Benin Air Force
The Benin Air Force began in 1960 as Dahomey’s small French-equipped transport flight, took Soviet An-26s as the People’s Republic’s air arm, shrank by 2021 to two working aircraft according to French Wikipedia, and has since been rebuilt with French-supplied helicopters for the war against jihadist groups in the north, without ever owning a combat jet.
The Benin Air Force story: Dahomey’s transport flight, Soviet Antonovs and helicopters for the northern front
1960–1975: Dahomey’s transport flight
Dahomey’s air arm, the Force Aérienne du Dahomey, dates from independence in 1960; English Wikipedia says its first aircraft arrived in 1961, among them a Douglas C-47 and an Alouette II helicopter. French Wikipedia lists the equipment of the first years as seven C-47s, four Max Holste Broussards and two Agusta-Bell 47G helicopters — English Wikipedia counts three C-47s in service in 1987. A Reims Cessna Skymaster followed in 1973. The job was transport, liaison and carrying the government; no combat role is recorded in the sources checked.
1975–1990: the People’s air force and its Antonovs
On 30 November 1975 the country became the People’s Republic of Benin and the air arm the Forces Aériennes Populaires du Bénin. Soviet aircraft followed: two Antonov An-26 transports around 1978. Two Fokker F27s entered service in 1978 and later passed to the airline Air Bénin, and two Dornier Do 128-2s arrived at the end of 1985. On 17 January 1977 a group of mercenaries led by Bob Denard attacked Cotonou in a failed coup attempt backed, according to Wikipedia, by exiled Beninese opponents (Opération Crevette); but no role for the air force was found in the sources checked.
1990–2021: a republic’s air arm runs down
When the People’s Republic ended, the service was renamed the Forces Aériennes du Bénin on 1 March 1990. A DHC-6 Twin Otter came in 1989, Hawker Siddeley 748 transports from Belgium, four ex-Belgian AW109BA helicopters (2007, according to defenceWeb) and, in 2010, two LH Aviation LH-10 Grand Duc light aircraft for surveillance. Presidential flying used a Fokker F28, a Boeing 727 and, by 2013, a Boeing 707 that defenceWeb described as possibly grounded. French Wikipedia says the air force had about 400 people and a dozen aircraft in 2010, but only two aircraft operational in 2021. Its stated tasks, per Wikipedia, ranged from surveillance and support to the army to anti-poaching patrols and search and rescue.
2022–2026: helicopters for the northern front
Jihadist groups reached northern Benin in 2019, and in January 2022 the government launched Operation Mirador, putting nearly 3,000 troops on the northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger (Africa Center for Strategic Studies). The air force was rebuilt around it. Two Airbus AS550 Fennecs came in 2020; two H125M helicopters with Trakka TC-300 electro-optical cameras arrived on 3 February 2023; and in early July 2023 France supplied three ex-Jordanian Super Pumas. A dozen AutoGyro Cavalon Sentinel gyrocopters began arriving in 2024. Losses on the ground have been heavy: 28 soldiers killed in an attack on a base in Alibori on 8 January 2025 and at least 54 in W National Park on 17 April 2025, according to the Africa Center, which judged the air effort to suffer from "aerial blindness" — too few drones, poorly used.
The air force that never had a Mirage
A story told for decades holds that in 1987 the javelin thrower Mathieu Boya hit a bird with a golf ball, the bird fell into the cockpit of a Mirage, and the crash destroyed the whole air force. English Wikipedia points out that the Benin Air Force has never operated the Mirage or any combat aircraft. The real air force in 2026, per defenceWeb, is about 250 people with three Super Pumas, two H125M/AS550 Fennecs, four AW109BAs, an MA600 and a King Air 350 transport, a Cessna 208B and an LH-10 for surveillance, with nothing on order. On 7 December 2025, during a failed coup attempt in Cotonou, it was Nigerian Super Tucanos and a drone that struck the mutineers, according to reports summarised by Wikipedia; no role for Benin’s own air force was reported.
The Benin Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Forces Aériennes du BéninName since 1 March 1990, per English Wikipedia. Earlier: Force Aérienne du Dahomey and, from 30 November 1975, Forces Aériennes Populaires du Bénin. The defence ministry’s air force page could not be opened
- Founded
- 1960With independence; the first aircraft arrived in 1961. No exact founding day was found
- Part of
- Benin Armed ForcesWith the army, navy and National Guard
- Headquarters
- Cotonou Air BaseBase Aérienne de Cotonou at Cadjehoun airport
- Chief of Staff of the Air Force
- Col. Hermann William AvocanhSince 14 November 2016 per English Wikipedia; still named by defenceWeb in May 2026
- President
- Romuald WadagniSince 24 May 2026
Strength
- Personnel
- About 250–400About 250 per defenceWeb (May 2026); 400 in defenceWeb’s older profile and in French Wikipedia for 2010
- Combat aircraft
- NoneBenin has never operated a combat jet (English Wikipedia)
- Helicopters
-
- H215/AS332 Super Puma — 3
- AW109BA — 4
- H125M/AS550 Fennec — 2
- AS350B Écureuil — 2, status unclear
- Mi-8 — 1, status unclear
defenceWeb inventory, May 2026. defenceWeb’s parade report counts two AS350-family helicopters received in 2020 and two in 2023
- Transport
-
- Xi’an MA600 — 1
- Beechcraft King Air 350 — 1
- BAe 748 — 1, status unclear
defenceWeb inventory, May 2026
- Surveillance
-
- Cessna 208B — 1
- LH-10 Grand Duc — about 1
- AutoGyro Cavalon and Calidus Sentinel gyrocopters — about a dozen Cavalons from 2024
Which service flies the gyrocopters was not stated. China donated four PMR-50 drones to Benin’s forces in March 2023
- Defence budget
- 126.13 billion CFA francs (2025)About 222 million US dollars, per defenceWeb; for the whole armed forces
Infrastructure
- Air bases
-
- Cotonou — Base Aérienne de Cotonou (BACO), Cadjehoun airport, headquarters
- Cana — Base Aérienne de Cana (BACA)
Named by English Wikipedia and defenceWeb
- Attacks on the capital
-
- 17 January 1977 — mercenary attack on Cotonou led by Bob Denard, repulsed
- 7 December 2025 — failed coup attempt; Nigerian Super Tucanos and a drone struck the mutineers
No role for Benin’s own air force was reported in either case in the sources checked
- Operational area
- Northern borders (Operation Mirador)Since January 2022, nearly 3,000 troops along the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger
How the Benin Air Force is organised
The air arm of the Benin Armed Forces, about 250 strong according to defenceWeb, with its headquarters at Cotonou Air Base and a second base at Cana. It has never operated a combat jet: its front line is three Super Pumas supplied by France in 2023 and a handful of light helicopters, gathered for Operation Mirador against jihadist groups on the northern borders. French Wikipedia says only two aircraft were operational in 2021, and defenceWeb lists nothing on order in 2026.
Benin Air Force
The air arm of the Benin Armed Forces, about 250 strong according to defenceWeb in May 2026, with its headquarters at Cotonou Air Base. The chief of staff is Colonel Hermann William Avocanh, appointed on 14 November 2016 according to English Wikipedia and still named by defenceWeb in 2026; the appointment could not be confirmed on an official site. Romuald Wadagni became president on 24 May 2026.
Super Pumas
Three ex-Jordanian Super Pumas supplied by France in early July 2023 for counter-terrorism in the north; sources differ on the variant (H215, AS332 or AS532), and the Africa Center describes the French helicopters as armed. One carried the national flag at the independence parade of 1 August 2025.
Light helicopters
Two H125Ms with Trakka TC-300 electro-optical cameras, flown in on 3 February 2023, two AS550 Fennecs received in 2020 and four ex-Belgian AW109BAs; defenceWeb also lists two AS350B Écureuils and a Mi-8 whose status is unclear.
Fixed-wing fleet
A Xi’an MA600 and a King Air 350 transport, a Cessna 208B and an LH-10 Grand Duc for surveillance, and a BAe 748 of unclear status, per defenceWeb. About a dozen AutoGyro Cavalon Sentinel gyrocopters began arriving in 2024; which service flies them was not stated.
What the Benin Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Helicopters H215 / AS332 Super PumaIn service | Transport helicopter | 3 | 2023 | Three, ex-Jordanian (registrations TY-39H, TY-40H, TY-41H per French Wikipedia). | ||
| Airbus Helicopters H125MIn service | Light armed reconnaissance helicopter | 2 | 2023 | Two (TY-37H and TY-38H per French Wikipedia). | ||
| Airbus Helicopters AS550 FennecIn service | Light utility helicopter | 2 | 2020 | Two received in 2020 (Africa Defense Forum; defenceWeb calls them AS350s). Whether both remain in service is unclear: defenceWeb’s 2026 inventory lists only two H125M/AS550 in all. | ||
| AgustaWestland AW109BAIn service | Light utility helicopter | 4 | 2007 | Four. | ||
| Aérospatiale AS350B ÉcureuilIn service | Light utility helicopter | 2 | Two, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026). | |||
| Mil Mi-8In service | Transport helicopter | 1 | One, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026). | |||
| Xi’an MA600In service | Transport | 1 | One. | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 350In service | Transport | 1 | One. | |||
| Cessna 208B Grand CaravanIn service | Surveillance and reconnaissance | 1 | One. | |||
| LH Aviation LH-10 Grand DucIn service | Light surveillance aircraft | 1 | 2010 | Two bought in 2010; about one left per defenceWeb (2026). | ||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 / BAe 748In service | Transport | 1 | One, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026); English Wikipedia counts three operated in all. | |||
| AutoGyro Cavalon Sentinel and Calidus SentinelIn service | Surveillance gyrocopter | 2024 | About a dozen Cavalons, with deliveries starting in 2024, and an unstated number of Calidus. |
Every type the Benin Air Force has retired
10 types, from the Douglas C-47 Skytrain to the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | Utility transport | 1 | 1989– | One. | ||
| Humbert Tétras | Light aircraft | 2 | "A couple" per Africa Defense Forum (2023). | |||
| Antonov An-26 | Transport | 2 | 1978– | Two. | ||
| Fokker F27-600 Friendship | Transport | 2 | 1978– | Two. | ||
| Dornier Do 128-2 Skyservant | Light transport | 2 | 1985– | Two. | ||
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain | Transport | 1961– | Seven per French Wikipedia; English Wikipedia counts three in 1987; defenceWeb listed two in its 2013 profile. | |||
| Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard | Light utility (STOL) | 4 | 1961– | Four per French Wikipedia. | ||
| Sud Aviation Alouette II and Agusta-Bell 47G | Light helicopter | 1961– | Two AB 47G per French Wikipedia; one Alouette II (SA313B) still listed by defenceWeb in 2013. | |||
| Reims Cessna Skymaster and Aero Commander 500B | Liaison | 1973– | Numbers not found. | |||
| Fokker F28, Boeing 707-320 and Boeing 727 | Presidential transport | One of each as far as published. |
Where the Benin Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the airfields listed has closed. The Benin Air Force has two bases: the Base Aérienne de Cotonou (BACO) on the military side of Cotonou’s international airport at Cadjehoun, and the Base Aérienne de Cana (BACA) inland near Bohicon, with a paved 2,576-metre runway. The sources reached do not say which aircraft are kept at which base.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CanaBohicon/Cana AirportZou Department | DBBC | Active | 04/222,576 m | |
| CotonouCardinal Bernardin Gantin International AirportLittoral Department (Cotonou) | DBBB | Active | 06/242,400 m |
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Benin Air Force
Units by base. Benin publishes no squadron designations or basing for its aircraft, so no flying units are listed at Cotonou or Cana. The fleet is described by type on the service page.
No unit matches that search.
Benin Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
Dahomey becomes independent; the Force Aérienne du Dahomey is formed.
First aircraft arrive, including a C-47 and an Alouette II.
A Reims Cessna Skymaster is added.
30 November: the People’s Republic of Benin is proclaimed; the air arm becomes the Forces Aériennes Populaires du Bénin.
17 January: mercenaries led by Bob Denard attack Cotonou and are driven off (Opération Crevette).
Two Antonov An-26s and two Fokker F27s enter service.
Two Dornier Do 128-2s arrive at the end of the year.
A DHC-6 Twin Otter is acquired.
1 March: renamed Forces Aériennes du Bénin as the republic is restored.
Four ex-Belgian AW109BA helicopters acquired (defenceWeb).
Two LH-10 Grand Duc light aircraft added.
14 November: Lt-Col. Hermann William Avocanh appointed chief of staff of the air force.
Two AS550 Fennec helicopters delivered.
January: Operation Mirador launched, nearly 3,000 troops on the northern borders.
3 February: two H125Ms delivered. March: China donates four PMR-50 drones. Early July: France supplies three ex-Jordanian Super Pumas.
8 January: 28 soldiers killed at a base in Alibori. 17 April: at least 54 soldiers killed in W National Park. 7 December: failed coup attempt in Cotonou; Nigerian aircraft strike the mutineers.
24 May: Romuald Wadagni becomes president.
Every war the Benin Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Operation Mirador 2022– Helicopter transport, reconnaissance and casualty evacuation in support of ground forces; surveillance
Who built the Benin Air Force fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Current fleet and orders
Airbus Helicopters, Aérospatiale, AgustaWestland, AutoGyro, Beechcraft, British Aerospace, Calidus, Cessna, Hawker Siddeley, LH Aviation, Mil, Xi’an
Former fleet
Fokker, Aero Commander, Agusta, Antonov, Boeing, Dornier, Douglas, Humbert Aviation, Max Holste, Reims Aviation, Sud Aviation, de Havilland Canada
Everything people ask about the Benin Air Force
What is the Benin Air Force called in French?
When was the Benin Air Force founded?
Does Benin have fighter jets?
Is the story of the golf ball that destroyed Benin’s air force true?
What helicopters does the Benin Air Force fly?
What does the Benin Air Force do in the north?
Where are the Benin Air Force bases?
Did the air force take part in the December 2025 coup attempt?
How big is the Benin Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Benin Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- defenceWeb: Benin (African militaries profile, Armand Liebenberg, 26 May 2026)Chief of staff, about 250 personnel, aircraft inventory, bases, defence minister and 2025 budget, April 2025 losses, December 2025 coup attempt.
- defenceWeb: Benin (African militaries profile, 6 February 2013)Older inventory: 400 personnel, AW109BAs ex-Belgian 2007, An-26s apparently grounded, Boeing 707 possibly grounded.
- defenceWeb: Benin parades new armoured vehicles (Guy Martin, 12 August 2025)AS350s in 2020 and 2023, three ex-Jordanian Super Pumas, Cavalon and Calidus gyrocopters from 2024.
- Military Africa: Benin’s Air Force boosts counterterrorism efforts with new H125M helicopters (June 2023)Two H125Ms delivered 3 February 2023 by Il-76, Trakka systems; PMR-50 drones donated by China.
- Military Africa: Benin receives Puma helicopters from France to enhance counter-terrorism fight (July 2023)Three Pumas from France for the north; Mi-171 purchase delayed.
- Africa Defense Forum: Super Pumas join Benin’s air force (September 2023)Three H215s and two H125Ms; two AS550s in 2020; Operation Mirador; other fleet.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, via defenceWeb: Adapting Benin’s battle with violent militant groups (Anouar Boukhars, 11 February 2026)Operation Mirador, the January and April 2025 attacks, 2025 death estimate, "aerial blindness".
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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