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Kenya Air Force

The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the national Air force of Kenya. Due to lack of combat it largely provides relief services.

The main air base hosting fighters is the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is another major airport used by the Kenya Air Force.

Fleet

The fleet is ancient and tiny in western terms, but not worse when compared to many other African countries. Until the recent purchase of Chinese Y-12 planes, all of the aircraft were from western countries due to military aid. The fleet consists of: ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | Aérospatiale SA-330 Puma ||

|| transport helicopter || SA-330G || 12 || 9 built by IAR |----- | BAE Hawk || || trainer || Hawk 52 || 8 || |----- | de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo || || tactical transport || DHC-5D || 7 || |----- | de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 || || transport || DHC-8 || 3 || |----- | Dornier Do 28 || || utility || Do 28D || 4 || |----- | Fokker 70 || || tactical transport || F70 || 1 || |----- | Harbin Y-12 || || utility transport || Y-12 || 24 || |----- | MD Helicopters MD 500 || || utility helicopter

scout helicopter

attack helicopter || MD 500M

MD 500MD

MD 500MD/TOW || 10

15 || |----- | Northrop F-5 Tiger II || || fighter

trainer || F-5E

F-5F || 5

2 || |----- | Scottish Aviation Bulldog || || trainer || Bulldog 103

Bulldog 127 || 3

2 || 5 built

9 built |----- | Shorts Tucano || || trainer || Tucano || 11 || |}

The anti aircraft capability is formidable with Mistral anti aircraft missiles and 25, 35 and 40mm cannons all under optronic control.

In addition to the Air Force, the police air wing operates 11 aircraft.

Former fleet:

Aérospatiale SA-342 Gazelle helicopters (in operation since 1979)
BAC 167 Strikemaster fighters (in operation since 1971) (sold to Botswana 1993-94)
Hawker Hunter fighters (bought from RAF, in operation 1974-79)
DHC-1 Chipmunk trainers (in operation 1964-74)
DHC-2 Beaver bush planes (in operation 1964-83)
DHC-4 Caribou transport (in operation 1966-87)

History

Kenya Air Force was formed on 1 June 1964, soon after independence, with the assistance of United Kingdom.

After a failed coup by a group of Air Force officers on August 1, 1982, the Air Force was disbanded. Air Force activity was reconstituted and placed under tighter army control as '82 Air Force. The Air force regained its independent status in 1994. Currently it is a professional force with F-5 upgrade and procurement underway (10 F-5E, 2 F-5F, and 3 F-5EM from Jordan link). On April 10, 2006 an Harbin Y-12 plane owned by Kenya Air Force crashed near Marsabit. The plane was carrying several local and national politicians. It had 17 on board, of which 14 died. Bonaya Godana, a former minister was among the casualties. The pilot in command was Major David Njoroge.

Commanders

The following officers have been in command of the Kenya Air Force:

12 December 1964 Group Captain I S Stockwell CBE DFC RAF
22 February 1967 Group Captain F Rothwell DFC TD RAF
9 August 1971 Group Captain David John Edwards CBE AFC RAF
17 April 1973 Colonel Dedan Gichuru
27 June 1980 Major General P M Kariuki
1982 Major General Mohamoud Mohamed (as commander of the 82 Air Force)
27 February 1986 Major General Dedan N Gichuru (as commander of the 82 Air Force)
10 May 1989 Major General D K Wachira
28 June 1994 Major General N L Leshan
1 December 2000 Major General S K Muttai
27 November 2003 Major General J W Karangi
10 August 2005 Major General Harold M Tangai