القوات الجوية في بنين
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
خدمة
- الاسم الأصلي
- 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
- تأسست
- 1960With independence; the first aircraft arrived in 1961. No exact founding day was found
- جزء من
- Benin Armed ForcesWith the army, navy and National Guard
- المقر الرئيسي
- Cotonou Air BaseBase Aérienne de Cotonou at Cadjehoun airport
- رئيس أركان القوات الجوية
- Col. Hermann William AvocanhSince 14 November 2016 per English Wikipedia; still named by defenceWeb in May 2026
- President
- Romuald WadagniSince 24 May 2026
قوة
- الأفراد
- About 250–400About 250 per defenceWeb (May 2026); 400 in defenceWeb’s older profile and in French Wikipedia for 2010
- طائرات حربية
- لا أحدBenin has never operated a combat jet (English Wikipedia)
- طائرات الهليكوبتر
-
- 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
- ينقل
-
- Xi’an MA600 — 1
- بيتشكرافت كينج إير 350 — 1
- BAe 748 — 1, status unclear
defenceWeb inventory, May 2026
- مراقبة
-
- 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
- ميزانية الدفاع
- 126.13 billion CFA francs (2025)About 222 million US dollars, per defenceWeb; for the whole armed forces
بنية تحتية
- القواعد الجوية
-
- 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
- منطقة العمليات
- 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.
القوات الجوية في بنين
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.
طائرات هليكوبتر خفيفة
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
كل نوع متاح برسوم، ويرتبط بصفحته في كتاب الوحوش إن وجدت. تشير الأرقام إلى الطائرات المسجلة، وليس الطائرات المتاحة في يوم معين.
| يكتب | دور | في الخدمة | منذ | الوحدات | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Helicopters H215 / AS332 Super Pumaفي الخدمة | مروحية نقل | 3 | 2023 | Three, ex-Jordanian (registrations TY-39H, TY-40H, TY-41H per French Wikipedia). | ||
| Airbus Helicopters H125Mفي الخدمة | Light armed reconnaissance helicopter | 2 | 2023 | Two (TY-37H and TY-38H per French Wikipedia). | ||
| Airbus Helicopters AS550 Fennecفي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر خفيفة متعددة الأغراض | 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 AW109BAفي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر خفيفة متعددة الأغراض | 4 | 2007 | أربعة. | ||
| Aérospatiale AS350B Écureuilفي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر خفيفة متعددة الأغراض | 2 | Two, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026). | |||
| ميل مي-8في الخدمة | مروحية نقل | 1 | One, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026). | |||
| Xi’an MA600في الخدمة | ينقل | 1 | واحد. | |||
| بيتشكرافت كينج إير 350في الخدمة | ينقل | 1 | واحد. | |||
| سيسنا 208B جراند كارافانفي الخدمة | Surveillance and reconnaissance | 1 | واحد. | |||
| LH Aviation LH-10 Grand Ducفي الخدمة | طائرات المراقبة الخفيفة | 1 | 2010 | Two bought in 2010; about one left per defenceWeb (2026). | ||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 / BAe 748في الخدمة | ينقل | 1 | One, status unclear (defenceWeb 2026); English Wikipedia counts three operated in all. | |||
| AutoGyro Cavalon Sentinel and Calidus Sentinelفي الخدمة | 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. تمثل الأرقام القصوى عدد الطائرات التي تم استلامها على مدار فترة الخدمة بأكملها، وليس قوة الأسطول في أي تاريخ محدد.
| يكتب | دور | قمة | تم تقديمه | تم استبداله بـ | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| دي هافيلاند كندا دي إتش سي-6 توين أوتر | النقل الخدمي | 1 | 1989– | واحد. | ||
| همبرت تيتراس | طائرة خفيفة | 2 | "A couple" per Africa Defense Forum (2023). | |||
| أنتونوف أن-26 | ينقل | 2 | 1978– | اثنين. | ||
| فوكر إف 27-600 فريندشيب | ينقل | 2 | 1978– | اثنين. | ||
| Dornier Do 128-2 Skyservant | النقل الخفيف | 2 | 1985– | اثنين. | ||
| دوغلاس سي-47 سكاي ترين | ينقل | 1961– | Seven per French Wikipedia; English Wikipedia counts three in 1987; defenceWeb listed two in its 2013 profile. | |||
| ماكس هولست MH.1521 بروسارد | المرافق الخفيفة (STOL) | 4 | 1961– | Four per French Wikipedia. | ||
| Sud Aviation Alouette II and Agusta-Bell 47G | مروحية خفيفة | 1961– | Two AB 47G per French Wikipedia; one Alouette II (SA313B) still listed by defenceWeb in 2013. | |||
| Reims Cessna Skymaster and Aero Commander 500B | مسؤول الاتصال | 1973– | لم يتم العثور على الأرقام. | |||
| Fokker F28, Boeing 707-320 and Boeing 727 | النقل الرئاسي | One of each as far as published. |
Where the Benin Air Force flies from
تشير الدبابيس السوداء إلى القواعد النشطة؛ ولم يتم إغلاق أي من المطارات المدرجة. 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.
| قاعدة | منظمة الطيران المدني الدولي (ICAO) | حالة | المدرج | الوحدات والطائرات |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CanaBohicon/Cana AirportZou Department | DBBC | نشيط | 04/222,576 m | |
| CotonouCardinal Bernardin Gantin International AirportLittoral Department (Cotonou) | DBBB | نشيط | 06/242400 متر |
لا توجد قاعدة جوية مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Who is stationed where in the Benin Air Force
الوحدات حسب القاعدة. Benin publishes no squadron designations or basing for its aircraft, so no flying units are listed at Cotonou or Cana. يتم وصف الأسطول حسب النوع في صفحة الخدمة.
لا توجد وحدة مطابقة لهذا البحث.
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.
كل حرب خاضتها القوات الجوية في بنين
الطلعات الجوية والخسائر حيثما يسمح السجل بذلك، وفراغ تام حيثما لا يسمح بذلك.
- عملية ميرادور 2022– Helicopter transport, reconnaissance and casualty evacuation in support of ground forces; surveillance
Who built the Benin Air Force fleet
كل شركة تقف وراء الطائرات الموجودة في هذه الصفحة لها صفحتها الخاصة: القصة، وكل نوع قامت ببنائه، والأرقام، والقوات الجوية الأخرى التي تستخدمها.
الأسطول الحالي والطلبات
طائرات إيرباص المروحية, إيروسباسيال, أغوستا ويستلاند, AutoGyro, بيتشكرافت, شركة بريتيش إيروسبيس, كاليدوس, سيسنا, هوكر سيديلي, LH Aviation, ميل, شيان
الأسطول السابق
فوكر, قائد الطيران, أغوستا, أنتونوف, بوينغ, دورنير, دوغلاس, همبرت للطيران, ماكس هولست, ريمس للطيران, سود أفياسيون, دي هافيلاند كندا
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
كل نوع له صفحة في كتاب الوحوش، في الخدمة أولاً، ثم حسب السنة التي غادر فيها الأسطول.
كل حقيقة، تم التحقق منها
- موقع defenseWeb: بنين (ملف تعريفي عن الجيوش الأفريقية، أرماند ليبنبرغ، 26 مايو 2026)رئيس الأركان، حوالي 250 فرداً، مخزون الطائرات، القواعد، وزير الدفاع وميزانية 2025، خسائر أبريل 2025، محاولة الانقلاب في ديسمبر 2025.
- 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.
- موقع Military Africa: القوات الجوية في بنين تعزز جهود مكافحة الإرهاب بمروحيات H125M الجديدة (يونيو 2023)تم تسليم طائرتين من طراز H125M في 3 فبراير 2023 بواسطة شركة Il-76، أنظمة Trakka؛ وطائرات بدون طيار من طراز PMR-50 تبرعت بها الصين.
- أفريقيا العسكرية: بنين تتسلم طائرات هليكوبتر من طراز بوما من فرنسا لتعزيز مكافحة الإرهاب (يوليو 2023)ثلاث طائرات بوما من فرنسا متجهة إلى الشمال؛ تأجيل شراء طائرات Mi-171.
- منتدى الدفاع الأفريقي: انضمام طائرات سوبر بوما إلى القوات الجوية في بنين (سبتمبر 2023)ثلاث طائرات من طراز H215 وطائرتان من طراز H125M؛ وطائرتان من طراز AS550 في عام 2020؛ عملية ميرادور؛ أسطول آخر.
- مركز الدراسات الاستراتيجية الأفريقية، عبر موقع defenseWeb: تكييف معركة بنين مع الجماعات المسلحة العنيفة (أنور بوخارس، 11 فبراير 2026)عملية ميرادور، هجمات يناير وأبريل 2025، تقدير عدد القتلى لعام 2025، "العمى الجوي".
تم التحقق من الأرقام بتاريخ 2026-10-01. يتم إعادة إنشاء صفحات ترتيب المعركة من مجموعة بيانات واحدة؛ إذا كان هناك رقم هنا يختلف عن صفحة كتاب الوحوش، فإن هذه الصفحة هي الأحدث من بين الصفحتين.
Photographs: Photo: ZLEA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Rama / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 fr) · Photo: George Chernilevsky / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Adambro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Uli Elch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Cjp24 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Thankers / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)