National Air Force of Angola

National Air Force of Angola
Força Aérea Nacional de Angola

Angolan Air Force emblem
Active 21 January 1976 – Present
Country Angola
Branch Air force
Size 285–348 aircraft
Part of Angolan Armed Forces
General command Luanda
Nickname(s) FAN or FANA
Engagements Angolan Civil War
Commanders
General Francisco Lopes Gonçalves Afonso
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack Su-25, Su-22, Mi-24/35
Fighter Su-27, MiG-23, MiG-21
Patrol Fokker F27, EMB-110
Trainer Yak-11, PC-7, Tucano
Transport L-100, An-12, An-26, C.212, Mi-8

The National Air Force of Angola or FANA (Portuguese: Força Aérea Nacional de Angola) is the air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola.

With an inventory of more than 300 aircraft, FANA is (on paper) one of the largest air forces of Africa.

History

Angola became independent from Portugal on 11 November 1975. However, the foundations for the establishment of the air force were laid before independence when members of the then Flying Club of Angola (Aeroclube de Angola) were assembled at Luanda in October 1975.[1] These people and aircraft left behind by the Portuguese Air Force formed the basis for the air transport branch of the force.

The force was formally established on 21 January 1976 as the People's Air Force of Angola / Air and Antiaircraft Defense or FAPA/DAA (Força Aérea Popular de Angola / Defesa Aérea e Antiaérea). Its first batch of Soviet MiG fighter aircraft was delivered in mid-December 1975.[1] The FAPA/DAA fought several battles with South African Air Force aircraft in November 1981, October 1982, and twice in September 1987.[2]

Circa 1983-85, in order to enhance MPLA's combat capacity, Romania sent 150 flight instructors and other aviation personnel, who contributed to the establishment of an Angolan Military Aviation School.

The FANA has bases at Luanda, Catumbela, Belas, Luena, Kuito, Lubango and Namibe (often referred to by its pre-1985 name of Moçâmedes). The World Factbook, produced by the CIA, reported that by 2007 the name of the force had changed to "National Air Force".[3]

Most of the inventory is out of service, and refers to historical equipment delivered along the years. FAN has many bases – most of them, former Portuguese Air Force bases and other courtesy of the cold war – but few airplanes that actually fly. The main body of the active air force is made of transport/cargo planes, used for moving supplies, equipment and personnel between parts of the country.

Organization

The National Air Force of Angola is headed by the Chief of Staff of the FANA (Chefe do Estado-Maior da FANA). The Chief of Staff of the FANA is a General directly subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Angola.

FANA follows a Russian/ex-Soviet organizational model, with its air units being aviation regiments (regimentos de aviação), each one including several squadrons (esquadrões). To each of the six aviation regiments corresponds an air base. Besides the aviation regiments, there is also a Pilot Training School.

Its order of battle is:

Aircraft

Current inventory

Nos. in service are from the Flight World Air Forces 2016.[4]

Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
EMB-314 Brazil Propeller COIN 6
MiG-21bis Soviet Union Jet Fighter 23
MiG-23 Soviet Union Jet Fighter 1999 22 Some were supplied by Belarus 1999[5]
Su-22 Soviet Union Jet Fighter / bomber 1999 14 Some were supplied by Belarus 1999[6]
Su-25 Russia Jet Attack 12
Su-27 Russia Jet Fighter 1
Su-30 Russia Jet Fighter 18 on order[7]
CASA C-212 Spain Propeller patrol 4
ERJ-135 Brazil Jet Transport 1[8] VIP
Yak-40 Soviet Union Jet Transport 1[9] VIP
Antonov An-12 Ukraine Propeller Transport 10
Antonov An-26 Ukraine Propeller Transport 1
Antonov An-32 Ukraine Propeller Transport 7
Antonov An-74 Ukraine Jet Transport 7 STOL
CASA C-212 Spain Propeller Transport 2
Dornier 28 Germany Propeller Utility 1
Il-76 Russia Jet Transport 9
Bell 212 United States Helicopter Utility 9
Mil Mi-8/17 Russia Helicopter Utility 53
Mil Mi-24/35 Russia Helicopter Attack 15
IAR 316 Romania Helicopter Transport 20 Liaison craft
SA 341 France Helicopter Patrol 8
AgustaWestland AW109 Italy Helicopter Utility 6 (delivery 2016/2017)
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy Helicopter Utility / SAR 2 [10]
Embraer EMB-312 Tucano Brazil Propeller Trainer 13 Tucanos were acquired from Peru[11]
Aero L-29 Czech Republic Jet Trainer 6
Aero L-39 Albatros Czech Republic Jet Trainer 3
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland Propeller Trainer 22
Pilatus PC-9 Switzerland Propeller Trainer 4

Gallery

Angolan Air Force MiG-21bis 
Angolan VIP Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 
Ilyushin Il-76 of the Angolan Air Force 

Accidents and incidents

On 14 September 2011, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, operated by the Angolan Air Force, crashed just after takeoff from Nova Lisboa Airport,[12] killing 11 army officers (including three generals, among them Kalias Pedro) and six civilians.[13][14] The accident occurred at 11:30 am at the airport, with a military delegation on board the flight at Albano Machado Airport.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 Cooper, Tom & Weinert, Peter (2010). African MiGs: Volume I: Angola to Ivory Coast. Harpia Publishing LLC. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-9825539-5-4.
  2. ↑ Cooper and Weinert 2010, 52, 54, 60.
  3. ↑ "Non official site with history of FAN" (in Portuguese). fanangola.webnode.pt. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  4. ↑ World Air Forces 2016. Flightglobal International. 2015. p. 11.
  5. ↑ "World Air Forces 2001 pg. 35". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "World Air Forces 2001 pg. 35". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "World Air Forces 2015 pg. 10". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Angolan Air Force embraer crash". .flightglobal.com. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Angolan Air Force VIP Ya-40 visits Malta". Air Forces Monthly. Key Publishing: 13. December 2014.
  10. ↑ http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45642&catid=74&Itemid=30
  11. ↑ "World Air Forces 2002 pg. 35". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Accident Description". Aviation Safety Network. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  13. ↑ "Angola: Huambo air force plane crash kills generals". BBC News. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012
  14. ↑ "Angola army says 17 killed in air crash". Dawn.com. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "17 Killed in Wednesday Air Force plane crash". Angola Press Agency. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.

Further reading

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