Djiboutian Air Force
The Djiboutian Air Force was formed with the country’s independence in June 1977 around three ex-French Noratlas transports and one Alouette II helicopter, has never grown beyond roughly a dozen aircraft at a single base, Ambouli, and in 2026 flies Chinese transports, French and Chinese helicopters, a pair of Mi-35s and Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones — while the runway it shares carries more foreign military aircraft than any other in Africa.
The Djiboutian Air Force story: three Noratlas in 1977, a runway shared with the great powers and Turkish drones
1977: an air arm born with the state
Djibouti became independent from France on 27 June 1977, and its armed forces were created three weeks earlier, on 6 June 1977, as the Armée Nationale de Djibouti, according to La Nation. The air arm was formed with the new state. English Wikipedia, drawing on the IISS, says it began with three Nord N.2501 Noratlas transports and a single Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter, a transport and liaison force from the start. The French garrison stayed on after independence, and so did the air base the French had built at Ambouli in 1948–1949 and called Base aérienne 188. The Djiboutian Air Force settled on the south-west side of the same airfield, and it has never left it.
1978–1990: French training and a fleet of light aircraft
A Franco-Djiboutian agreement in 1978 gave the new service French training and technical support, and Wikipedia records that Djiboutian airmen were later trained in France, the United States, the Soviet Union, Egypt and Morocco before becoming the country’s own instructors and pilots. Equipment came slowly and in ones and twos. Two Aérospatiale AS355F Écureuil 2 helicopters and a Cessna U206G arrived in 1982; a Cessna 402C Utiliner followed in 1985, the year the Alouette II was retired. The Noratlas transports went back to France in 1987. The English Wikipedia articles do not agree on whether the Cessna 206 came in 1982 or 1985. What is clear is the scale: a light communications and liaison fleet, flown for a government whose real air defence was the French fighter squadron on the other side of the runway.
The 1990s: Russian helicopters and an unrecorded war
The early 1990s brought the largest expansion in the service’s history. Wikipedia’s account of the armed forces lists a Cessna 208 Caravan in 1991, then four Mil Mi-2, six Mi-8 and two Mi-17 helicopters and an Antonov An-28 transport, with about 360 people at a single base, Ambouli. The timing matters: in November 1991 the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) began an armed insurgency in the north and west, and the war lasted in one form or another until a final accord in May 2001. No source checked for this page describes how the air force was used in the civil war, or in the short border war with Eritrea in June 2008, and this page does not guess. Both wars are listed below with that gap stated.
A runway shared with the great powers
Djibouti’s strategic weight has never come from its own air force but from where it sits, on the Bab el-Mandeb between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The single runway at Djibouti–Ambouli is shared by the national air force, French Base aérienne 188, the American Camp Lemonnier (leased since 2002, with a 20-year lease agreed in May 2014 per Wikipedia) and the Japanese Self-Defense Force base opened in 2011. The United States moved its armed drones to the former French strip at Chabelley in September 2013 after the Djiboutian government raised concerns about drone mishaps near the civil airport, Wikipedia reports, citing the Washington Post. China opened its first overseas military base, with its own short runway and helicopter apron, on 1 August 2017, and Italian Predators have also deployed to Djibouti.
2019–2024: Dauphins, Chinese helicopters, Turkish drones and American Caravans
Since 2019 the fleet has been renewed from several directions at once. Four ex-Saudi AS365N Dauphin helicopters, overhauled by Airbus Helicopters in Romania, arrived on 16 January 2019, one fitted for presidential transport (Military Africa). At the June 2019 parade La Nation announced a Harbin Z-9 combat helicopter as imminent and a new air control and surveillance centre at the air base. Xian MA60 and Harbin Y-12 transports came from China; Mi-35 attack helicopters from Russia. On 27 June 2022 two Bayraktar TB2 drones, one carrying MAM-L munitions, appeared at the independence-day parade (defenceWeb), after Djiboutian crews had trained in Turkey. In March 2024 Textron announced two ISR-equipped Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft for the air force through a US Foreign Military Sale, to watch the borders.
What the record does not show
The honest summary is that very little about this air force is published. The government does not release fleet figures; counts below come from the IISS and FlightGlobal by way of Wikipedia and defenceWeb, and they disagree on helicopters and on whether two Let L-410s and two Y-12s are still flying. Delivery dates for the MA60, Y-12, Mi-35 and Z-9 were not found in any source reachable for this page, and no delivery of the 2024 Caravans had been confirmed by October 2026. What the published record does show is a small service that has kept a mixed Western, Chinese, Russian and Turkish fleet airworthy at one base for almost half a century, with a commander, Colonel Wahib Moussa Kalinleh, who has been publicly named since 2019, and with a stated task, in a 2022 exercise reported by La Nation, of search and air response along the western border.
The Djiboutian Air Force in numbers
サービス
- ネイティブ名
- Armée de l’Air djiboutienneLa Nation, the state daily, uses Armée de l’Air for the service within the Forces armées djiboutiennes (FAD). The Arabic form shown on this page is the standard rendering; no official Djiboutian site giving the Arabic name could be reached. English Wikipedia’s current article title is Djiboutian Air Force
- 設立
- 27 June 1977Formed with independence on 27 June 1977 (Wikipedia). The armed forces as a whole date from 6 June 1977, when the Armée Nationale de Djibouti was created (La Nation)
- 一部
- Djibouti Armed Forces (FAD)Alongside the army, navy and other services under the Chief of General Staff, General Zakaria Cheick Ibrahim; the President, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, is commander-in-chief
- 本部
- Ambouli air base, Djibouti CityOn the south-west side of Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (HDAM), whose single runway it shares with the French, American and Japanese bases
- 司令官
- Col. Wahib Moussa KalinlehNamed as air force commander by La Nation in June 2019 and late 2022; current status not confirmed
- 国防大臣
- Hassan Omar MohamedMet the AFRICOM commander, General Dagvin Anderson, on 1 September 2025 (defenceWeb)
強さ
- 人事
- About 360 in the early 1990s per Wikipedia; no current figure was found. The whole armed forces were 20,470 active in 2018 per the same article
- 固定翼航空機
-
- Xian MA60 — 2
- Harbin Y-12 — 2 (Wikipedia; not in the 2024 defenceWeb list)
- Let L-410 Turbolet — 2 VIP (defenceWeb; not in Wikipedia)
- Cessna 208 Caravan — 1
Counts from Wikipedia (IISS and FlightGlobal) and defenceWeb’s March 2024 summary; the government publishes none
- ヘリコプター
-
- AS365N Dauphin — 4–5
- Mil Mi-35 (Mi-24) — 2
- Mil Mi-8 — 1–2
- AS355 Écureuil 2 — 1
- Harbin Z-9 — 1
Four Dauphins were delivered in January 2019; defenceWeb counts five SA365N and Wikipedia four (as AS565). Mi-8: one per defenceWeb, two per Wikipedia
- 無人航空機
-
- Bayraktar TB2 — 2 shown in 2022
Two shown at the 27 June 2022 parade; the number in service is not published
- 注文済み
-
- Cessna Grand Caravan EX (ISR) — 2
Announced by Textron on 13 March 2024 as a US Foreign Military Sale; no delivery confirmed in the sources checked
- 国防予算
- About US$195 million (2021)Wikipedia figure for the whole armed forces; about 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2019. No air force budget is published
インフラストラクチャー
- 空軍基地
-
- Ambouli (Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport, HDAM)
The only base the service has used; Wikipedia’s armed forces article describes a single base at Ambouli
- 滑走路
- One runway, 09/27, 3,150 mShared with civil traffic, French BA 188, US Camp Lemonnier and the Japanese base. Figures from Wikipedia, not from the AIP
- 航空監視
- Air control and surveillance centreAnnounced at the air base at the June 2019 anniversary parade (La Nation); no further detail published
- Foreign air units in Djibouti
-
- France: BA 188, Mirage 2000-5F and 2000D, helicopters
- United States: Camp Lemonnier and Chabelley
- Japan: JSDF base, patrol aircraft
- China: PLA support base with a short runway
- Italy: national support base; Predators deployed
Each nation’s own presence, attributed in the sources; none is part of the Djiboutian Air Force
How the Djiboutian Air Force is organised
One of the services of the Djibouti Armed Forces, with its headquarters and only base at Ambouli in Djibouti City; La Nation named Col. Wahib Moussa Kalinleh as commander in 2019 and 2022. Its armed aircraft are two Mi-35 attack helicopters and Bayraktar TB2 drones, two of them shown in June 2022; the rest is a light fleet of MA60 and other transports and Dauphin, Écureuil, Z-9 and Mi-8 helicopters. The government publishes no fleet figures or squadron structure, and the counts from the IISS and FlightGlobal, via Wikipedia, and from defenceWeb disagree on several types.
Djiboutian Air Force
One of the services of the Djibouti Armed Forces (FAD), under the Chief of General Staff, Gen Zakaria Cheick Ibrahim; the Minister of Defence is Hassan Omar Mohamed and President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is commander-in-chief. La Nation, the state daily, named Col. Wahib Moussa Kalinleh as air force commander in June 2019 and again in late 2022; his appointment date was not found, and no source checked confirms that he is still in post in 2026.
攻撃ヘリコプター
Two Mi-35s, counted by Wikipedia as Mi-35 and by defenceWeb as Mi-24, the service’s only armed manned aircraft; their delivery date was not found. A Harbin Z-9, which La Nation announced in June 2019 as a combat helicopter about to be delivered, is in both fleet lists, its delivery date also unknown.
バイラクタルTB2
Two TB2s were shown at the independence-day parade in June 2022, one carrying two Roketsan MAM-L munitions, according to defenceWeb; Military Africa reports that Djiboutian crews trained in Turkey from April 2022. The two sources disagree on the parade date, 27 or 6 June, and neither the number in service nor where the drones are based is published.
Transport fleet
Two Xian MA60s, a Cessna 208 Caravan delivered in 1991, two Let L-410 VIP transports listed only by defenceWeb, and two Harbin Y-12s listed only by Wikipedia, which may no longer fly. Textron announced two ISR-equipped Cessna Grand Caravan EX on 13 March 2024 through a US Foreign Military Sale, to watch the borders; no delivery had been confirmed by October 2026.
Utility helicopters
Four ex-Saudi AS365N Dauphins, overhauled by Airbus Helicopters in Romania and delivered on 16 January 2019, one fitted for presidential transport; Military Africa places them at Djibouti–Ambouli, and defenceWeb counts five. One AS355F Écureuil 2 of the two delivered in 1982 remains, with one Mi-8 according to defenceWeb or two according to Wikipedia.
Air control and surveillance centre
Announced at the air base at the June 2019 anniversary parade, according to La Nation; no further detail has been published. In late 2022 La Nation reported an air exercise in search and air response on the western border, starting at the air force’s southern hangar.
What the Djiboutian Air Force flies today
課金対象となるすべてのタイプは、該当する「獣図鑑」のページ（存在する場合）にリンクされています。. 表示されている機数は、予約済みの機数であり、特定の日に利用可能な機数ではありません。.
| タイプ | 役割 | 使用中 | 以来 | 単位 | 注記 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xian MA60使用中 | 輸送 | 2 | Two per Wikipedia (MA60H-500 variant) and defenceWeb (2024). | |||
| Harbin Y-12使用中 | 公共交通機関 | 2 | Two per Wikipedia; not listed by defenceWeb in March 2024, so they may no longer be in service. | |||
| L-410ターボレット使用中 | VIP送迎 | 2 | Two VIP transports per defenceWeb (March 2024); not in Wikipedia’s table. | |||
| Cessna 208 Caravan使用中 | Utility and liaison | 1 | 1991 | One per both Wikipedia and defenceWeb. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters AS365N Dauphin使用中 | Utility, VIP and medical helicopter | 4 | 2019 | Four delivered on 16 January 2019; defenceWeb counts five SA365N in 2024, Wikipedia four (listed as AS565). | ||
| Mil Mi-35 (Mi-24 family)使用中 | 攻撃ヘリコプター | 2 | Two per Wikipedia (as Mi-35) and defenceWeb (as Mi-24). | |||
| ミル Mi-8使用中 | 輸送ヘリコプター | 1 | 1991 | One per defenceWeb (2024), two per Wikipedia. Six were received in the early 1990s. | ||
| Aérospatiale AS355F Écureuil 2使用中 | 軽多目的ヘリコプター | 1 | 1982 | Two delivered in 1982; one remains per Wikipedia and defenceWeb. | ||
| Harbin Z-9使用中 | Utility and armed helicopter | 1 | One per Wikipedia and defenceWeb. | |||
| バイカル・バイラクタルTB2使用中 | Armed drone | 2 | 2022 | Two shown at the June 2022 parade; current number not published. |
注文済み
| タイプ | 注文しました | 初回配達 | 注記 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Textron Aviation Cessna Grand Caravan EX (ISR)注文済み | 2 | Announced on 13 March 2024 as a delivery order under a US Army Security Assistance Command IDIQ contract worth up to US$100 million over five years; Textron said they would be equipped for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to protect the border.
もっと |
Every type the Djiboutian Air Force has retired
8 types, from the Nord N.2501 Noratlas to the Nord N.2501 Noratlas. ピーク時の数値は、特定の日付における機体数ではなく、運用期間全体を通して引き渡された機体数を指します。.
| タイプ | 役割 | ピーク | 提供 | に置き換えられました | 注記 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ノルド N.2501 ノラトラス | 輸送 | 3 | 1977–1987 | 三つ。. | ||
| Aérospatiale Alouette II | 軽ヘリコプター | 1 | 1977–1985 | 1つ。. | ||
| アエロスパシアル・アルエットIII | 軽ヘリコプター | Number not given. | ||||
| Cessna U206G Stationair | 連絡係 | 1 | 1982– | 1つ。. | ||
| Cessna 402C Utiliner | 軽輸送 | 1 | 1985年～ | 1つ。. | ||
| ミルMi-2 | 軽ヘリコプター | 4 | 1991– | 4つ。. | ||
| ミル Mi-17 | 輸送ヘリコプター | 2 | 1991– | 二。. | ||
| Antonov An-28 | 軽輸送 | 1 | 1991– | 1つ。. |
Where the Djiboutian Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the airfields listed has closed. Every Djiboutian Air Force aircraft has flown from Djibouti–Ambouli, made official as French Base aérienne 188 in July 1949, whose single 3,150 m runway it shares with civil traffic, BA 188, the American Camp Lemonnier and the Japanese Self-Defense Force base. Chabelley, where the United States moved its drones in September 2013, and the Chinese PLA support base opened on 1 August 2017 are foreign installations, listed because they are military airfields in Djibouti. Runway data are Wikipedia’s, as the Djiboutian AIP could not be reached. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| ベース | ICAO | 状態 | 滑走路 | 部隊と航空機 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Djibouti–AmbouliDjiboutian Air Force base and Base aérienne 188ジブチ | HDAM | アクティブ | 09/273,150メートル |
|
その検索条件に一致する空軍基地は見つかりませんでした。.
Who is stationed where in the Djiboutian Air Force
基地ごとの飛行部隊一覧（現行部隊から順）。. Djibouti publishes no squadron structure, so the air force is listed as a single unit at Ambouli with the types counted for the whole service. The French, American, Japanese and Chinese installations are described with their airfields and are not part of the Djiboutian Air Force.
- Djiboutian Air Force (Armée de l’Air djiboutienne)Air force (transport, helicopter and drone elements) · active
- Xian MA60, Harbin Y-12, Let L-410 Turbolet, Cessna 208 Caravan, Airbus Helicopters AS365N Dauphin, Mil Mi-35, ミル Mi-8, Aérospatiale AS355F Écureuil 2, Harbin Z-9, バイカル・バイラクタルTB2
検索条件に一致するユニットは見つかりませんでした。.
Djiboutian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
July: the airfield at Ambouli, built from 1948 with a hard runway and terminal, becomes official and is designated French Base aérienne 188.
6 June: the national army (Armée Nationale de Djibouti) is created. 27 June: independence; the air arm is formed with three Nord Noratlas and one Alouette II.
A Franco-Djiboutian agreement provides French training and technical support for the air force.
Two AS355F Écureuil 2 helicopters and a Cessna U206G are delivered.
A Cessna 402C arrives; the Alouette II is retired.
The three Noratlas transports are returned to France.
A Cessna 208 Caravan is delivered, followed in the early 1990s by Mi-2, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters and an An-28. In November the FRUD insurgency begins.
US forces arrive at Camp Lemonnier, beside the airport; Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa follows in November.
10–13 June: border fighting with Eritrea at Ras Doumeira; Djibouti reports 44 soldiers killed.
March: Japan opens its Self-Defense Force base next to the airport, after patrol flights from Djibouti since June 2009.
September: the United States moves its drones from Camp Lemonnier to Chabelley after Djiboutian concerns over mishaps.
1 August: China opens its People’s Liberation Army support base in Djibouti.
16 January: four ex-Saudi AS365N Dauphins are delivered. June: Col. Wahib Moussa Kalinleh, air force commander, leads the 42nd anniversary parade.
27 June: two Bayraktar TB2 drones appear at the independence-day parade. Late in the year La Nation reports an air exercise for the western border.
13 March: two ISR Cessna Grand Caravan EX are announced for the air force. 24 July: France and Djibouti renew their defence cooperation treaty for 20 years.
August: France sends two Mirage 2000D RMV to BA 188. 1 September: AFRICOM’s commander meets the defence minister and chief of general staff.
10 April: President Guelleh is re-elected. July: the EU commits to a status of forces agreement with Djibouti for its Red Sea naval and air operations.
Every war the Djiboutian Air Force has fought
記録に残っている出撃回数と損失回数、そして記録が残っていない場合は正直に空白とします。.
- Djiboutian Civil War 1991–2001 Not documented in the sources checked
- Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict 2008 Not documented in the sources checked; no use of aircraft by either side is recorded
Everything people ask about the Djiboutian Air Force
What is the Djiboutian Air Force called in French and Arabic?
When was the Djiboutian Air Force founded?
What aircraft does the Djiboutian Air Force fly?
Does Djibouti have fighter jets?
Does Djibouti operate Bayraktar TB2 drones?
Where is the Djiboutian Air Force based?
Which foreign air forces are based in Djibouti?
Who commands the Djiboutian Air Force?
Did the Djiboutian Air Force fight in the 2008 war with Eritrea?
What is the Caravan order of 2024?
Read the aircraft the Djiboutian Air Force flew
『獣の書』にページがあるすべての機種を、まず就役した年、次に艦隊から退役した年順に掲載する。.
すべての事実を確認済み
- defenceWeb: Djibouti operating Bayraktar UAVs (1 July 2022)Two TB2s shown at the 27 June 2022 independence parade, one with two MAM-L munitions; Jane’s tracking suggests delivery in early June 2022.
- Military Africa: Djibouti newest user of deadly Bayraktar TB2 drone (27 June 2022)Parade debut (dated 6 June 2022), crew training in Turkey from April 2022, graduation 16 June 2022.
- defenceWeb: Djibouti getting special mission Caravan aircraft (18 March 2024)Two Grand Caravan EX ISR aircraft announced 13 March 2024 via US Army Security Assistance Command; summary of the current fleet (MA60, C208, L-410, SA365N, AS355, Z-9, Mi-8, Mi-24).
- Military Africa: Djibouti Air Force to get ISR-configured Cessna Grand Caravan EXs from Textron (16 March 2024)Corroborates the Caravan EX order and the Textron statement on border surveillance.
- Military Africa: Airbus delivers upgraded AS365N Dauphins helicopters to Djibouti (25 January 2019)Four ex-Saudi medical-service AS365N overhauled in Romania, delivered 16 January 2019; VIP, passenger and medical configurations.
- La Nation: Célébration du 42ème anniversaire des FAD (9 June 2019)FAD created 6 June 1977; Col. Wahib Moussa Kalinleh, commander of the Armée de l’Air, led the parade; four Dauphins arrived, a Z-9 due, an air control and surveillance centre at the air base.
- La Nation: Renforcer les capacités opérationnelles des FAD (2022)Air and maritime exercises; names Col. Wahib Moussa Kalinleh as air force commander and General Zakaria Cheick Ibrahim as chief of general staff; air search and response on the western border; armed FRUD threat.
- La Nation: 14 Juillet, la France célèbre sa Fête nationale à Djibouti (15 July 2026)French forces’ ceremony at the air base with a Djiboutian Air Force detachment; reference to the renewed defence cooperation treaty.
- Ministère des Armées: Forces françaises stationnées à DjiboutiAbout 1,500 personnel; BA 188 aircraft; treaty renewed 24 July 2024 for 20 years; cooperation with Djiboutian forces.
- defenceWeb: France deploys upgraded Mirage 2000D jets to Djibouti (29 August 2025)Two Mirage 2000D RMV joining three Mirage 2000-5F, announced 19 August 2025; Houthi drone threat; treaty renewed in 2024 for 20 years.
- defenceWeb: Africom Commander Anderson’s first Africa visit targets Horn security challenges (4 September 2025)1 September 2025 meeting with Minister of Defence Hassan Omar Mohamed and Chief of Staff General Zakaria Sheikh Ibrahim.
- defenceWeb: EU commits to Status of Forces Agreement with Djibouti (21 July 2026)EU access and support for ships and air assets of Atalanta and Aspides.
- Commander, Navy Installations Command: Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti — AboutUS Navy description: former French camp; use allowed by the Djiboutian government after negotiations in 2001.
- Analisi Difesa: 50.000 ore di volo per i Predator di Amendola (2020)Italian Predator deployments including Djibouti.
- The Stealth Expansion of a Secret U.S. Drone Base in Africa (The Intercept, 21 October 2015)Chabelley about 10 km from Lemonnier; drones moved by autumn 2013; Pentagon statements and 2015 fence request.
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.
Photographs: Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Luke Kitterman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: EEJCC / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Kentaro Iemoto from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Anidaat / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: George Chernilevsky / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Wilfredor / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Bayhaluk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Duch.seb / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)