | UCAV | [16] | |
Ranks
editCommissioned officer ranks
editThe rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Malian Air Force[17] |
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| Général d'armée | Général de corps d'armée | Général de division | Général de brigade | Colonel-major | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Commandant | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | ||||||||||||||
Other ranks
editThe rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officersandenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malian Air Force[17] |
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| Major | Adjudant-chef | Adjudant | Sergent-chef | Sergent | Caporal-chef | Caporal | Soldat de première classe | Soldat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^"Участники встречи с Президентом переходного периода Республики Мали А.Гойтой".
- ^"Treasury Targets Malian Officials Facilitating Wagner Group".
- ^"Mali Air Force".globalsecurity.org.Retrieved2023-03-16.
- ^"French Air Force (2023)".wdmma.org.Retrieved2023-03-16.
- ^"Here's what we know about the military aircraft delivered to Mali Air Force - AeroTime".2022-08-10.Retrieved2023-03-16.
- ^World Aircraft Information Files.Brightstar Publishing, London. Files 337, Sheet 04.
- ^Sands, Glenn (February 2018). "Mali's Air Force".Air Forces Monthly(359): 84–86.
- ^Hoyle, Craig (June 15, 2015)."T" PARIS: Mali to boost defences with Super Tucano "".Flightglobal.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2015.RetrievedJune 20,2015.
- ^Secretdefense.org, "Mali: les nouveaux avions de chasse d’IBK seraient inutilisables (Exclusif)",https:// secret-defense.org/16/07/2018/ibk-mali-avions-scandale//
- ^Aviation Safety Network, April 7, 2020,https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/234839
- ^"Mali receives 4 helicopters, weapons from Russia: Defense Minister".Devdiscourse.ANI — Sputnik. 1 October 2021.
- ^Abdul, Kazim (September 11, 2023)."Last remaining Malian air force Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft crash".Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2023.
- ^abcdefghijklHoyle, Craig (December 2023).World Air Forces 2024.FlightGlobal(Report). London: Flight Global Insight. p. 24.Retrieved12 December2023.
- ^International Institute for Strategic Studies(15 February 2023).The Military Balance 2023.Taylor & Francis. p. 463.ISBN978-1-000-91070-4.
- ^"Le Mali reçoit une vingtaine de drones, dont des drones de marque turque".aa.tr.Retrieved2024-09-29.
- ^"Mali receives more TB2, L-39 aircraft".Janes.20 March 2023.Retrieved2024-01-04.
- ^ab"2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali"(in French). 23 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 21 January 2021.Retrieved17 October2020.