Air Arm Command (Botswana)
Botswana’s Air Arm Command was formed in April 1977, when cross-border raids forced a country that had chosen to have no army to build one; it went from nine second-hand Strikemasters to 18 ex-Canadian CF-5s, built its own air base in the bush near Molepolole, and in 2026 is still flying those 1970s fighters while it talks about a successor and lives on donated American Hercules.
The Air Arm Command story: a country without an army, ex-Canadian CF-5s and an air base built in the bush
1966–1977: a country without an army, and the raids that changed its mind
When Botswana became independent in 1966 it chose not to have a standing army. That decision did not survive the wars around it. In the mid-1970s Rhodesian and South African forces crossed the border in pursuit of guerrillas operating from Botswanan territory, and on 15 April 1977 Parliament passed the act that created the Botswana Defence Force. An air wing was formed with it in April 1977. Its first combat aircraft were second-hand: Wikipedia’s history of the BAC Strikemaster records nine refurbished jets, Mk 83s from Kuwait and Mk 87s from Kenya, two of which were later sold on to Ivory Coast. Light transports and utility types followed — Islanders and Defenders, Skyvans, Bulldog trainers and O-2 observation aircraft all appear in its list of retired types, though the dates of most are not documented in sources that could be checked.
1977–1996: nine Strikemasters and a war next door
The air wing was too small to matter in the wars that shaped it, and it did not fight them. South Africa’s raids on ANC targets in Botswana were carried out by commandos on the ground: on 14 June 1985 a raid on Gaborone killed people at the Medu Art Ensemble, and on 21 June 1985 the UN Security Council unanimously condemned it in Resolution 568 as a gross violation of Botswana’s sovereignty and demanded compensation. South Africa said it was attacking ANC targets. Later South African raids are referred to in general terms, but no source that could be checked gave their dates or casualties, so they are not detailed here. The air wing’s first real test abroad came later and on the ground: 380 BDF soldiers joined the SADC intervention in Lesotho, Operation Boleas, in 1998–1999, with no recorded air role.
1996–2000: CF-5s from Canada and a base of its own
The air arm’s modern shape dates from the 1990s. Foreign contractors built a main base in the bush near Molepolole, west of Gaborone, between 1992 and 1996 — today’s Thebephatshwa air base, also called Maparangwane. In 1996 Botswana began replacing the Strikemasters with ex-Canadian Canadair CF-116s, locally called BF-5s: ten single-seat CF-116As and three two-seat CF-116Bs, with three more single-seaters and two two-seaters following in 2000 from Canadian surplus stocks — 18 aircraft in all, flown by Z28 Squadron. The squadron numbering is local: every unit is "Z", for squadron. In 1997 three C-130B Hercules came from the North Carolina Air National Guard through the US State Partnership Programme; they became, in defenceWeb’s words, the backbone of the BDF’s air operations for a quarter of a century.
2008–2018: crashes, an ageing fleet and the replacement question
The cost of running an old fleet showed in the accident record. In July 2018 the defence minister, Shaw Kgathi, told Parliament that the air wing had lost nine aircraft and six people in the previous ten years, six of the crashes caused by pilot error. Two PC-7 Mk IIs collided over Letlhakeng on 20 October 2011, killing two of the four crew; a CASA C-212 crashed soon after take-off from Thebephatshwa on 9 February 2017, killing all three on board; and on 27 April 2018 a BF-5 crashed at the Gaborone golf club during rehearsals, killing the pilot. The replacement question was already open: in 2013 the then air arm chief, Major General Odirile Mashinyana, reported that the CF-5s needed replacing but advised upgrading them while money was saved for a well-chosen successor.
2021–2026: Mozambique, Hercules from America and the fighter that never comes
That successor has not arrived. Wikipedia lists the KAI T-50, used F-16s, the Saab Gripen and India’s Tejas as types considered since 2013, and says that by January 2025 the Tejas was no longer in the running; no order has been confirmed. Meanwhile the air arm has been busy in other ways. It flew Botswana’s contingent, 296 soldiers in July 2021, into the SADC mission in Mozambique and supported it until the BDF left in April 2024. Its transport fleet nearly collapsed — the last flying C-130B was grounded — and the United States rebuilt it: a C-130H, OM4, worth 30 million dollars, was handed over on 27 June 2024, two more were notified to Congress in August 2025, and Botswana accepted another in July 2026. The air arm chief’s words at the 2024 handover sum up the decade: with one aircraft, if a little screw falls off, he is down to zero.
The Air Arm Command (Botswana) in numbers
Service
- Name
- Air Arm CommandEnglish is the official language of the Botswana Defence Force. Older sources say Botswana Defence Force Air Wing or Air Arm; no official Setswana name was found
- Founded
- April 1977Formed with the Botswana Defence Force, which was created by an act of Parliament on 15 April 1977
- Part of
- Botswana Defence ForceOne of the BDF’s three commands
- Chief of Air Arm Command
- Maj. Gen. Hendrick Thuthu RakgantswanaAs quoted by defenceWeb in June 2024; current tenure not confirmed
- BDF Commander
- Gen. Mpho Churchill MophutingAs listed by Wikipedia
- Headquarters
- GaboroneThe main flying base is Thebephatshwa, near Molepolole
Strength
- Personnel
- About 500Wikipedia’s infobox estimate
- Combat aircraft
-
- Canadair CF-5A/D (BF-5) — 15 (11 A, 4 D in 2021; 10 A, 5 D in another count)
18 delivered in 1996 and 2000 (13 A, 5 D); defenceWeb reported a fleet of 15 at the time of the April 2018 crash
- Transport
-
- C-130H Hercules — 1, with more donated
- CASA C-212 — 3
- CN235 — 2
- Dornier 328 — 1
- BN-2 Defender — 2 or 10
- Beech Super King Air 200 — 1
- Bombardier Global 5000 (VIP) — 1
The Defender count differs: Wikipedia lists two, defenceWeb (July 2026) ten
- Helicopters
-
- Bell 412 — 6
- AS350 — 10
- AW189 — 1 on order
Wikipedia’s inventory, sourced to the IISS and others
- Trainers
-
- Pilatus PC-7 Mk II — 5
Infrastructure
- Air bases
-
- Thebephatshwa (Maparangwane), near Molepolole — main base, built 1992–1996
- Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Gaborone
- Francistown Airport — joint civil and military since 2011
As listed by Wikipedia
- Squadrons
- Z1, Z3, Z7, Z10, Z12, Z21, Z23, Z28 and a VIP flightZ stands for squadron; Z28 flies the BF-5
- Losses 2008–2018
- Nine aircraft, six people killedDefence minister Shaw Kgathi to Parliament, July 2018
How the Air Arm Command (Botswana) is organised
One of the three commands of the Botswana Defence Force, headquartered in Gaborone, with eight numbered “Z” squadrons and a VIP Flight. Six of the squadrons fly from one base, Thebephatshwa near Molepolole, among them Z28 with about 15 Canadair CF-5s from the 1990s, Botswana’s only fighters, for which no successor has been ordered. The transport fleet now rests on C-130Hs donated by the United States since 2024.
Air Arm Command
One of the three commands of the Botswana Defence Force, formed with it in April 1977 and headquartered in Gaborone, about 500 strong by Wikipedia’s estimate. defenceWeb quoted Maj Gen Hendrick Thuthu Rakgantswana as Chief of Air Arm Command in June 2024; his appointment date and whether he still holds the post were not confirmed. The BDF is commanded by Gen Mpho Churchill Mophuting.
Z28 Squadron
Botswana’s only fighters: Canadair CF-5s from Canadian surplus stocks, called BF-5s locally, 18 of them delivered in 1996 and 2000 and about 15 in use. One crashed in Gaborone on 27 April 2018, killing the pilot. A successor has been discussed since 2013 and no order is confirmed; by January 2025, according to Wikipedia, India’s Tejas was out of the running.
Z10 Squadron
The C-130, C-212 and CN235 squadron. With its last C-130B grounded it was down to one Hercules until the United States handed over C-130H OM4 on 27 June 2024; two more were notified to Congress in August 2025 and Botswana accepted another in July 2026, and how many had arrived by October 2026 was not confirmed.
Z7 Squadron
Five Pilatus PC-7 Mk II basic trainers and the Super King Air 200, according to Wikipedia. Two of its PC-7s collided over Letlhakeng on 20 October 2011, killing two of the four crew.
Z21 and Z23 Squadrons
Z21 Squadron flies six Bell 412s and Z23 Squadron ten AS350 Écureuils, used among other tasks for search and rescue and anti-poaching; an AS350B was lost on an anti-poaching mission in December 2020. One AW189 is listed as on order by Wikipedia.
Z1, Z3 and Z12 Squadrons and the VIP Flight
Wikipedia lists Z1 as a transport squadron at Thebephatshwa and Z3 (liaison) and Z12 (transport) at Francistown, without saying which aircraft they fly. The VIP Flight, with a Bombardier Global 5000, is at Gaborone’s international airport.
What the Air Arm Command (Botswana) 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadair CF-5A and CF-5D (CF-116, local BF-5)In service | Fighter and lead-in trainer | 15 | 1996 | Wikipedia’s CF-5 article gives 11 CF-5A and 4 CF-5D in use in 2021; its Air Arm Command article lists 10 CF-5A and 5 CF-5D. 18 were delivered (13 A, 5 D). | ||
| Lockheed C-130H HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 1 | 2024 | OM4 delivered in 2024; two more C-130Hs (12 million dollars each) were notified to Congress on 5 August 2025, and Botswana accepted another in July 2026.
MoreHow many had arrived by October 2026 was not confirmed. |
||
| CASA C-212 AviocarIn service | Light transport | 3 | Three (Wikipedia and defenceWeb). | |||
| CASA/IPTN CN235In service | Transport | 2 | Two. | |||
| Dornier 328In service | Transport | 1 | One. | |||
| Britten-Norman BN-2 DefenderIn service | Utility and liaison | 2 | Contested: Wikipedia lists two; defenceWeb (July 2026) lists ten. | |||
| Beechcraft Super King Air 200In service | Transport and liaison | 1 | One. | |||
| Bombardier Global 5000In service | VIP transport | 1 | One. | |||
| Bell 412EP/SPIn service | Utility, search and rescue, anti-poaching | 6 | Six. | |||
| Eurocopter AS350 ÉcureuilIn service | Light utility helicopter | 10 | Ten (Wikipedia). | |||
| Pilatus PC-7 Mk IIIn service | Basic trainer | 5 | Five. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo AW189On order | 1 | Listed as one on order by Wikipedia; no contract date or delivery was found. | ||
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules (US donations)On order | Two C-130Hs worth 12 million dollars each were notified to Congress on 5 August 2025 and Botswana accepted a further donation in July 2026; whether these overlap, and how many have arrived, was not confirmed. |
Every type the Air Arm Command (Botswana) has retired
8 types, from the Lockheed C-130B Hercules to the Lockheed C-130B Hercules. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed C-130B Hercules | Tactical transport | 3 | 1997–2024 | C-130H | Three ex-North Carolina Air National Guard; one (OM1) was stored and two (OM2, OM3) flew. | |
| BAC Strikemaster Mk 83 and Mk 87 | Light attack and trainer | 9 | CF-5 | Nine second-hand: Mk 83s from Kuwait and Mk 87s from Kenya; two were later sold to Ivory Coast. | ||
| Cessna O-2 Skymaster | Observation and liaison | Number not found. | ||||
| Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander | Utility transport | Number not found. | ||||
| Short Skyvan | Light transport | Number not found. | ||||
| Scottish Aviation Bulldog | Basic trainer | Number not found. | ||||
| Cessna 150 | Trainer | Number not found. | ||||
| Gulfstream IV | VIP transport | 1 | Global 5000 | One. |
Where the Air Arm Command flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the airfields listed has closed. Botswana has one full air base, Thebephatshwa near Molepolole, built by mostly foreign contractors between 1992 and 1996 with aircraft shelters and ordnance storage; the other two are shared with civil airports. The VIP Flight is at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone, and the BDF has used the old terminal at Francistown since 2011. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FrancistownPhillip Gaonwe Matante International AirportNorth-East District, Francistown | FBPM | Active |
|
|
| Sir Seretse Khama International AirportVIP FlightSouth-East District, Gaborone | FBSK | Active | 08/264,000 mconcrete |
|
| ThebephatshwaKweneng District, near Molepolole | FBTP | Active | 08/263,002 masphalt and concrete08L/26R2,007 masphalt and concrete |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Air Arm Command (Botswana)
Flying units by base, current units first. Every Botswana squadron carries a “Z”, for squadron, before its number: Z28 flies the BF-5 fighters, Z10 the Hercules transports and Z21 and Z23 the helicopters. The squadron list is Wikipedia’s, because the BDF does not publish its order of battle, and Wikipedia does not say which aircraft Z1, Z3 and Z12 fly.
- Z28 SquadronFighter squadron · active
- Canadair CF-5A/D (BF-5)
- Z10 SquadronTransport squadron · active
- C-130 Hercules, CASA C-212 Aviocar, CASA/IPTN CN235
- Z7 SquadronTraining squadron · active
- Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, Beechcraft Super King Air 200
- Z21 SquadronHelicopter squadron · active
- Bell 412
- Z23 SquadronHelicopter squadron · active
- Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
- Z1 SquadronTransport squadron · active
- VIP FlightVIP transport · active
- Bombardier Global 5000 and other VIP aircraft
- Z3 SquadronTransport (liaison) squadron · active
- Z12 SquadronTransport squadron · active
No unit matches that search.
Air Arm Command (Botswana) milestones, 1914 to today
15 April: Parliament creates the Botswana Defence Force; the air wing is formed the same month.
14 June: South African commandos raid Gaborone; 21 June: UN Security Council Resolution 568 condemns the raid unanimously.
Work starts on the main air base near Molepolole (Thebephatshwa), finished in 1996.
Ten CF-116As and three CF-116Bs from Canada begin replacing the Strikemaster.
Three C-130B Hercules arrive from the North Carolina Air National Guard.
380 BDF soldiers join Operation Boleas in Lesotho (to 1999).
Three more single-seat and two two-seat CF-5s arrive, making 18.
20 October: two PC-7 Mk IIs collide over Letlhakeng; two crew killed. Francistown becomes a joint civil and military airport.
Air arm chief Maj. Gen. Odirile Mashinyana recommends upgrading the BF-5s while saving for a successor.
9 February: a C-212 crashes after take-off from Thebephatshwa; three killed.
27 April: a BF-5 crashes in Gaborone, killing the pilot. July: the minister reports nine aircraft and six lives lost in ten years.
December: an AS350B crashes on an anti-poaching mission.
July: 296 BDF personnel deploy to SAMIM in Mozambique. October: a BDF C-130 is damaged on the ground at Pemba by a LAM airliner.
April: the BDF leaves SAMIM. 27 June: the US hands over C-130H OM4.
January: the Tejas is reported to be out of the fighter race. August: two more C-130Hs notified to Congress. September: OM4 flies in Exercise Blue Lugwasho.
July: Botswana accepts another donated C-130H; the US hands over about one million dollars of Hercules spares.
Every operation the Air Arm Command has been part of
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- South African raids on Botswana 1985 No air engagement is recorded; the raids were carried out by South African ground forces against ANC targets
- Operation Boleas 1998–1999 Contributed 380 soldiers to the SADC task force; no air role is recorded in the sources found
- SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) 2021–2024 Contributed troops to SADC’s counter-insurgency mission; the air arm’s C-130s supported the deployment
Who built the Air Arm Command (Botswana) 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
CASA, Lockheed, Beechcraft, Bell, Bombardier, Britten-Norman, Canadair, Dornier, Eurocopter, IPTN, Leonardo, Pilatus
Former fleet
Cessna, British Aircraft Corporation, Gulfstream, Scottish Aviation, Short Brothers
Everything people ask about the Air Arm Command (Botswana)
What is Botswana’s air force called?
When was the Botswana air force founded?
What fighter jets does Botswana fly?
Is Botswana buying the Gripen?
What did Botswana fly before the CF-5?
Where is Botswana’s main air base?
Did the Botswana air force fight South Africa in the 1980s?
Why does Botswana fly donated American Hercules?
Has the Botswana air force had many crashes?
Read the aircraft the Air Arm Command (Botswana) 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: US gifts C-130 Hercules to Botswana (28 June 2024)OM4, 30 million dollars, arrived 24 May, handed over 27 June 2024; Maj. Gen. Hendrick Thuthu Rakgantswana, Chief of Air Arm Command; minister Kagiso Mmusi on the grounded C-130B.
- defenceWeb: Botswana to get another C-130 Hercules from the United States (14 July 2026)C-130B history (1997, OM1–OM3); two C-130Hs notified 5 August 2025 at 12 million dollars each; transport fleet incl. three C-212, two CN235, one Do 328, ten Defenders.
- defenceWeb: Botswana Defence Force lost an aircraft a year to crashes (23 July 2018)Minister Shaw Kgathi: nine aircraft and six personnel lost in ten years; CF-5 crash 27 April with fleet of 15; C-212 crash February 2017 and C-212-400 replacement.
- defenceWeb: articles tagged Botswana Defence ForceHeadlines and dates: AS350 crash (7 December 2020); C-130 damaged by LAM aircraft at Pemba (28 October 2021); another C212 (18 April 2019); deployment to Mozambique (26 July 2021); soldier killed in Mozambique (11 February 2022); C-130 spares (January and September 2026).
- defenceWeb: Botswana exits SAMIM as Rwanda grows troop numbers (9 April 2024)Farewell parade 5 April 2024; in Cabo Delgado since October 2023; SAMIM to leave in July 2024.
- defenceWeb: Six SADC air forces bolster Ex Blue Lugwasho with aircraft contributions (19 September 2025)Botswana’s C-130 OM4; maize airlift Lusaka–Livingstone, 9–26 September 2025.
- defenceWeb: African Military Profile: Botswana (15 December 2025)BDF of three commands including Air Arm Command; ageing fleet revitalised by US donations.
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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