Guinea-Bissau Air Force
Military unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Country |  Guinea-Bissau |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Part of | Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People |
| Headquarters | Bissau |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | Cessna 208[1] |
History
On leaving Bissau by 1973–74, the Portuguese Air Force left three North American T-6Gs,[2] nine C-47 Skytrains, two Dornier Do 27s, and two Aérospatiale Alouette IIIs.[3] 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 with eight or ten MiG-17Fs and two MiG-15UTIs supplied by East Germany and the Soviet Union.[3]
In 1978 France provided more aircraft aid in the form of a Reims-Cessna FTB.337 for coastal patrol and a surplus Alouette II.[3] A Dassault Falcon 20F was donated by the Angolan government but was soon sold to the USA. In 1978, the Soviet Union provided a Mil Mi-8T helicopter as aid. In 1986, the Soviets delivered seven MiG-21bis fighters and MiG-21UM trainer aircraft.[3]
The force's title was changed to Força Aérea da Guiné-Bissau (FAGB) after the outbreak of the civil war in 1998.[2] 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.'[4]
By 2011, Guinea-Bissau had two 'probably' non-operational MiG-17s and a MiG-15UTI, while its MiG-21s and fixed-wing transport aircraft were withdrawn from service, leaving only an Aérospatiale Alouette II and a couple of Alouette IIIs for liaison.[5][6][7]
Aircraft
Current inventory
The Air Force has only a Cessna 208B as of 2023.[1]
Former inventory: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Aérospatiale Alouette II, Aérospatiale Alouette III, Dassault Falcon 20, Dornier Do 27, North American T-6 Texan, Reims-Cessna FTB.337, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Antonov An-24, Mil Mi-8.[8][9]