Gabonese Air Force
The Gabonese Air Force grew from a small post-independence air arm into a separate service by decree on 25 January 1972, flew Mirage 5s from 1980 and second-hand South African Mirage F1AZs from 2006, and in 2026 remains one of the few Central African air forces with jet fighters on its books — although no source confirms how many still fly — alongside a new C295, a CN-235 and a mixed helicopter fleet.
The Gabonese Air Force story: Mirage 5s, South African Mirage F1s and a new C295 on the eve of a change of power
1960–1972: from army air arm to air force
Gabon became independent from France in 1960, and its air arm, according to Wikipedia, traces its origins to the early years after independence; a training centre at Mouila was established in 1966. On 25 January 1972 a presidential decree signed by President Omar Bongo made the Gabonese Air Force an official branch of the armed forces, and in January 1980, Wikipedia says, it adopted a combat structure at Bongo’s initiative. Its early fleet was French and practical: Wikipedia lists among former types the Fouga CM.170 Magister jet trainer, Nord 262 and Embraer EMB 110 transports, a Fokker F28, Reims-built Cessna 337s, Alouette II helicopters and C-130H Hercules transports. Its headquarters is at Libreville, the capital.
1980–2008: the Mirage 5 years
Gabon’s first fighters were Dassault Mirage 5s. According to Wikipedia’s Mirage 5 article, Gabon initially ordered three Mirage 5G fighters, two Mirage 5RG reconnaissance aircraft and two Mirage 5DG two-seat trainers; deliveries were completed in 1978 and the aircraft arrived in Libreville in 1980. In 1982 Gabon placed a follow-on order for four Mirage 5G-IIs and two Mirage 5DG-IIs, delivered until 1984. The sources checked record no combat use of the Mirages, and Wikipedia says they were officially retired in 2006–2008, when the second-hand Mirage F1s began to replace them. How many Mirage 5s were airworthy in their last years is not documented in the sources checked.
2006–2013: Mirage F1AZs from South Africa
The replacement came from South Africa. When the South African Air Force retired its Mirage F1AZs, the Paramount Group bought the surplus fleet, refurbished aircraft with Aerosud and resold them in Africa. Gabon received two F1AZs in August 2006 and two more in November 2007, defenceWeb reported, and by August 2010 six had been delivered. On 17 August 2010, for the fiftieth anniversary of independence, five of them flew over the military parade on the Libreville seafront, all flown by Gabonese pilots, defenceWeb reported. In 2013 South Africa also supplied two MB-326 Impala jets for pilot training, according to defenceWeb. Congo-Brazzaville received two aircraft from the same stock in 2010.
2023: a new transport and a change of power
On 26 June 2023 President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s cabinet approved a loan of 31 billion CFA francs (52 million US dollars) from Spain’s Santander Bank for an Airbus C295 transport, defenceWeb reported. The aircraft, TR-KJF, left Spain on 8 August and landed in Libreville on 11 August 2023. At that point defenceWeb described the rest of the fleet: a CN-235M first flown in 1991 and recently overhauled by Airbus in Spain, several C-130 Hercules and L-100s in storage, the six F1AZs, the two Impalas, a Puma, three Gazelles, an ATR 42 and a Falcon 900 for VIP use; the Republican Guard flew its own EC135s, EC120s and an EC225 Super Puma. Nineteen days after the C295 landed, on 30 August 2023, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and the Republican Guard took power without encountering resistance, according to Wikipedia.
2024–2026: what is known, and what is not
Since then the public record on the air force is thin. Oligui Nguema was sworn in as transitional president on 4 September 2023, elected in April 2025 with nearly 95 per cent of the vote and inaugurated on 3 May 2025. Wikipedia in 2026 lists six Mirage F1s, an ATR 42, the CN-235, the C295, one C-130H and helicopters (five Pumas, three Gazelles, two Alouette IIIs, a Super Puma and EC135s and EC120s that defenceWeb attributes to the Republican Guard). Reports that the Mirage F1 has been retired could not be confirmed: no official statement or published report of a retirement was found in the sources checked, and the type is still listed as current. How many of the Mirages are airworthy is not published. French military facilities at Libreville are covered in the stations dataset.
The Gabonese Air Force in numbers
Hizmet
- Yerli isim
- Armée de l’air gabonaiseAs given by Wikipedia; defenceWeb has used Forces Aériennes Gabonaises
- Kurulan
- 25 January 1972Presidential decree by Omar Bongo making the air force an official branch; origins in the early 1960s, with a training centre at Mouila from 1966
- Merkez Ofis
- LibrevilleAir Base 01 Libreville; Wikipedia also lists Air Base 02 at Franceville
- Komutan
- Gen. Jean MartinPer Wikipedia; not confirmed by an official source
- Başkomutan
- President Brice Clotaire Oligui NguemaIn power since 30 August 2023; elected April 2025, inaugurated 3 May 2025
Kuvvet
- Personel
- About 1,500Wikipedia infobox; no official figure found
- Savaş uçağı
-
- Dassault Mirage F1AZ — 6 (airworthiness not published)
Listed by Wikipedia in 2026 and by defenceWeb in 2023; no retirement confirmed
- Jet eğitim uçakları
-
- MB-326 Impala — 2
Supplied by South Africa in 2013, per defenceWeb; not listed by Wikipedia
- Ulaşım
-
- Airbus C295W — 1
- CN-235M — 1
- C-130H Hercules — 1 (others stored)
- ATR 42 (VIP) — 1
- Falcon 900 (VIP) — 1
Wikipedia and defenceWeb; the Falcon 900 is listed only by defenceWeb
- Helikopterler
-
- SA 330 Puma — 1–5
- SA 342 Gazelle — 3
- Alouette III — 2
- AS 332 Super Puma — 1
Wikipedia lists five Pumas, defenceWeb one; Wikipedia also lists EC135s and EC120s that defenceWeb places with the Republican Guard
Altyapı
- Hava üsleri
-
- Air Base 01, Libreville — headquarters
- Air Base 02, Franceville
Per Wikipedia; details in the stations dataset
- Yabancı varlık
- French forces at LibrevilleThe French base is covered in the stations dataset; no figures are given here
How the Gabonese Air Force is organised
A separate service since a decree of 25 January 1972, with its headquarters at Libreville, about 1,500 personnel according to Wikipedia and two air bases, BA01 Libreville and BA02 Franceville. It is one of the few Central African air forces with jet fighters on its books, six ex-South African Mirage F1AZs delivered from 2006, although no source confirms how many still fly. Its newest aircraft is an Airbus C295W, which landed on 11 August 2023, nineteen days before the takeover that brought Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema to power.
Gabonese Air Force
Made an official branch of the Gabonese Armed Forces by a decree of President Omar Bongo on 25 January 1972, with its headquarters at Libreville and about 1,500 personnel according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia names General Jean Martin as commander; no official source or appointment date was found. President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led the takeover of 30 August 2023 and was inaugurated on 3 May 2025, is Commander-in-Chief.
Fighter Squadron 1-02 Leyou
Placed by Wikipedia at Air Base 02 Franceville, without aircraft assigned. The service’s only fighters are six ex-South African Mirage F1AZs delivered from 2006 to 2010, five of which flew over Libreville on 17 August 2010 with Gabonese pilots; Wikipedia still lists all six in 2026, airworthy numbers are not published and no retirement was confirmed. Two MB-326 Impala jet trainers came from South Africa in 2013.
Heavy Transport Squadron
Placed by Wikipedia at Air Base 01 Libreville, without aircraft assigned. The transport fleet is the Airbus C295W TR-KJF, which landed in Libreville on 11 August 2023, a CN-235M overhauled by Airbus in Spain and one C-130H in service, with other C-130s and L-100s in storage according to defenceWeb.
Ministerial Air Liaison Group
The ministerial liaison flight, listed by Wikipedia at Air Base 01 Libreville. The service’s VIP aircraft are an ATR 42 and a Falcon 900, the Falcon listed by defenceWeb alone; which unit flies them is not stated.
Helikopter filosu
One to five Pumas (Wikipedia five, defenceWeb one), three Gazelles, two Alouette IIIs and a Super Puma; Wikipedia also lists two EC135s and two EC120s that defenceWeb places with the Republican Guard. No helicopter unit or base is named.
What the Gabonese Air Force flies today
Ücretli olan her tür, varsa ilgili Canavarlar Kitabı sayfasına bağlanmıştır. Sayılar, belirli bir günde müsait olan uçak sayısını değil, kayıtlarda yer alan uçak sayısını ifade eder.
| Türü | Rol | Hizmette | O zamandan beri | Birimler | Notlar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Mirage F1AZHizmette | Avcı-bombardıman uçağı | 6 | 2006 | Six delivered: two in August 2006, two in November 2007 and two more by August 2010. Still listed by Wikipedia in 2026; airworthy numbers not published. | ||
| Atlas MB-326 ImpalaHizmette | Jet eğitim uçağı | 2 | 2013 | Two, supplied by South Africa in 2013, per defenceWeb. | ||
| Airbus C295WHizmette | Taktiksel ulaşım | 1 | 2023 | One, TR-KJF. | ||
| CASA/IPTN CN-235MHizmette | Taktiksel ulaşım | 1 | One; first flew in 1991. | |||
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules and L-100Hizmette | Ulaşım | 1 | Wikipedia lists one C-130H in service; defenceWeb (2023) says several C-130s and L-100s are in storage. Wikipedia also lists the C-130H among former types. | |||
| ATR 42Hizmette | VIP ulaşım | 1 | Bir. | |||
| Dassault Falcon 900Hizmette | VIP ulaşım | 1 | DefenceWeb başına yalnızca bir adet. | |||
| Aérospatiale SA 330 PumaHizmette | Nakliye helikopteri | 1–5: Wikipedia lists five, defenceWeb (2023) one. | ||||
| Aérospatiale SA 342 GazelleHizmette | Hafif helikopter | 3 | Three, per Wikipedia and defenceWeb. | |||
| Aérospatiale Alouette IIIHizmette | Hafif helikopter | 2 | Vikipedi'ye göre iki. | |||
| Eurocopter AS 332 Super PumaHizmette | Nakliye helikopteri | 1 | One, per Wikipedia. defenceWeb attributes an EC225LP Super Puma to the Republican Guard. | |||
| Eurocopter EC135 and EC120Hizmette | Hafif helikopterler | 4 | Two EC135 and two EC120, listed by Wikipedia under the air force; defenceWeb (2023) says they belong to the Republican Guard (Garde Républicaine). |
Every type the Gabonese Air Force has retired
7 types, from the Dassault Mirage 5G, 5RG, 5DG, 5G-II and 5DG-II to the Dassault Mirage 5G, 5RG, 5DG, 5G-II and 5DG-II. Zirve rakamları, herhangi bir tarihteki filo gücünü değil, tüm hizmet ömrü boyunca teslim alınan uçak gövdelerini ifade eder.
| Türü | Rol | Doruğa ulaşmak | Servis edildi | Yerine şu geçti: | Notlar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Mirage 5G, 5RG, 5DG, 5G-II and 5DG-II | Fighter, reconnaissance and trainer | 13 | 1980–2008 | Mirage F1AZ | Seven in the first order (three 5G, two 5RG, two 5DG) and six in 1982 (four 5G-II, two 5DG-II), per Wikipedia. | |
| Fouga CM.170 Magister | Jet eğitim uçağı | Numara bulunamadı. | ||||
| Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante | Hafif ulaşım | Numara bulunamadı. | ||||
| Fokker F28 Fellowship | VIP ulaşım | Numara bulunamadı. | ||||
| Aérospatiale N 262 | Hafif ulaşım | Numara bulunamadı. | ||||
| Reims-Cessna F337 | İrtibat | Numara bulunamadı. | ||||
| Sud Aviation Alouette II | Hafif helikopter | Numara bulunamadı. |
Where the Gabonese Air Force flies from
Siyah işaretler aktif üsleri temsil eder; listedeki havaalanlarından hiçbiri kapanmamıştır. Both bases share civil international airports: Air Base 01 at Libreville’s Léon-Mba airport, the headquarters and transport base, and Air Base 02 at M’Vengue near Franceville, in Omar Bongo’s home province, where Wikipedia places the fighter squadron. France’s long-standing garrison at Libreville is now, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, a joint liaison detachment of about 100 personnel inside the Gabonese camp, with no French aircraft named.
| Temel | ICAO | Durum | Pist | Birimler ve uçaklar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Base 01 LibrevilleLéon-Mba International AirportEstuaire, Libreville | FOOL | Aktif | 16/343.000 m |
|
| Air Base 02 FrancevilleM’VengueHaut-Ogooué, near Franceville | FOON | Aktif | 15/333.200 m |
|
Arama sonucunda bu kriterlere uyan bir hava üssü bulunamadı.
Who is stationed where in the Gabonese Air Force
Üslerden hareketle uçan birlikler. Wikipedia names three units: Fighter Squadron 1-02 Leyou at Franceville, and the Heavy Transport Squadron and the ministerial liaison group, GLAM, at Libreville. It does not say which aircraft each flies, and no helicopter unit is named.
- Heavy Transport SquadronUlaştırma filosu · aktif
- Groupe de Liaison Aérien Ministériel (GLAM)VIP and liaison · active
- Fighter Squadron 1-02 LeyouSavaş uçağı filosu · aktif
Bu aramaya uyan bir birim bulunamadı.
Gabonese Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
Independence from France; the air arm’s origins date from the early years after independence.
A training centre is established at Mouila.
25 January: a decree by President Omar Bongo makes the Gabonese Air Force an official branch of the armed forces.
Deliveries of the first Mirage 5G, 5RG and 5DG are completed; the aircraft reach Libreville in 1980.
January: the air force adopts a combat structure at President Bongo’s initiative.
Follow-on order for four Mirage 5G-IIs and two 5DG-IIs, delivered until 1984.
August: the first two ex-South African Mirage F1AZs arrive. The Mirage 5s are officially retired between 2006 and 2008.
November: two more Mirage F1AZs are delivered.
17 August: five Mirage F1AZs fly over Libreville for the fiftieth anniversary of independence; six have now been delivered.
South Africa supplies two MB-326 Impala jet trainers.
26 June: a loan for an Airbus C295 is approved. 11 August: C295 TR-KJF lands in Libreville.
30 August: Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and the Republican Guard take power; he is sworn in as transitional president on 4 September.
April: Oligui Nguema is elected president with nearly 95 per cent of the vote; he is inaugurated on 3 May.
Wikipedia still lists six Mirage F1s; no retirement of the type is confirmed in the sources checked.
Everything people ask about the Gabonese Air Force
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Read the aircraft the Gabonese Air Force flew
Hayvanlar Kitabı'nda sayfası bulunan her tür, önce hizmete girdiği yıl, sonra da filodan ayrıldığı yıl sıralanmıştır.
Her bilgi kontrol edildi.
- defenceWeb: Paramount confirms Mirage F1AZs delivered to Congo-Brazzaville, eyes future customers (2011)Gabon received two F1AZs in August 2006 and two in November 2007.
- defenceWeb: Gabon celebrates 50 years of independence with 5-ship Mirage F1 flypast (2010)17 August 2010 flypast by five F1AZs with Gabonese pilots; six delivered; Paramount and Aerosud upgrade.
- defenceWeb: Gabon Air Force to acquire a C295 transport aircraft under a loan agreement, 7 July 2023Santander loan approved 26 June 2023; fleet overview (F1AZ, Impala, CN-235M, stored C-130s, VIP types, Republican Guard helicopters).
- defenceWeb: Gabonese C295 arrives home, 6 September 2023TR-KJF left Spain 8 August, landed Libreville 11 August 2023; Ali Bongo overthrown 30 August.
- OurAirports: Libreville Leon M’ba International Airport (FOOL)Community data: coordinates, elevation 39 ft; runway 16/34 3,000 m asphalt (runways page).
- Ministère des Armées: Éléments français au GabonPublished 14 February 2022, modified 11 September 2026. Joint liaison detachment DLIA-G, about 100 personnel, integrated into the Gabonese camp in Libreville; training at Camp de Gaulle.
Rakamlar 2026-10-01 tarihinde doğrulanmıştır. Savaş Düzeni sayfaları tek bir veri kümesinden yeniden oluşturulmuştur; buradaki bir sayı Canavarlar Kitabı sayfasındaki bir sayıyla uyuşmuyorsa, bu sayfa ikisinden daha yeni olanıdır.
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