Chadian Air Force

The Chadian Air Force, in French Force Aérienne Tchadienne, was formed in 1961 as the Escadrille Nationale Tchadienne (Chadian National Flight/Squadron), and was given its current name in 1973. It continues to be part of the Chadian Army.

The force shares a base with French forces at N'Djamena International Airport.

1960s

In the 1960s the Chadian Air Force consisted of one hundred men, one DC-3 cargo aircraft, three light observation aircraft, and two helicopters.

Enhancement

In 1973, when its strength was increased to 200 men, the air force possessed three C-47 medium transport aircraft (increased to 13 in the mid-1970s), three light transport planes, and one helicopter, all serviced at the local French air base in N'Djamena. Nearly all of the pilots at the time were French.

In 1976, the Air Force obtained 7 Douglas AD Skyraiders from France, which were used in anti-guerrilla campaigns in the north until 1987 when they were deemed inoperable. (C-47 tail numbers included 100509, 10307 and 10409, and Skyraider 126959).

Safety Incidents

The Aviation Safety Network listed four incidents between 1976 and 1987, one involving a Douglas DC-3, a Douglas DC-4 that was shot down by a Surface-to-air missile and the remaining two with the C-130 Hercules transports, one crashing during a routine takeoff, the other during a landing. [1]

Successful Combat

During the 1983 conflict with Libya, the Chad Air Force reported destroying eight Libyan Aermacchi SF-260s. Three were captured and served from 1987. One crashed in 1989 and another was sold to the USA. Chad also acquired 24 Stinger shoulder launched SAMs in late 1987.

According to several news reports, the Chad Air Force was heavily involved in beating back a rebel invasion from neighboring Sudan.^[1] Sudanese officials also claimed that Chad aircraft made several cross-border raids into Sudan during the conflict.^[2] However, media reports are unclear as to exactly what types of aircraft were used by Chad to fend off the rebels and to conduct the cross-border strikes.

Command

As of 1987, the Air Force was commanded by Lt. Mornadji Mbaissanabe. On November 15, 2000, an unidentified Chadian Air Force Chief of Operations applied for refugee status in Canada, claiming he had accused the Chadian government of human rights violations.[2]

Helicopters

Two ex-Dutch airforce Aloutte III helicopters were acquired in January 1995

In 2004, while transporting journalists and UN officials to a tarmac meeting with Kofi Annan, one of the Chadian helicopters malfunctioned and made a rough landing in the desert. [3] After its repair, it transported US Marines into Niger. [4]

Chad lost at least one helicopter during the Battle of Adre, on December 18, 2005.

Aircraft Inventory

In addition to rotated French aircraft which are often operated by Chad, the Air Force operates 20 aircraft, including 8 helicopters. In July 2008 speculation rose about Chad ordering six ex-Ukrainian Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[3]	Notes
Aermacchi SF-260	Italy	trainer/light attack	SF-260W	2	survivors of 9 captured from Libya
Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III	France	utility helicopter	SA 316	2
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	tactical transport		1
Beech 1900D	United States	VIP transport		1	Delivered in 2008 and has Republique du Tchad titles.
Douglas DC-9	United States	VIP Transport	DC-9-87	1	Has Republique du Tchad titles.
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	tactical transport	C-130H-30	1
Mil Mi-8/-17	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	Mi-8 Mi-17	2 5
Mil Mi-25	Soviet Union	attack helicopter	Mi-25	2
Pilatus PC-6 Porter	Switzerland	utility transport		2	serving since 1976 1 sold in the late 1990s
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer / Pilatus PC-9	Switzerland	trainer (reconfigured as attack aircraft)		3 and 1	1 PC-9 is an attrition replacement
Reims F337 Skymaster	France	liaison		2	license built Cessna Skymaster
Sukhoi Su-25	Ukraine	attack	Su-25 Frogfoot A Su-25UB	4 2	[4]

Operational aircraft of the force may be far less than official figures represent. According to a report in Le Figaro in April, 2006, the Chad Air Force consisted only of two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports, one working Mil Mi-17 Hip-H helicopter, and two non-working Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopters^[5].

List of Historical Aircraft OF CHADIAN AIR FORCE

• 3 Tupolev TU-22 Blinder-Bomber(captured from Libyan-AF) Soviet Union
  
• 2 Mikoyan MIG-21 Bis-Fishbed(captured from Libyan-AF) Soviet Union
  
• 6 Sukhoi SU-25 Frogfoot A(4)\SU-25UB(2) Ukraine Russia-6 IN Service
  
• 11 Aero L-39ZO Albatros Jet trainer\CAS aircraft(captured from Libyan-AF Czechoslovakia
  
• 7 Douglas A-1D Skyraider-CAS aircraft United States
  
• 5 Cessna-Reims FTB-337 Super Skymaster United States FranceLight Attack aircraft-2 IN Service
  
• 9 SIAI SF-260M \ SF-260WL Warrior Light Attack aircraft(captured from Libyan-AF) Italy-2 IN Service
• 2 Pilatus PC-9 Trainer\Light Attack aircraft Swiss-1 IN Service
  
• 3 Pilatus PC-7 Turbo-Trainer Trainer\Light Attack aircraft Swiss-2 IN Service
  
• 2 Pilatus PC-6 Turboproter Utility aircraft Swiss-2 IN Service
  
• 5 Max Holste HM1521M Broussard Light STOL Utility aircraft France
  
• 1 Boeing 727-200 Jet Transporter United States
  
• 1 Douglas DC-9 Jet Transporter United States-1 IN Service
  
• 1 SNIAS Caravelle 6R Jet Transporter France
  
• 1 Grumman Gulfstream-II Jet-VIP United States
  
• 8 Lockheed C-130A(6)\C-130H(1)\C-130H-30(1) Hercules Transporter United States-3 IN SERVICE (1xC-130A\1xC-130H\1xC-130H-30)
  
• 1 Antonov An-72 Coaler Russia
  
• 2 Antonov An-26 Crul Transporter Soviet Union-1 IN Service
  
• 2 Casa C-212 Aviocar Transporter Spain
  
• 1 De-Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin-Otter Transporter Canada
  
• 1 Fokker F-27-600 Friendship Transporter Holland
  
• 10 Nord 2501 Noratlas France
  
• 6 Douglas C-54 Skymaster Transporter United States
  
• 13 Douglas C-47 Dakota Transporter United States
  
• 1 Augusta-Bell 47G Sioux Italy United States
  
• 2 Mil Mi-8 Hip Utility Helicopter Soviet Union-2 IN Service
  
• 2 Mil Mi-17 Hip Utility Helicopter Russia-2 IN Service
  
• 3 Mil Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter Soviet Union
  
• 2 Mil Mi-25V Hind-E Attack Helicopter Russia-2 IN Service
  
• 10 Sikorski\Sud S-58\H-34 Choctaw United States France
  
• 11 SNIAS SE-3130 Alouette-II France
• 10 SNIAS SE-3160\SA-316B Alouette-III France-2 IN Service
  
• 2 SNIAS SA-342 Gazelle Attack Helicopter France
  
• 9 SNIAS SA-330 Puma France
  
• 1 SNIAS SA-332F Super-Puma France
• IAI Orbiter mini UAV  Israel

References

1. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gt7gbrcGa0Xojw0Igs050k4RFhcA
2. ^ http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article31177
3. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
4. ^ MilAvia Press.com
5. ^ Le Figaro – Actualité en direct et informations en continu

World aircraft information files Bright Star Publishing London File 337 Sheet 4