Air Force of Ivory Coast

Pořadí bitvy · Ivory Coast

Air Force of Ivory Coast

Armée de l’Air de Côte d’Ivoire · Groupement Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (GATL, historic)

The Air Force of Ivory Coast began in 1961 as a French-equipped transport and liaison group, briefly became a strike force with Su-25s and Mi-24s flown partly by foreign mercenaries during the 2002–2004 civil war, was wiped out by French forces within hours of bombing the French camp at Bouaké on 6 November 2004, and has since been rebuilt as a small transport, surveillance and helicopter force that in 2026 is adding Chinese Wing Loong II drones and K-8 jet trainers.

Národní značeníOrange outer ring, white ring, green centre.
0Bojová letadla
3Aktivní letecké základny
1961Založeno
8Typy vyřazené z provozu
ZeměIvory CoastZaloženo1961PostaveníAktivníVelitelstvíAbidjan Air Base, AbidjanVelitelKoffi Alfred N’Guessan
Příběh

The Ivorian air force story: a French-built transport group, the Bouaké strike of 2004 and Chinese drones and trainers

1960–1980: a transport group under French protection

Ivory Coast became independent on 7 August 1960 and, in April 1961, signed the Franco-Ivorian Technical Military Assistance Accord that built its armed forces with French money, equipment and advisers. The air arm that came out of it was not designed to fight. Its first aircraft, delivered in 1961, were three Douglas C-47 transports and seven Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard light utility aircraft, and its original name — Groupement Aérien de Transport et de Liaison, the air transport and liaison group — says what it was for: moving people and supplies around a large country with few good roads. By the end of 1962 the whole army numbered about 5,000 soldiers in four battalions. Security in practice leaned on France, whose marine infantry battalion, the 43rd BIMA, was based at Port-Bouët beside Abidjan airport until 2025. The good side was a cheap, stable arrangement; the weakness was an air arm with no combat tradition of its own.

1980–2002: seven Alpha Jets and a quiet air arm

The first jets arrived in October 1980: six Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets for light attack and advanced training. Six more were ordered and then cancelled, but one further aircraft was bought in 1983, giving seven in all, which Wikipedia lists as Alpha Jet E. For two decades they were the only combat-capable aircraft the country owned, and there is no record in the sources checked of them ever being used in anger. Otherwise the service flew transports, helicopters and government aircraft. What happened to the Alpha Jets, and when they stopped flying, could not be confirmed for this page, and the detailed fleet of the 1980s and 1990s is thinly documented in accessible sources. The air force did not fight in these years, and nothing in the sources checked suggests it was expected to.

2002–2004: Su-25s, Mi-24s and foreign crews in a civil war

That ended with the rebellion of September 2002, which split the country between the government-held south and a rebel-held north; France launched Opération Licorne on 22 September 2002 and had about 4,000 troops in the country by July 2003. President Laurent Gbagbo’s government rearmed fast. According to Wikipedia’s summary of the published record, it bought arms from Angola, Belarus, Bulgaria, Israel, Romania and Ukraine, including Sukhoi Su-25 attack jets and Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships, and recruited foreign personnel, among them Belarusian pilots and men previously associated with the South African firm Executive Outcomes. The Su-25s were used against rebel targets. The Linas-Marcoussis agreement of 26 January 2003 and the arrival of the UN mission UNOCI on 4 April 2004 froze the front line, but they did not disarm either side. For the first time Ivory Coast had a real strike force — flown in part by people who were not Ivorian.

6 November 2004: Bouaké and the end of the first air force

On 4 November 2004 the government launched Opération Dignité, an air offensive against the rebel-held north. On 6 November at least one Su-25 struck the French Licorne position at Bouaké, killing nine French soldiers and an American civilian; the number of wounded is given as 31, 37 or 40 depending on the source. Within about fifteen minutes, by Wikipedia’s account, French forces destroyed the two Su-25s on the ground at Yamoussoukro, and President Jacques Chirac ordered the destruction of the entire Ivorian air force. The Mi-24s and other helicopters were destroyed at Abidjan, among them two downed over the city; accounts of how many vary from three to five gunships. On 15 November the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo in Resolution 1572, condemning the air raids as a ceasefire violation. In April 2021 a Paris court sentenced a Belarusian pilot and two Ivorian co-pilots to life in their absence. The account the Gbagbo government gave of the strike was not found in the sources checked.

2004–2017: embargo, a second crisis and a slow rebuild

Rebuilding under the embargo was slow. By 2007, according to Aviation Week’s inventory as cited by Wikipedia, the air force had one An-32 transport, one Cessna 421, two SA 365 Dauphin helicopters, one Gulfstream IV and a single Mi-24. The Ouagadougou agreement of 4 March 2007 eased the war, but the disputed election of 2010 brought a second crisis. On 30 March 2011 the Security Council authorised UNOCI, in Resolution 1975, to use all necessary means to protect civilians; on 4 and 10 April UN Mi-24s with Ukrainian crews and French helicopters struck Gbagbo’s heavy weapons in Abidjan, and on 11 April Ouattara’s forces captured Gbagbo with French support. No Ivorian air force combat sorties in 2011 are recorded in the sources checked. Licorne itself gave way to the French Forces in Ivory Coast on 21 January 2015.

2017–2026: Hinds that keep crashing, ISR aircraft and a Chinese package

From 2017 the service bought helicopters again: three attack helicopters reported by Russia to the UN arms register, which later reporting calls refurbished ex-Bulgarian Mi-24Ds; two more in 2020–2021. They have not lasted. Mi-24s were lost at Katiola on 27 November 2019, at Abidjan on 18 March 2020, in the north on 9–10 September 2021 with all five on board killed, and at Korhogo on 27 October 2025. Transport has fared better — two An-26Bs in 2018, two Mi-8Ps and a C295W by 2020 — and so has surveillance: a King Air C90 in 2022, an ISR King Air 360 in 2024, and French and EU-funded drones. On 14 June 2024 the ministry signed a contract with China’s CATIC that brought two Wing Loong II drones to Bouaké by August 2026 and three K-8 trainers due by the end of 2026. France handed over Port-Bouët in February 2025. The force is small — about 1,000 people — and its combat edge is fragile.

The first jets arrived in October 1980: six Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets for light attack and advanced training. Six more were ordered and then cancelled, but one further aircraft was bought in 1983, giving seven in all, which Wikipedia lists as Alpha Jet E.Air Force of Ivory Coast · verified 2026-10-01

Na první pohled

The Air Force of Ivory Coast in numbers

Servis

Rodné jméno
Armée de l’AirThe defence ministry’s site calls its staff the État-Major de l’Armée de l’Air. The service began as the Groupement Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (GATL); spotter reports also use Force Aérienne de Côte d’Ivoire
Založeno
1961First aircraft delivered in 1961 under the Franco-Ivorian Technical Military Assistance Accord of April 1961; no exact founding day was found on an official page
Část
Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FACI)Alongside the army, navy, special forces and gendarmerie; about 25,000–30,000 personnel in all
Velitelství
Abidjan Air BaseBeside Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport at Port-Bouët, Abidjan
Náčelník štábu letectva
Air Div. Gen. Koffi Alfred N’GuessanSince 2017 per defenceWeb; not confirmed on an official page
Ministr obrany
Téné Birahima OuattaraMinister of State and Minister of Defence since 2021; styled Vice Prime Minister in 2026 reporting

Pevnost

Personál
About 1,000Authorised strength per defenceWeb (May 2026); no official figure found
Bojové vrtulníky
  • Mi-24V/D Hind — 0–3

defenceWeb lists three Mi-24V in May 2026; Military Africa wrote after the Korhogo crash of 27 October 2025 that, if confirmed, the whole Mi-24 fleet had been lost

Doprava
  • An-26B — 2
  • C295W — 1

An-26Bs delivered July 2018; the C295W was in service by March 2020

VIP doprava
  • A319CJ — 1
  • Gulfstream IV — 1
  • Gulfstream G450 — 1
  • Gulfstream G550 — 1
  • AW139 helicopter — 1

defenceWeb inventory, May 2026

užitkové vrtulníky
  • Mi-8P — 2
  • SA 330L Puma — 2
  • SA 365 Dauphin — 2

defenceWeb inventory, May 2026

ISR aircraft and drones
  • King Air C90 — 1
  • King Air 360 ISR — 1
  • Wing Loong II — 2
  • Delair DT-26 — 4
  • Atechsys COMET L — 2

defenceWeb notes that it is not disclosed which drones the air force rather than other FACI branches operates

Trenéři
  • Hongdu K-8 — 3 on order

Due by the end of 2026 under the CATIC contract of June 2024; Ivorian pilots train meanwhile with Grob in France

Obranný rozpočet
441.6 billion CFA francs (2025)About US$778 million; no separate air force figure published

Infrastruktura

Letecké základny
  • Abidjan — headquarters, transport and helicopters
  • Bouaké — Wing Loong II drones (2026)
  • Korhogo — northern base

defenceWeb names Abidjan and Korhogo; the drones were shown at Bouaké Air Base in August 2026

Destroyed in 2004
Yamoussoukro and AbidjanFrench forces destroyed the Su-25s at Yamoussoukro and the helicopters at Abidjan on 6 November 2004
French presence
Port-Bouët handed back, February 2025The camp of the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion beside Abidjan airport, to be renamed after General Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara; about 100 French personnel were to stay
Simulator
ALSIM ALXCommissioned 10 December 2021, supplied through AFRICAT Group

Struktura

How the Air Force of Ivory Coast is organised

One branch of the Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire, about 1,000 strong, with its headquarters and transport group at Abidjan Air Base and forward bases at Korhogo and Bouaké. Its only combat type is the Mi-24 gunship: four of the five delivered since 2017 have crashed, and sources disagree whether any remain, defenceWeb listing three in May 2026. Transports, VIP jets, ISR King Airs and drones make up the rest, with two Wing Loong IIs confirmed in August 2026 and three K-8 trainers due by the end of the year.

KA

Air Division General (général de division aérienne)Koffi Alfred N’GuessanChief of Staff of the Air Force (chef d’état-major de l’Armée de l’Air) · in office since 2017
Air Force of Ivory CoastArmée de l’Air de Côte d’Ivoire
Velitelství

Air Force of Ivory Coast

Armée de l’Air de Côte d’Ivoire
Abidjan

One of the branches of the Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FACI), about 1,000 strong according to defenceWeb, with its headquarters at Abidjan Air Base beside Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport. defenceWeb names Air Division General Koffi Alfred N’Guessan as Chief of Staff of the Air Force since 2017; the defence ministry’s air force page does not name its chief, so the date was not confirmed on an official page.

Přední linie

Mi-24 attack helicopters

The only combat type. Five refurbished Mi-24s arrived from 2017 to 2021 and four have crashed since, the latest on take-off at Korhogo on 27 October 2025. defenceWeb lists three Mi-24V in May 2026; Military Africa wrote that, if the Korhogo loss was confirmed, the whole fleet had gone. No permanent base for the gunships is published; Military Africa calls Korhogo the primary forward operating base for the north.

Doprava

Air Transport and Liaison Group

Groupe Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (GATL)
Abidjan

Heir to the transport and liaison group of 1961. Military Africa places its two ex-Bulgarian An-26Bs, delivered on 19 and 23 July 2018, and two second-hand Mi-8Ps, delivered in March 2020, at Abidjan-Port Bouët; a C295W was in service by March 2020.

Unmanned and surveillance

ISR aircraft and drones

Bouaké (Wing Loong II); others not published

A King Air C90 from June 2022 and an ISR King Air 360, fitted by Aerodata for maritime surveillance in the Gulf of Guinea, from 20 April 2024. Two Chinese Wing Loong II drones, delivered unarmed, were confirmed at Bouaké Air Base on 10 August 2026 flying reconnaissance. Which FACI branch flies the Delair DT-26 and EU-funded COMET L drones is not disclosed.

Helicopters and VIP

Government and utility fleet

Two SA 330L Pumas, two SA 365 Dauphins, two Mi-8Ps and an AW139 helicopter, with an A319CJ, a Gulfstream IV, a G450 and a G550 for government transport, per defenceWeb’s May 2026 inventory. Which of them are permanently based where is not published.

Výcvik

Hongdu K-8 trainers on order

Three K-8 jet trainers are due by the end of 2026 under the contract signed with China’s CATIC on 14 June 2024; meanwhile Ivorian pilots train on Grob aircraft in France until 2027. An ALSIM ALX flight simulator was commissioned on 10 December 2021.


V provozu

What the Air Force of Ivory Coast flies today

Každý typ na obvinění, propojený s jeho stránkou v Knize zvířat, kde nějaký existuje. Počty se vztahují na letadla v evidenci, nikoli na letadla dostupná v daný den.

Typ Role V provozu Od Jednotky Poznámky
Mil Mi-24D/V Hind (2017 fleet)V provozu Útočný vrtulník 2017 0–3 in service. Five delivered: three in 2017 and two in 2020–2021. Four accidents followed (2019, 2020, 2021, 2025).

Více

defenceWeb lists three Mi-24V in May 2026; Military Africa wrote in October 2025 that, if the Korhogo loss was confirmed, the entire fleet was gone.

Mil Mi-8P HipV provozu Transportní vrtulník 2 2020 Two, both second-hand.
Aérospatiale SA 330L PumaV provozu Užitkový vrtulník 2 Two per defenceWeb (May 2026).
Eurocopter SA 365 DauphinV provozu Užitkový a styčný vrtulník 2 Two in 2007 and two in 2026.
AgustaWestland AW139V provozu VIP vrtulník 1 Jeden.
Airbus C295WV provozu Taktická doprava 1 Jeden.
Antonov An-26BV provozu Taktická doprava 2 2018 Two, ex-Bulgarian.
Beechcraft King Air 360 (B300) ISRV provozu Surveillance (ISR) 1 2024 One in 2026; a second was announced for the end of 2024 but is not in defenceWeb’s 2026 list.
Beechcraft King Air C90V provozu Surveillance and liaison 1 2022 Jeden.
Airbus A319CJV provozu VIP doprava 1 Jeden.
Gulfstream IVV provozu VIP doprava 1 Jeden.
Gulfstream G450V provozu VIP doprava 1 Jeden.
Gulfstream G550V provozu VIP doprava 1 Jeden.
AVIC Wing Loong IIV provozu Dron s dlouhou výdrží pro střední výšku 2 2026 Two seen in the armed forces’ own video.
Delair DT-26V provozu Surveillance drone 4 2022 Four ordered (reported December 2021).
Atechsys COMET LV provozu Tactical drone 2 2026 Two per defenceWeb.
DT-264
Mi-8P2
Puma2
Dauphin2
An-26B2
Wing Loong II2
COMET L2
AW1391

Na objednávku

Typ Objednané První dodávka Poznámky
Hongdu K-8 KarakorumNa objednávku 3 2026 Under the CATIC contract signed in Abidjan on 14 June 2024; due before the end of 2026.

Více

defenceWeb and Military Africa (August 2026) give three; an earlier Military Africa report (July 2026) says the number was not disclosed. Pilots are training meanwhile on Grob aircraft in France, funded from the French cooperation budget, until 2027.

Unspecified helicopters and drones (CATIC package)Na objednávku Military Africa reports that the 2024 package also covers helicopters and attack drones whose types and numbers were not disclosed; the ministry only spoke of "latest-generation air vectors" to secure the airspace and fight terrorism.

Dříve provozováno

Every type the Air Force of Ivory Coast has retired

8 types, from the Douglas C-47 to the Airbus Helicopters H125. Špičkové hodnoty se vztahují na počet draků letadel převzatých do provozu po celou dobu jejich životnosti, nikoli na počet letadel v daný den.

Typ Role Vrchol Obsluhováno Nahrazeno Poznámky
Vrtulníky Airbus H125 Light helicopter (leased) 3 2023–2025 Three, leased.
Suchoj Su-25 Frogfoot Ground-attack jet 2–4. Every source agrees on the two that flew in November 2004; one Wikipedia account mentions two more that were damaged.
Mil Mi-24 Hind (2002–2004 fleet) Útočný vrtulník 3–5. Wikipedia’s armed forces and Mi-24 articles give three and five respectively.
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet E (CI) Lehký útok a pokročilý trenér 7 1980– Six in October 1980 and one in 1983; six more ordered and cancelled.
Antonov An-32 Taktická doprava 1 An-26B One in 2007.
Cessna 421 Golden Eagle Užitková doprava 1 One in 2007.
Douglas C-47 Doprava 3 1961– Tři.
Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard Light utility (STOL) 7 1961– Sedm.

Letecké základny

Where the Air Force of Ivory Coast flies from

Black pins are active bases, the hollow pin the airfield no longer reported in air force use. Every base shares its runway with a civil airport: the headquarters and transport group at Abidjan, the Wing Loong II drones at Bouaké and the forward base for the north at Korhogo. Yamoussoukro, a civil airport today, is listed as the Su-25 base of November 2004, where most accounts place the jets French forces destroyed on 6 November; one account places them at Abidjan instead. Coordinates are the ASECNA AIP aerodrome reference points.

Aktivní letecká základna Zavřeno nebo rezervovánoKliknutím na špendlík otevřete základní stránku
Báze ICAO Postavení Dráha Jednotky a letadla
AbidjanPort-BouëtAutonomní oblast Abidjan (komuna Port-Bouët) DIAP Aktivní 03/213 000 masfaltový beton
  • Groupe Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (GATL): Antonov An-26B (2), Mil Mi-8P (2), Airbus C295W (1)
  • Air Force Headquarters (État-Major de l’Armée de l’Air)
  • 43e Bataillon d’Infanterie de Marine (French Forces in Côte d’Ivoire)
BouakéVallée du Bandama District (Gbêkê Region) DIBK Aktivní 03/213 300 mbitumenový beton
  • Wing Loong II drone element: CAIG Wing Loong II (2)
KorhogoSavanes District (Poro Region) DIKO Aktivní 08/262 100 mkonkrétní

Tomuto vyhledávání neodpovídá žádná letecká základna.


Pořadí bitvy

Who is stationed where in the Air Force of Ivory Coast

Létající jednotky podle základny, aktuální jednotky jako první. The Air Transport and Liaison Group at Abidjan, heir to the group of 1961, is the only flying unit named in the sources; the drone element at Bouaké and the northern detachment at Korhogo are described, not named. The French 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion at Port-Bouët is listed and marked as not Ivorian, and the 2004 Su-25 and helicopter detachment at Yamoussoukro as former.

Abidjan Air Base (Port-Bouët) · DIAPÉtat-Major de l’Armée de l’Air
Groupe Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (GATL)Air transport and liaison group · active
Antonov An-26B (2), Mil Mi-8P (2), Airbus C295W (1)
Air Force Headquarters (État-Major de l’Armée de l’Air)Sídlo · aktivní
43e Bataillon d’Infanterie de Marine (French Forces in Côte d’Ivoire)1979–2025
Bouaké · DIBKAktivní
Wing Loong II drone elementArmed drone (ISR and strike) · active
CAIG Wing Loong II (2)
Korhogo · DIKOAktivní
Northern forward detachmentForward operating base (helicopters) · active
Mil Mi-24D Hind

Žádná jednotka neodpovídá tomuto vyhledávání.


Časová osa

Air Force of Ivory Coast milestones, 1914 to today

1960

7 August: Ivory Coast becomes independent.

1961

April: the Franco-Ivorian Technical Military Assistance Accord is signed. The first aircraft — three C-47s and seven MH.1521 Broussards — form a transport and liaison group.

1980

October: six Alpha Jets, the first jets, enter service; a seventh follows in 1983.

2002

September: rebellion splits the country; France launches Opération Licorne on 22 September. The government buys Su-25s and Mi-24s.

2003

26 January: the Linas-Marcoussis agreement.

2004

4 November: Opération Dignité air offensive begins. 6 November: Su-25s strike the French camp at Bouaké, killing nine French soldiers and an American; France destroys the Ivorian air force. 15 November: UN arms embargo (Resolution 1572).

2007

4 March: Ouagadougou agreement. The rebuilt air force has an An-32, a Cessna 421, two Dauphins, a Gulfstream IV and one Mi-24.

2011

30 March: Resolution 1975. 4 and 10 April: UN and French helicopters strike Gbagbo’s heavy weapons in Abidjan. 11 April: Gbagbo is captured.

2015

21 January: Opération Licorne is replaced by the French Forces in Ivory Coast.

2017

Three attack helicopters (Mi-24s) delivered, per Russia’s UN arms register return. Air Div. Gen. Koffi Alfred N’Guessan becomes air force chief, per defenceWeb.

2018

19 and 23 July: two An-26Bs arrive at Abidjan.

2019

27 November: a Mi-24D is destroyed in a collision with a parked Mi-17 at Katiola.

2020

March: two Mi-8Ps arrive; 18 March: a Mi-24D crashes at Abidjan airport; air force aircraft fly COVID-19 patients.

2021

April: a Paris court sentences three pilots in absentia over Bouaké. 9–10 September: a Mi-24 crashes near the Burkina Faso border, killing five. December: four DT-26 drones ordered; flight simulator commissioned.

2024

20 April: ISR King Air 360 arrives. 20 June: contract with China’s CATIC for K-8 trainers, drones and helicopters.

2025

February: France hands over the Port-Bouët base. 27 October: a Mi-24D crashes at Korhogo without injuries.

2026

3 February: EU-funded drones handed over. August: two Wing Loong II drones confirmed at Bouaké; K-8s due by the end of the year.


Bojový záznam

Every war the Air Force of Ivory Coast has fought

Výpady a ztráty tam, kde je statistika udává, a poctivá prázdnota tam, kde ne.

4konflikty
2002První
1Ztráta letadla
5Zabit
  • First Ivorian Civil War 2002–2004 Su-25 jets and Mi-24 gunships, flown partly by foreign crews, attacked rebel targets for the Gbagbo government
  • Opération Dignité and the Bouaké strike 2004 Flew an air offensive against the rebel north from 4 November 2004; on 6 November struck the French Licorne camp at Bouaké
  • Second Ivorian Civil War 2010–2011 No combat sorties by the Ivorian air force are recorded in the sources checked; the decisive air action was by UN and French helicopters against forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo
  • Northern border security operations 2020– Reconnaissance with Mi-24 helicopters and, from 2026, Wing Loong II drones; surveillance drones for the northern border

Otevřít kompletní záznam boje


Otázky a odpovědi

Everything people ask about the Air Force of Ivory Coast

What is the Ivorian air force called in French?
Armée de l’Air: the defence ministry’s site (defense.gouv.ci) lists the État-Major de l’Armée de l’Air among the Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FACI). French is the country’s only official language. When it was formed in 1961 it was called the Groupement Aérien de Transport et de Liaison (air transport and liaison group), per Wikipedia. English Wikipedia has no separate article: "Air Force of Ivory Coast" redirects to the armed forces article.
What aircraft does the Ivorian air force fly in 2026?
Mainly transport, VIP and surveillance aircraft: two An-26Bs, a C295W, an A319CJ, three Gulfstreams, two King Airs, Mi-8P, Puma, Dauphin and AW139 helicopters, and drones including two Chinese Wing Loong IIs. Its only combat type is the Mi-24 Hind — three per defenceWeb in May 2026, possibly none after the Korhogo crash of October 2025. Three K-8 jet trainers are due by the end of 2026.
Why did France destroy the Ivorian air force in 2004?
On 6 November 2004, during an air offensive against the rebel-held north, at least one Ivorian Su-25 bombed the French Licorne camp at Bouaké, killing nine French soldiers and an American aid worker. President Jacques Chirac ordered retaliation: French forces destroyed the two Su-25s at Yamoussoukro within about fifteen minutes and then the Mi-24 and other helicopters at Abidjan, leaving Ivory Coast without combat aircraft.
Who flew the Su-25s that bombed Bouaké?
According to Wikipedia, the two Su-25 were crewed by two Belarusian mercenaries and two Ivorian pilots. In April 2021 a Paris court sentenced a Belarusian pilot and two Ivorian co-pilots to life imprisonment in their absence.
Did Ivory Coast have fighter jets?
Never real fighters. Its first jets were seven Alfa trysky for light attack and training (six in October 1980, one in 1983). During the 2002–2004 civil war it bought Su-25 attack jets, which France destroyed in November 2004. A Wikipedia claim of two MiG-23s could not be corroborated. Today the K-8, a jet trainer with light attack capability, is on order.
What happened to the Ivorian Mi-24s?
Five refurbished Mi-24 arrived from 2017 to 2021, and four have crashed since: at Katiola on 27 November 2019, at Abidjan on 18 March 2020, near the Burkina Faso border on 9–10 September 2021 with five crew killed, and at Korhogo on 27 October 2025 without injuries. Sources disagree on how many remain, from none to three.
Does Ivory Coast have military drones?
Yes. Two Chinese Wing Loong II medium-altitude drones were confirmed at Bouaké Air Base in August 2026, delivered unarmed for reconnaissance. The armed forces also have four French Delair DT-26 surveillance drones ordered in 2021 and smaller EU-funded drones handed over on 3 February 2026.
What is Ivory Coast buying from China?
On 14 June 2024 the defence ministry signed a contract with China’s CATIC for "latest-generation air vectors". Reports since name two Wing Loong II drones, delivered by 2026, and three Hongdu K-8 jet trainers due by the end of 2026; helicopters and further drones in the package have not been disclosed.
Are French forces still based in Ivory Coast?
No longer at their own base. President Alassane Ouattara announced on 31 December 2024 that France would hand back the Port-Bouët camp beside Abidjan airport, home of the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion, and the handover took place in February 2025. About 100 French personnel were to remain for cooperation, and French aircraft still train with Ivorian paratroops.
Where are the Ivorian air force’s bases?
The headquarters is Abidjan Air Base beside Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport at Port-Bouët. defenceWeb also lists Korhogo in the north, and the Wing Loong II drones fly from Bouaké. In 2004 the Su-25s were based at Yamoussoukro.



Zdroje a další četba

Každý fakt, ověřený

Údaje ověřeny 1. října 2026. Stránky s pořadím bitev jsou regenerovány z jednoho datového souboru; pokud se zde uvedené číslo neshoduje se stránkou Knihy zvířat, je tato stránka z těchto dvou novější.

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