Chad Air Force

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Douglas C-47 in 1976

The Chad Air Force was formed in 1961 as the Escadrille Nationale Tchadienne, and renamed Force Aérienne Tchadienne in 1973. It continues to be part of the Chadian Army.

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

In the 1960s the Chadian Air Force was hardly more than insignificant; it consisted of one hundred men, one DC-3 cargo aircraft, three light observation aircraft, and two helicopters.

In 1973, when its strength was increased to 200 men, still the air force could count on only 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)

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. [2]

During the 1983 conflict with Libya, the Chad Air Force reported destroying eight Libyan Aermacchi F-260s

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.[3]

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. [4] After its repair, it transported US Marines into Niger. [5]

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

[edit] Aircraft inventory

In addition to rotated French aircraft which are often operated by Chad, the Air Force operates 20 aircraft, including 8 helicopters.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service^[1]	Notes
Aermacchi SF-260	Italy	trainer/light attack	SF-260W	2	survivors of 9 captured from Libya
Aérospatiale Alouette III	France	utility helicopter	SA 316	2
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	tactical transport		1
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	tactical transport	C-130A C-130H C-130H-30	1 1 1
Mil Mi-8/17	Russia	transport helicopter	Mi-8 Mi-17	2 2
Mil Mi-24	Russia	attack helicopter	Mi-25	2
Pilatus PC-6	Switzerland	utility transport		2
Pilatus PC-7	Switzerland	trainer		2
Reims F337	France	liaison		2	license built Cessna Skymaster

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 Hercules transports, one working Mi-17 helicopter, and two non-working Mi-24 helicopters^[2].