Somali Air Force
The Somali Air Force (Ciidanka Cirka Soomaaliyeed), born as a trusteeship air corps in 1954 and renamed in 1960, was built by the Soviet Union into the strongest air arm in the Horn of Africa, lost the Ogaden air war in 1977–78, bombed its own northern cities in 1988 and disappeared with the state in 1991 — and since 2023 it has been rebuilt around Italian helicopters and Turkish drones and attack helicopters, with a reported JF-17 deal still unconfirmed.
The Somali Air Force story: a trusteeship air corps, the Ogaden air war and a rebuilding on Turkish drones and helicopters
1954–1969: from the trusteeship Aeronautical Corps to a Soviet-trained air force
Somali military flying began under the Italian trusteeship. The Somali Aeronautical Corps, formed in 1954 according to Wikipedia, had C-47 and C-53 transports, T-6 and L-5 light aircraft and a few P-51D Mustangs. Its first Somali pilot was Ali Matan Hashi, who trained in Italy in 1956. After independence on 1 July 1960 the corps was renamed the Somali Air Force in December 1960. Italy agreed in 1962 to train Somali airmen and donated eight Piaggio P.148 trainers, but the larger offer came from Moscow: fifty cadets went to the Soviet Union for jet training in the same year. In the brief 1964 border war with Ethiopia the air force had only Vampire trainers and transports to put up against Ethiopian F-86 Sabres, which bombed Hargeisa and the border towns. Hashi, who had trained on MiGs in Moscow, became commander in 1965.
1969–1977: the strongest air arm in the Horn
Soviet equipment arrived in earnest in the late 1960s and grew after the 1969 coup that brought Mohamed Siad Barre to power; Hashi sat on his Supreme Revolutionary Council. The MiG-17 article on Wikipedia records 30 MiG-17s and MiG-17Fs in 1967; the Somali Air Force article says fifty were donated. Four Il-28 bombers followed around 1972 and MiG-21MFs from 1974, with Antonov transports and Mil helicopters. The IISS counted 24 MiG-21s, 23 MiG-17s and MiG-19s and three Il-28s in July 1975. A Soviet-built jet base at Baledogle, north-west of Mogadishu, had its runway lengthened to 10,500 feet in 1975. Wikipedia, citing a 1990 study, calls this the strongest air strike force in the Horn of Africa at the time. It was also wholly dependent on Soviet parts, advisers and goodwill.
1977–1978: the Ogaden War
Somalia invaded the Ogaden on 13 July 1977 with about 53 combat aircraft against an Ethiopian air force of about 36, according to Wikipedia. Numbers did not decide the air war. Ethiopia’s eight F-5Es took control of the air; Ethiopian claims, as given by Wikipedia, put Somali losses at 9 MiG-17s and 18 MiG-21s in the air and six aircraft on the ground. The three Il-28s bombed from high altitude to little effect and none survived. The Soviet Union then switched sides, and without spares the Somali Air Force was grounded for most of the war. Soviet advisers and Cuban troops backed the Ethiopian counter-offensive, and by March 1978 the Somali army had been driven out. No Somali count of the air war was found.
1978–1991: Chinese jets, Hunters and a war on its own cities
After the war China and the Gulf replaced Moscow. Somalia ordered Shenyang F-6s in 1979 and at least 30 arrived in 1980–81; six SF.260W trainers came from Italy and were grounded within a year for lack of aviation fuel, according to a 1982 US study. In June 1983 the United Arab Emirates sent nine Hunters and four Islanders. Readiness stayed poor: in 1980 fewer than half a dozen of about 21 combat aircraft were reportedly kept flying by Pakistani mechanics. The air force’s last war was against Somalis. When the Somali National Movement attacked Burao and Hargeisa in May 1988, the government retook them with artillery and air attack; a US GAO report quoted the embassy’s estimate that 70 per cent of Hargeisa was damaged or destroyed. Wikipedia says the Hunters were often flown by former Rhodesian mercenaries. When Barre fled Mogadishu in January 1991, the air force ceased to exist.
1991–2022: an air force without aircraft
For two decades Somalia had an air force in name only. Australian War Memorial photographs of March 1993 show MiG-15UTI and MiG-21 wrecks at Mogadishu, by then a UNITAF base; a Turkish company took over running the airport in 2013, and Baledogle has been used by US forces since about 2012. A small staff was rebuilt from veterans: Somali cadets were training in Turkey by October 2014, and on 1 July 2015 Defence Minister Abdikadir Ali Dini reopened the old headquarters at Afisione in Mogadishu, closed for 25 years. In 2016 the force was described as about 150 retirees of the Barre era with no aircraft, and in March 2023 a report still called it not functional, with some pilots in training in Turkey. In 2020 Pakistan offered training to the commander of the day, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Sheikh.
2023–2026: helicopters, Turkish drones and a reported JF-17 deal
The aircraft came after 2023, once the arms embargo on the federal government had been lifted and after Turkey and Somalia signed a defence agreement in February 2024. Two Bell 412s arrived in July 2023 and Italy handed over four Bell 412EPX in August 2024; FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory listed Somalia again for the first time since 2008. Turkey delivered two Akinci drones in March 2025 and three T129 attack helicopters in June, and Somali officials began crediting the air force with strikes on al-Shabaab. How much of this the Somali Air Force controls itself is unclear: Turkey told the UN in 2022 it had delivered no armed drones, and Middle East Eye reports that Turkish personnel run drone operations. In April 2026 unnamed sources reported a $900 million deal for 24 Pakistani JF-17s, which neither government had confirmed by September 2026.
The Somali Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Ciidanka Cirka SoomaaliyeedSomali name as given by Wikipedia; Radio Dalsan writes Ciidanka Cirka Soomaaliya. Arabic: القوات الجوية الصومالية (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya as-Sumaliya). The Ministry of Defence site (mod.gov.so) could not be read
- Opgericht
- 1954 (Aeronautical Corps); Somali Air Force from December 1960Formed under the Italian trusteeship as the Somali Aeronautical Corps and renamed after independence on 1 July 1960, in December 1960 according to Wikipedia. Exact founding day not confirmed
- Onderdeel van
- Somali Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia; the President is commander-in-chief
- Hoofdkwartier
- Afisione, MogadishuReopened on 1 July 2015 after 25 years out of use; the staff had worked from a residential area for two years before
- Commandant
- Gen. Abdirisaq Mahamud Haji (Cabdirisaaq Maxamuud Xaaji)Named air force commander in February 2026 according to Wikipedia (rank given as brigadier general); Radio Dalsan names him as commander in September 2026
- Minister van Defensie
- Ahmed Moalim FiqiNamed as defence minister by Radio Dalsan in September 2026; his predecessor Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur was minister in March 2025
Kracht
- Personeel
- Wikipedia, citing a 2017 World Bank expenditure review, gives about 170 (40–50 officers and 120–130 NCOs); that figure could not be read in the source itself. In 2016 the force was described as about 150 retirees of the Barre era
- Aanvalshelikopters
-
- TAI T129 ATAK — 3 (2025)
Delivered by Turkey in the first week of June 2025. Wikipedia lists six; whether Turkish or Somali crews fly them operationally has been reported both ways
- Utility helicopters
-
- Bell 412 / 412EPX — 2–6
- Bell 205 — 4 (FlightGlobal)
FlightGlobal 2025 counts four Bell 205 and two Bell 412; Italy handed over four Bell 412EPX in August 2024 and Garowe Online counts six Bell 412s received in 2023–2024. A UN panel suggested some reported Bell 205s may be misidentified (Wikipedia)
- Armed drones
-
- Bayraktar Akinci — 2 (March 2025)
- Bayraktar TB2 — number not published
Ownership is contested: Turkey told the UN Panel of Experts in 2022 it had delivered no armed drones (Wikipedia), while Middle East Eye reports Turkish personnel running armed drone operations
- Fixed-wing combat aircraft
- Geen24 JF-17 Block III reported signed in April 2026 by unnamed sources; no delivery confirmed
- Peak strength
- About 56 combat aircraft (1990–91)IISS Military Balance 1990–91 as quoted by Wikipedia: 4 Hunters, 10 MiG-17s, 22 J-6s, 8 MiG-21MFs and 6 SF-260Ws. At the start of the Ogaden War in 1977 Somalia had about 53 combat jets
Infrastructuur
- Hoofdbasis
- Mogadishu (Aden Adde International Airport)The pre-1991 air academy and airlift wing were at the Mogadishu airport; the Turkish TURKSOM facility in Mogadishu hosted the T129 test flights in 2025
- Baledogle
- Former Soviet-built jet baseBuilt in the 1970s with Soviet help, runway lengthened to 10,500 ft in 1975; used by US forces and the Danab brigade since about 2012
- New airfield
- Wargaadhi, Middle ShabelleMilitary airfield under construction from December 2023 to improve army air transport
- Former bases
-
- Mogadishu — academy, airlift wing
- Baledogle — jet base
- Hargeisa — used in 1988
Pre-1991 airfields used for combat operations; Hargeisa airport was used for the 1988 bombing of the city
- Opleiding in het buitenland
- Turkey, Pakistan, EritreaCadets in Turkey by 2014; Pakistan offered training in March 2020; Somali army recruits trained at an Eritrean air force camp from 2022 (the President visited them at the Eritrean Air Force headquarters in November 2022 and July 2024); these were not aircrew courses as far as the sources show
How the Somali Air Force is organised
The air arm of the Somali Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence, with its headquarters at Afisione in Mogadishu, reopened in 2015 after 25 years. It has no fixed-wing combat aircraft: since 2023 it has received Bell 412 helicopters, four of them from Italy, two Turkish Akinci drones in March 2025 and three T129 ATAK attack helicopters in June 2025. Who flies the Turkish drones is unclear, a reported order for 24 Pakistani JF-17s has not been confirmed, and the air force’s units and basing are not published.
Somali Air Force
The air arm of the Somali Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government. Its headquarters at Afisione in Mogadishu reopened on 1 July 2015 after 25 years out of use. Gen. Abdirisaq Mahamud Haji (Cabdirisaaq Maxamuud Xaaji) was named commander in February 2026 according to Wikipedia, which gives his rank as brigadier general, and Radio Dalsan named him as commander in September 2026. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is commander-in-chief and Ahmed Moalim Fiqi defence minister.
Aanvalshelikopters
Three TAI T129 ATAKs were delivered by Turkey in the first week of June 2025, according to defenceWeb and The Defense Post; Wikipedia lists six. They made their first test flights at the Turkish TURKSOM base in Mogadishu, and defenceWeb says they were "apparently" used against al-Shabaab soon after arrival. Whether Turkish or Somali crews fly them operationally has been reported both ways.
Utility helicopters
Two Bell 412s arrived in July 2023 and Italy handed over four Bell 412EPX worth $16 million in August 2024; Garowe Online counts six, while FlightGlobal’s 2025 directory lists two Bell 412s and four Bell 205s, which a UN panel suggested may be misidentified 412EPX. They are used for troop transport, casualty evacuation and search and rescue. Units and bases are not published.
Drone force
Two Bayraktar Akinci drones were flown in by Turkey in March 2025, and TB2s have been reported in Mogadishu since December 2021. Who controls them is contested: Turkey told the UN Panel of Experts in 2022 that it had delivered no armed drones, and Middle East Eye reports that about 200 Turkish personnel deployed in 2025 were for armed drone operations.
Reported JF-17 order
The air force has no fixed-wing combat aircraft. Radio Dalsan and HUM English reported on 21 April 2026, citing unnamed officials, that Somalia had signed for up to 24 JF-17 Block III fighters from Pakistan for about $900 million; neither government had confirmed it when a Pakistan Air Force delegation met the President on 20 September 2026, and the reported talks then covered training and air defence.
Opleiding in het buitenland
Somali air force cadets were training in Turkey by October 2014, and Radio Dalsan reported in January 2026 that Turkey, having trained a limited number of Somali pilots, planned to train more. Pakistan offered training in March 2020. Somali army recruits trained at an Eritrean air force camp from 2022, though not as aircrew as far as the sources show.
What the Somali Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAI T129 ATAKIn dienst | Aanvalshelikopter | 3 | 2025 | — | Three according to defenceWeb and The Defense Post; Wikipedia lists six (March and June 2025), not confirmed elsewhere. | |
| Bell 412 / Bell 412EPXIn dienst | Hulphelikopter | 6 | 2023 | — | Two Bell 412s in July 2023 and four Bell 412EPX from Italy in August 2024; Garowe Online counts six. FlightGlobal 2025 lists two Bell 412. | |
| Bell 205In dienst | Hulphelikopter | 4 | — | FlightGlobal World Air Forces 2025 figure. | ||
| Baykar Bayraktar AkinciIn dienst | Armed long-endurance drone | 2 | 2025 | — | "At least two" (defenceWeb); two (Middle East Eye). | |
| Baykar Bayraktar TB2In dienst | Armed drone | — | 2021 | — | Aantal niet gepubliceerd. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAC JF-17 Thunder Block IIIOp bestelling | 24 | Radio Dalsan and HUM English reported on 21 April 2026 that Somalia had signed for up to 24 aircraft at about $900 million, with pilot and ground-crew training; both cite unnamed officials, and neither government’s defence ministry had commented.
MeerFirst aircraft were said to be possible within 18–24 months. When a Pakistan Air Force delegation met the President on 20 September 2026, the reported talks covered training and air defence, and no aircraft were mentioned. Somalia has no fixed-wing combat pilots or jet base in service that the sources describe. |
Every type the Somali Air Force has retired
16 types, from the North American P-51D Mustang to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | Straaltrainer | 2 | 1963–1991 | — | Two MiG-15s by 1975 (IISS as quoted); three MiG-15UTI wrecks reported at Mogadishu in 1993. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 / MiG-17F | Jachtbommenwerper | 30 | 1967–1991 | Shenyang F-6 | 30 delivered in 1967 (MiG-17 article) or 50 donated (Somali Air Force article); 10 left in 1990–91 (IISS as quoted). | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21MF / MiG-21UM | Vechter | 33 | 1974–1991 | — | 33 MF and 3 two-seaters from 1974 (MiG-21 operators list) or 29 MF purchased (Somali Air Force article); 24 in July 1975 and 8 in 1990–91 (IISS as quoted). | |
| Antonov An-2 and An-24/An-26 | Vervoer | 6 | — | — | Three An-2 and three An-24/26 (IISS 1975 as quoted). | |
| Mil Mi-2, Mi-4 and Mi-8 | Hulphelikopter | — | — | — | Listed by IISS in 1975 without reliable numbers. | |
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W / SF.260C | Trainer en lichte aanval | 6 | 1979–1991 | — | Six SF.260W (Nelson 1982 and IISS 1990–91, as quoted) or 12 SF-260C (SF.260 operators list). | |
| Shenyang F-6C / FT-6 (Chinese MiG-19) | Jachtbommenwerper | 30 | 1980–1991 | — | At least 11 F-6C and 2 FT-6 ordered in 1979; at least 30 delivered 1980–81, up to 50 according to SIPRI as quoted; 22 in 1990–91 (IISS as quoted). | |
| Straatverkoper Jager | Grondaanval | 9 | 1983–1991 | — | Nine from the UAE, landed at Mogadishu port in June 1983 (Somali Armed Forces article); four left in 1990–91 (IISS as quoted). | |
| Britten-Norman Islander | Licht transport | 4 | 1983–1991 | — | Four from the UAE in June 1983. | |
| Ilyushin Il-28 / Il-28R / Il-28U | Bommenwerper | 4 | 1972–1978 | — | One Il-28, one Il-28R and two Il-28U around 1972; three in service when the war began. | |
| North American P-51D Mustang | Vechter | 6 | 1954– | — | Six (Somali Air Force article) or six to eight (Somali Armed Forces article). | |
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-53 Skytrooper | Vervoer | 10 | 1954– | An-24/26 | Two C-47 and eight C-53 at the start (Wikipedia); three C-47s still listed by IISS in 1975. | |
| Beech C-45, North American T-6H Texan and Stinson L-5 | Contacten leggen en training | 6 | 1954– | — | Two of each (Wikipedia); one C-45 still listed in 1975. | |
| Piaggio P.148 | Basistrainer | 8 | 1962– | SF.260 | Eight donated by Italy in 1962; six in 1975 (IISS as quoted). | |
| Heliopolis Gomhouria | Lichte trainer | 2 | 1961– | — | Two from Egypt. | |
| de Havilland Vampire (trainer) | Jet trainer, combat air patrol | — | — | — | Number not found. |
Where the Somali Air Force flies from
Black pins are active airfields. Mogadishu, home of the air force’s airlift wing and academy before 1991, and Baledogle, its Soviet-built jet base, are in military use again, though the only aircraft published at Baledogle are American and Ugandan. Hargeisa, in self-declared Somaliland, is listed for the bombing of 1988 and Baidoa for three Hunters found there in 1993, and a military airfield has been under construction at Wargaadhi since December 2023. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Somalia
2 of the 4 bases above sit outside Somalia, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aden Adde International AirportMogadishuBanaadir (Mogadishu) | HCMM | Actief | 05/233,590 m |
|
| BaledogleLower Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) | Actief | 04/223,076 m |
|
|
| Wargaadhi military airfieldMiddle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hirshabelle | Gesloten | — | — | |
| Baidoa AirportBay, South West State | Gesloten in 1991. | — |
|
|
| HargeisaEgal International AirportMaroodi Jeex, Somaliland (regarded by the federal government as part of Somalia) | HCMH | Gesloten in 1991. | — |
|
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Somali Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. No Somali Air Force squadron numbers have been published, before 1991 or since: the entries are the airlift wing and academy Wikipedia places at Mogadishu, the jet base at Baledogle and the aircraft found as wrecks in 1993. The American and Ugandan units at Baledogle are listed and marked as not Somali. Where an entry rests on a single source, it says so.
- Airlift wing (Somali Air Force)—
- Douglas C-47, Antonov An-24/An-26
- Somali Air Force military academy—
- —
- Somali Air Force jets at Mogadishu (pre-1991)—
- MiG-21MF / MiG-21UM, MiG-15UTI, MiG-17, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W
- US forces (US Africa Command)Foreign forces: training and counter-terrorism operations · foreign
- —
- Uganda People’s Defence Force aviation unit (African Union mission)Foreign helicopter detachment · foreign
- Helicopters (types not given in the sources read)
- Somali Air Force jet base (pre-1991)—
- —
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Somali Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
The Somali Aeronautical Corps is formed under the Italian trusteeship with C-47s, C-53s, T-6s, L-5s and a handful of P-51Ds.
Ali Matan Hashi trains in Italy and becomes the first Somali pilot.
1 July: independence. December: the Aeronautical Corps is renamed the Somali Air Force.
Somali-Italian agreement on pilot training; Italy donates eight Piaggio P.148s; fifty cadets begin jet training in the Soviet Union.
8 February–2 April: border war with Ethiopia. Vampire trainers fly combat patrols and C-47s lift troops to Tog Wajaale.
Ali Matan Hashi becomes commander of the air force.
The Soviet Union delivers 30 MiG-17s and MiG-17Fs.
MiG-21MF deliveries begin; four Il-28s had arrived around 1972.
13 July: Somalia invades the Ogaden with about 53 combat aircraft; Ethiopian F-5Es win air superiority.
March: Somali forces are driven out of the Ogaden. The Soviet Union has already switched to Ethiopia; none of the Il-28s survives.
Chinese F-6s arrive, after six SF.260Ws late in 1979.
June: nine Hunters and four Islanders from the United Arab Emirates are landed at Mogadishu.
31 May and 2 June: air attacks on Burao and Hargeisa begin during the war with the Somali National Movement.
January: Siad Barre flees Mogadishu and the air force ceases to exist.
1 July: the air force headquarters at Afisione, Mogadishu, reopens after 25 years.
July: first two Bell 412 helicopters. December: work starts on a military airfield at Wargaadhi.
March: two Akinci drones arrive and the Defence Minister credits air force strikes against al-Shabaab. June: three T129 attack helicopters.
February: Abdirisaq Mahamud Haji named commander. April: a 24-aircraft JF-17 deal is reported by unnamed sources.
Every war the Somali Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- Ethiopian–Somali Border War 1964 Flew combat air patrols with Vampire trainers and lifted troops in C-47s; had no real combat aircraft
- Ogaden War 1977–1978 Supported the invasion of the Ogaden with MiG-17s, MiG-21s and Il-28s, then lost the air war to Ethiopian F-5Es
- Ethiopian–Somali border clashes 1981–1983 F-6s were used in border skirmishes in 1981; Ethiopian aircraft struck Galkayo in 1982
- War in the north and the Somali Rebellion 1988–1991 Bombed cities held or contested by the Somali National Movement, and later fought other rebel groups
- Campaign against al-Shabaab 2025– Strikes and helicopter support against al-Shabaab with drones and attack helicopters, alongside Turkish and US air power
Everything people ask about the Somali Air Force
Does Somalia have an air force?
What is the Somali Air Force called in Somali and Arabic?
When was the Somali Air Force founded?
What fighter jets did Somalia fly?
What happened to the Somali Air Force in the Ogaden War?
What happened to the Somali Air Force in 1991?
Did the Somali Air Force bomb Hargeisa?
Does Turkey fly Somalia’s drones?
Is Somalia buying JF-17 fighters?
Who commands the Somali Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Somali Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- Goobjoog News: Somalia reopens Air Force headquarter (1 July 2015)Defence Minister Abdikadir Ali Dini reopens the Afisiyone headquarters, closed for 25 years.
- SONNA: Pakistan offers support to Somalia for military training (5 March 2020)Air force commander Brig. Gen. Mohamed Sheikh at PAF Air Headquarters; training offer by Air Chief Mujahid Anwar Khan.
- SONNA: Somali Air Force strikes have severely weakened the enemy – Defence Minister (9 March 2025)Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur on air strikes with aircraft "purchased by the government".
- SONNA: President Hassan visits Somali National Army training at the Eritrean Air Force HQ in Asmara (July 2024)Visit of 9 July 2024 with President Isaias Afwerki; no numbers given.
- Keydmedia: Somali President visits Air Force cadets training in EritreaDated 11 November 2022: about 5,000 Somali soldiers at an air force training camp in Eritrea, on a three-year course.
- Radio Dalsan: SNA Chief inspects construction of military airport in Wargadhi (14 December 2023)Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyiddin inspects the new military airfield in Middle Shabelle.
- Radio Dalsan: President Hassan Sheikh meets with the leadership of the Somali Air Force operations (17 March 2025)Briefing on air strikes; pledge to keep rebuilding and equipping the air force.
- Radio Dalsan: Turkey to train and equip new Somali security forces across land, sea and air (24 January 2026)Turkey has trained a limited number of Somali pilots; expansion reportedly planned.
- Radio Dalsan: Somalia signs $900 million deal with Pakistan for 24 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets (21 April 2026)Unnamed sources and an anonymous defence official; first aircraft within 18–24 months; no ministry statement at publication.
- Radio Dalsan: Pakistan oo Soomaaliya ka taageeraysa dhismaha Ciidanka Cirka (20 September 2026)President meets PAF Air Marshal Muhammad Sarfraz; names Air Force Commander Gen. Cabdirisaaq Maxamuud Xaaji and Defence Minister Axmed Macallin Fiqi. No new agreement announced.
- HUM English: Somalia signs deal to acquire Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jets (April 2026)24 JF-17 Block III, about $900 million, citing diplomatic and defence sources.
- Anadolu Agency: Somali forces kill 82 al-Shabaab terrorists in airstrikes (21 March 2025)NISA claim: six strikes by the Somali Air Force and NISA in Lower Shabelle.
- Military Africa: Somalia receives Bell 412 helicopters to boost counter-insurgency fight (13 August 2023)Two Bell 412s in July 2023, three more expected; funding unclear; Turkish training.
- Military Africa: Italy supplies helicopters to Somalia (30 August 2024)Four Bell 412EPX from Italy, $16 million.
- Army Recognition: Italy supplies four Bell 412EPX helicopters to Somalia (29 August 2024)Largest delivery since the arms embargo was lifted; ATMIS drawdown context.
- Garowe Online: Villa Somalia under fire over alleged misuse of donated military helicopters (22 August 2025)Six Bell 412s received 2023–2024; allegations from confidential sources; no official response.
- The Defense Post: Turkey supplies combat, utility helicopters to Somalia (5 June 2025)Three T129 ATAK for the air force, two utility helicopters for the navy; about 500 Turkish personnel.
- defenceWeb: Somalia receives T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey (23 June 2025)Three T-129s in the first week of June 2025; at least two Akinci in March 2025; TB2 in SNA service since 2022; defence agreement February 2024.
- AllAfrica: Turkey’s T129 ATAK helicopters conduct first test flight in Mogadishu (June 2025)First test flight at the TURKSOM base; pilots not identified.
- Middle East Eye: Turkey doubles troops in Somalia amid al-Shabab offensive (2025)Nearly 500 Turkish troops, about 200 for armed drone operations; two Akinci; T129 handover reported but denied by a Somali source; AFRICOM coordination.
- Defence Security Asia: Turkey bolsters Somalia’s military with Akinci drones (20 March 2025)Two Akinci flown in by A400M, announced by Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur; claims of US unease are weakly sourced.
- TURDEF: Somalia may have received a Bayraktar TB2 UAV (11 December 2021)Based on photos and video published by The Daily Jubba; no official confirmation.
- ILKHA: Somalia receives Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkiye – Interior Minister (26 September 2022)Ahmed Moalim Fiqi: the United States and Turkey were providing air support in Galgadud and Hiran.
- FlightGlobal: Wereldwijde luchtmacht 2025Somali Air Force listed for the first time since 2008: four Bell 205 and two Bell 412, classed as combat helicopters.
- Australian War Memorial: wrecked aircraft at Mogadishu, 3 March 1993 (photo C265442)MiG-15UTI and two MiG-21s (coded 205 and 248) at the airbase formerly used by the Somali Aeronautical Corps, then by UNITAF.
- US GAO: Somalia – Observations Regarding the Northern Conflict and Resulting Conditions (NSIAD-89-159, 4 May 1989)Aerial shelling of urban centres; US Embassy estimate that 70 per cent of Hargeisa was damaged or destroyed; 350,000 Isaaq refugees in Ethiopia.
- Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA): home page and eAIP linkOfficial civil aviation authority; links to an eAIP at aip.scaa.gov.so (eAIP Somalia published 16 October 2025). The eAIP aerodrome pages could not be read for this dataset, so no AIP coordinates or runway data are used.
- Air Force Times (Kyle Rempfer): Secret US base in Somalia is getting some ‘emergency runway repairs’ (4 October 2018)Camp Baledogle: $12.1 million contract to URS Group for full-depth patching and overlay; runway 10,092 ft by 140 ft, asphalt; AFRICOM declined to name the aircraft based there.
- Goobjoog News: Three UPDF officers face court martial over aircraft loss in Somalia (29 March 2026)Ugandan aircraft AUO-004 lost at Baledogle Military Airfield on 19 September 2024; three officers charged.
Cijfers geverifieerd op 1 oktober 2026. De pagina's van Order of Battle worden opnieuw gegenereerd vanuit één dataset; als een getal hier niet overeenkomt met een pagina in Book of Beasts, is deze pagina de meest recente van de twee.
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