Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Force aérienne de la République démocratique du Congo) was created in 1961 to answer Katanga’s mercenary air arm, was kept flying in the 1960s by CIA-supplied aircraft and foreign pilots, decayed under Mobutu’s Zaire, and in the 2020s has put Su-25s, Mi-24s and Chinese CH-4 drones into the war against the Rwanda-backed M23 — a war in which it lost the use of Goma and Kavumu airports in early 2025.
The Congolese air force story: an answer to Katanga in 1961, CIA aircraft and Cuban exiles in 1964 and the loss of Goma in 2025
1960–1963: an air force born to fight Katanga’s
The Congo became independent from Belgium on 30 June 1960 with no air force of its own. Katanga, under Moïse Tshombe, soon declared its secession and seized aircraft of the colonial Force Publique’s aviation; its Aviation militaire katangaise was run by Belgian, French, British and South African mercenaries, among them the Polish fighter veteran Jan Zumbach, and flew Doves, T-6s, Dornier Do 28s and three Fouga Magisters against the UN force, ONUC. According to the English and French Wikipedia articles on the service, the Congolese air force was created in mid-1961 largely to oppose it. In practice the air war against Katanga was fought by the UN’s own air component, and it was the UN that had full control of Katanga by 15 January 1963. What was left of the Katangese air arm was folded into the Congolese air force. It was a beginning that set the pattern for decades: the aircraft and the men flying them often came from somewhere else.
1964–1968: CIA aircraft, Cuban exiles and mercenary pilots
From late 1962 the United States supplied aircraft and pilots, and between 1964 and 1968 a CIA front company, Anstalt WIGMO, maintained much of the fleet. The US State Department’s own documentary history, Foreign Relations of the United States, describes covert programmes that provided "paramilitary and air support to the Congolese Government". When the Simba rebellion overran much of the east in 1964, about 200 Cuban exiles recruited by the CIA fought on the ground and flew for the Congolese air force, CIA-contracted pilots, some of them Bay of Pigs veterans, flew B-26K Counter-Invaders delivered in 1964, and the South African Jerry Puren led a group of mercenary pilots in armed Second World War trainers. On 24 November 1964 five US Air Force C-130s dropped 350 Belgian paratroopers on Stanleyville in Operation Dragon Rouge to free Western hostages. It worked militarily, but it was an air force Congolese in name more than in crews.
1971–1997: Zaire’s air force, Shaba and the long decay
Mobutu Sese Seko renamed the country Zaire in 1971 and the service became the Force aérienne zaïroise. With French and Italian equipment — Aermacchi MB-326 jets, Mirage 5 fighter-bombers, C-130 Hercules — it looked, on paper, like one of the better-equipped air forces in Central Africa; the IISS counted 650 personnel and 21 combat aircraft in 1970 and 800 people and 33 aircraft by 1974, according to Wikipedia. When former Katangese gendarmes of the FNLC invaded Shaba from Angola in March 1977, Zairian Mirages bombed rebel positions, flown with help from about 50 Egyptian pilots and technicians, but it took 1,300–1,500 Moroccan troops flown in by French Transalls to end Shaba I, and French and Belgian paratroopers to retake Kolwezi in Shaba II in May 1978. By the mid-1980s funding had collapsed and aircraft were being used for private business; of the Mirages delivered, only three were left by the mid-1990s.
1996–2003: two Congo wars fought largely by other people’s air forces
The air force played little part in the First Congo War of 1996–1997; most aircraft were unserviceable, and the Serbian mercenaries Mobutu hired, with some imported aircraft, made little difference. Laurent-Désiré Kabila took Kinshasa on 17 May 1997 and the service became the air force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When the Second Congo War began in August 1998 with a Rwandan-led airlift of troops in three hijacked aircraft to Kitona, it was the air forces of Kabila’s allies that mattered: Zimbabwe’s Hawks and Hunters struck rebel and Rwandan advances, and Angolan transports flew Zimbabwean armour into Kinshasa. Kinshasa did rebuild a strike element of its own; defenceWeb dates the first ten Su-25s to 1999. The war formally ended on 18 July 2003. Its death toll is contested: the International Rescue Committee estimated 5.4 million deaths, mostly from disease and hunger, while the Human Security Report Project argued for about 860,000 excess deaths.
2007–2024: a small strike force for the east
Jane’s World Air Forces in 2007 found that few aircraft were flyable or could be restored and that the pilot school was "in near total disarray"; the service then had about 1,800 people in two air groups, five wings and nine squadrons, not all of them operational. Su-25s were lost in an unexplained disappearance in December 2006 and in a crash during the Independence Day display near Kisangani on 30 June 2007. The usable force became a small group of Su-25s and Mi-24 gunships, partly flown and maintained by foreigners: Bellingcat identified Georgian pilots in Goma from 2014, two of whom were on the Mi-24 that came down on 27 January 2017. When the M23 resumed its offensive in 2022, the Su-25s went to Goma, and on 7 November 2022 one landed briefly in Rwanda; Rwanda later fired on another on 24 January 2023, according to press reports cited by Wikipedia. Spending more than doubled in 2023 to US$794 million, according to SIPRI, and bought Chinese CH-4 drones and South African Mwari aircraft.
2025–2026: Goma, Bukavu and a war of drones
None of it stopped the M23 and its political wing, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC). Goma airport fell on 28 January 2025, with more than 1,200 Congolese soldiers surrendering there; Kavumu airport, the airfield for Bukavu, was taken on 14 February and Bukavu on 16 February. A UN Group of Experts reported that at least 6,000 Rwandan soldiers had been deployed in Congo and that Rwanda had supplied TB2 drones, air defence missiles and electronic warfare equipment; Rwanda denies supporting the M23. No reliable public count was found of the Congolese aircraft lost or captured at Goma and Kavumu, and none is given here. A US-brokered DRC–Rwanda agreement followed on 27 June 2025 and a Doha declaration with the M23 in July, but in 2026 the war turned on airfields again: the AFC/M23 claimed drone attacks on Kisangani airport, the army’s remaining hub in the north-east. The honest verdict is that the air force can still strike, but it cannot hold the air over its own east.
The Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in numbers
Hizmet
- Yerli isim
- Force aérienne de la République démocratique du CongoThe French name used by the French Wikipedia article on the service; French is the country’s official language. The service is commonly abbreviated FAC (Force aérienne congolaise), the name of the 1960s air arm
- Kurulan
- 1961Created in mid-1961, largely to oppose the Katangese air arm, according to both Wikipedia articles; no exact founding date was found
- Earlier name
- Force aérienne zaïroise (FAZA), 1971–1997The Zairian name under Mobutu; the service reverted to the Congo name after Kabila took power on 17 May 1997
- Bir parçası
- FARDC (Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo)One of the three services of the Congolese armed forces; the commander-in-chief is President Félix Tshisekedi
- Merkez Ofis
- Kinshasa, Ndolo airportThe 1st Air Group (1er Groupement aérien) is at Ndolo; the 2nd, tactical, Air Group is at Kamina
- Genelkurmay Başkanı
- Maj. Gen. Franck Ngama LebeFrom 27 October 2022 per French Wikipedia; defenceWeb dates him from 2021
Kuvvet
- Personel
- About 2,500–2,550defenceWeb (2025) gives about 2,500 and English Wikipedia 2,550. Jane’s gave about 1,800 in 2007; the FARDC reform plan foresaw an air force of 10,000, a figure never reached
- Savaş uçağı
-
- Su-25 — 5–6
- MiG-23 — 2, unserviceable
- Mi-24/Mi-35 attack helicopters — 8–9
Availability is low: defenceWeb counts three of eight Mi-24s as damaged or unserviceable
- Drone'lar
-
- CASC CH-4 — 3–6 delivered of 9 ordered
Nine CH-4 were ordered from China’s CASC; deliveries reported range from three (IISS, 2023) to six (ADF, May 2024)
- Ulaşım
-
- Il-76 — 2–3
- An-26 — 1–3
- Boeing 727 and 737 — several, mostly VIP
- C-130H Hercules — 1 (defenceWeb)
Counts differ between defenceWeb and Wikipedia; several are VIP aircraft
- Helikopterler
-
- SA 330 Puma — 10, status unknown
- Mi-8/Mi-17 — about 6
- UH-1H and Bell 206/OH-58 — several, some second-hand from the US
- Mi-26 — 1, not operational
defenceWeb lists the Pumas as of unknown status and the Mi-26 as not operational
- Savunma harcamaları
- US$794 million (2023)SIPRI figure reported by defenceWeb: an increase of 105 per cent, the largest in the world that year
Altyapı
- Air groups
-
- 1er Groupement aérien — Kinshasa (Ndolo)
- 2e Groupement aérien tactique — Kamina
Air bases and depth are covered on the stations page
- Eğitim
- KaminaThe École de vol and the École de technique de l’air are both at Kamina, according to French Wikipedia; Jane’s described the pilot school as in near total disarray in 2007
- Lost to the M23/AFC
-
- Goma — airport taken 28 January 2025
- Kavumu (Bukavu) — taken 14 February 2025
Dates from Wikipedia’s accounts of the 2025 offensives; both airports remained outside government control in the sources checked
- Under attack in 2026
- Kisangani (Bangoka)The AFC/M23 claimed drone attacks on the airport in early February and on 1 March 2026; local authorities said the drones were intercepted
How the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is organised
One of the three services of the Armed Forces of the DRC, run from Ndolo in Kinshasa; the last published organisation, French Wikipedia’s summary of Jane’s for 2007, has a 1st Air Group in Kinshasa and a 2nd Tactical Air Group at Kamina. The strike force is small: five or six Su-25s, the only working jets, eight or nine Mi-24/Mi-35 gunships, three of defenceWeb’s eight damaged or unserviceable, and three to six Chinese CH-4 armed drones of nine ordered. Su-25s flew against the M23 from Goma in 2022; where the strike aircraft are based today is not published.
Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
One of the three services of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), with about 2,500 people; the commander-in-chief is President Félix Tshisekedi. French Wikipedia lists Maj Gen Franck Ngama Lebe as chief of staff from 27 October 2022, while defenceWeb’s November 2025 profile dates him from 2021. He serves under the FARDC chief of general staff, General Jules Banza Mwilambwe according to Radio Okapi in July 2025.
1st Air Group and 2nd Tactical Air Group
The last published organisation is French Wikipedia’s summary of Jane’s for 2007: the 1st Air Group in Kinshasa with liaison, training and logistics wings, and the 2nd, tactical, Air Group at Kamina with a fighter-attack wing and a tactical transport wing. Jane’s then counted about 1,800 people in two air groups, five wings and nine squadrons, not all of them operational. The sources assign none of today’s aircraft to either group.
Su-25s and Mi-24 gunships
The only working jets are five or six Su-25s of 12 received, ten in 1999 and two in 2012, beside eight or nine Mi-24/Mi-35 gunships, three of defenceWeb’s eight damaged or unserviceable; the two MiG-23s are reported unserviceable. Two Su-25s deployed to Goma against the M23 in November 2022. The units that fly them and their present bases are not published.
CH-4 armed drones
Nine CASC CH-4s were ordered from China, as Africa Intelligence first reported in March 2023, for use against the M23; deliveries reported range from three (IISS, 2023) to six (ADF, May 2024). The CH-4 can carry bombs and air-to-surface missiles. Six Mwari surveillance aircraft from South Africa were still listed as on order in November 2025.
Transport and helicopter fleet
Two or three Il-76s, one to three An-26s, a C-130H counted by defenceWeb and Boeing 727s and 737s used mostly for government and VIP flights. Helicopters include about six Mi-8/Mi-17s, ten Pumas of unknown status, a Mi-26 that is not operational and UH-1Hs, with seven second-hand OH-58s and UH-1Hs acquired from the United States, as defenceWeb reported in 2024.
Flying School and Air Technical School
Both of the air force’s schools are at Kamina, according to French Wikipedia. Jane’s found the pilot school "in near total disarray" in 2007, and how much flying the base now sees is not published.
What the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-25 Kurbağa AyağıHizmette | Yer saldırısı | 1999 | 5–6. English Wikipedia lists 5 and notes one destroyed on 17 June 2026, an event not confirmed elsewhere; defenceWeb (November 2025) gives about 6 of 12 received (10 in 1999 and 2 in 2012).
DahaFrench Wikipedia’s older FARDC table gives 7. |
|||
| Mil Mi-24/Mi-35 HindHizmette | Saldırı helikopteri | 8–9. defenceWeb gives 8 Mi-24K/V/B, 3 of them damaged or unserviceable; English Wikipedia gives 9 Mi-35. | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 FloggerHizmette | Savaşçı | 2 | 2, both unserviceable per defenceWeb (2025). | |||
| CASC CH-4 (Caihong 4)Hizmette | Silahlı keşif insansız hava aracı | 2023 | 3–6 of 9 ordered: IISS counted 3 CH-4B in 2023; ADF reported six delivered by May 2024; defenceWeb (2025) gives 3–6. | |||
| Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 HipHizmette | Nakliye helikopteri | 6 | About 6 per defenceWeb and English Wikipedia. | |||
| Mil Mi-26 HaloHizmette | Ağır yük helikopteri | 1 | 2005 | 1, not operational per defenceWeb. | ||
| Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma (and IAR 330)Hizmette | Nakliye helikopteri | 10 | 10 per defenceWeb (status unknown) and Wikipedia, plus one Romanian-built IAR 330 listed by Wikipedia. | |||
| Bell UH-1H IroquoisHizmette | Çok amaçlı helikopter | 3–5: Wikipedia gives 3, defenceWeb 5. | ||||
| Bell 206 / OH-58 KiowaHizmette | Hafif helikopter | 2 | 2 Bell 206 per defenceWeb and Wikipedia; how many of the second-hand OH-58s are in service was not confirmed. | |||
| Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle and Alouette IIIHizmette | Hafif helikopterler | Wikipedia lists 3 Gazelles and 2 Alouette IIIs; defenceWeb does not list them, so their status is doubtful. | ||||
| Mil Mi-2 HopliteHizmette | Hafif helikopter | 2 | 2 per Wikipedia only. | |||
| Ilyushin Il-76 CandidHizmette | Ağır taşımacılık | 2–3: defenceWeb 2–3, Wikipedia 3. | ||||
| Antonov An-26 CurlHizmette | Taktiksel ulaşım | 1–3: defenceWeb 1, Wikipedia 3. Wikipedia also lists one An-74. | ||||
| Lockheed C-130H HerculesHizmette | Taktiksel ulaşım | 1 | 1 per defenceWeb (2025); English Wikipedia lists the C-130 among former types, and French Wikipedia’s older table gives 2. | |||
| Boeing 727 and 737Hizmette | VIP and government transport | defenceWeb: 2 Boeing 727 and 1 Boeing 737 BBJ; Wikipedia: 1 and 2. | ||||
| Embraer ERJ 135/145 and CASA CN-235Hizmette | Ulaşım | One of each per Wikipedia, which also reports a second CN-235 on order; not confirmed by defenceWeb. | ||||
| Aero L-39 AlbatrosHizmette | Jet eğitim uçağı | 2 | 2 per English Wikipedia only; not listed by defenceWeb. |
Sipariş üzerine
| Türü | Sipariş edildi | İlk teslimat | Notlar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount Mwari (AHRLAC)Sipariş üzerine | 6 | Six reported by defenceWeb in June 2023 for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; still listed as on order in November 2025. No delivery was confirmed. | ||
| CASC CH-4 (balance of order)Sipariş üzerine | 2023 | Nine ordered; 3–6 reported delivered, so between three and six may remain outstanding. defenceWeb also reports talks on the Wing Loong II. | ||
| Indonesian Aerospace N-219 and CN-235Sipariş üzerine | English Wikipedia lists five N-219 and one more CN-235 on order; no other source was found, so the numbers are not confirmed. |
Every type the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has retired
9 types, from the On Mark B-26K Counter-Invader to the Dassault Mirage 5M and 5DM. 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 5M and 5DM | Avcı-bombardıman uçağı | 11–14: the Mirage 5 article gives 11 Mirage 5M (of 14 built) and 3 two-seat 5DM delivered; the air force article gives 8 Mirage 5M, five lost in accidents by 1988. | ||||
| Aermacchi MB-326GB | Jet eğitim uçağı ve hafif saldırı uçağı | 17 | 17 in 1974–1975 per French Wikipedia; the FARDC article’s older table lists 14. | |||
| On Mark B-26K Counter-Invader | Counter-insurgency bomber | 1964– | ||||
| North American T-28 Trojan | Silahlı eğitmen | |||||
| North American T-6 Texan/Harvard | Silahlı eğitmen | Katanga inherited eight from the colonial aviation. | ||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo | Taktiksel ulaşım | |||||
| Douglas C-47/DC-3, DC-4 and DC-8 | Ulaşım | |||||
| Hawker Siddeley Andover | Ulaşım | |||||
| Aérospatiale AS 332 Super Puma and Alouette II | Helikopterler |
Where the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins airfields out of air force use or out of government hands. Ndolo in Kinshasa, where the Force Publique’s military aviation was established in October 1940 according to English Wikipedia, is the headquarters, and Kamina, built by Belgium from 1952, holds the flying and technical schools. Goma airport has been under AFC/M23 control since 28 January 2025, when, according to BBC News as cited by Wikipedia, more than 1,200 Congolese soldiers at the airport surrendered; the M23 claimed Kavumu on 14 February 2025, according to the Associated Press as cited by Wikipedia, with the adjacent air force base, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The DRC government regards the M23 as a rebel group backed by Rwanda; Rwanda denies supporting it. Coordinates are from English Wikipedia because the DRC AIP could not be reached; Ndolo’s is approximate, and Kisangani has no published position and carries no pin.
| Temel | ICAO | Durum | Pist | Birimler ve uçaklar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaminaHaut-Lomami Eyaleti | FZSA | Aktif | 13L/31R2.700 m13R/31L2.700 m |
|
| KitonaKongo Central Province | FZAI | Aktif | 05/232400 metreasfaltlanmış | |
| NdoloKinshasa | FZAB | Aktif |
|
|
| Kisangani Bangoka International AirportTshopo Province | FZIC | Kapalı | ||
| N’djili International AirportKinshasa | FZAA | Kapalı | 06/244,700 m | |
| Goma International AirportNorth Kivu Province | FZNA | 2025'te kapandı | 17/353.000 m |
|
| Kavumu AirportBukavuSouth Kivu Province | FZMA | 2025'te kapandı | 17/352.000 m |
Arama sonucunda bu kriterlere uyan bir hava üssü bulunamadı.
Who is stationed where in the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Üslerine göre uçan birlikler, önce mevcut birlikler. Congolese units are air groups (groupements aériens) and numbered wings (escadres), such as the 21st Fighter-Attack Wing that flew Mirage 5s and MB-326Ks for Zaire at Kamina in the 1980s. The sources assign none of today’s aircraft to a unit, so the current groups and schools are listed without aircraft. The Mi-24s with Georgian contract crews and the Su-25s at Goma are listed with the dates of the evidence for them, and the Belgian flying school of the colonial years and the Swedish UN jet wing of the Katanga secession are marked as not Congolese.
- 2e Groupement aérien tactique (2nd Tactical Air Group)Air group · active
- École de vol (Flying School)Uçuş eğitim okulu · aktif
- École de technique de l’air (Air Technical School)Technical training school · active
- 21e Escadre de chasse-attaque (21st Fighter-Attack Wing)
- Dassault Mirage 5M/5DM, Aermacchi MB-326K
- 22e Escadre de transport tactique (22nd Tactical Transport Wing)
- Belgian Air Force Advanced Pilots’ School1953–1960
- North American Harvard, Fouga CM.170 Magister
- 1er Groupement aérien (1st Air Group)Air group · active
- 19e Escadre de soutien logistique (19th Logistic Support Wing)
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Douglas C-47 Dakota
- 12e Escadre de liaison (12th Liaison Wing)
- Helicopters, Mitsubishi MU-2J, Cessna 310R
- 13e Escadre d’entraînement (13th Training Wing)
Bu aramaya uyan bir birim bulunamadı.
Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo milestones, 1914 to today
30 June: independence from Belgium. Katanga secedes and seizes colonial aircraft for its mercenary-flown air arm.
Mid-year: the Congolese air force is created, largely to oppose the Katangese air arm.
15 January: the UN has full control of Katanga; surviving Katangese aircraft pass to the Congolese air force.
CIA-supplied B-26Ks arrive and Cuban exile and mercenary pilots fly against the Simba rebels; 24 November: Operation Dragon Rouge at Stanleyville. WIGMO maintains the fleet from 1964 to 1968.
The country becomes Zaire and the service the Force aérienne zaïroise (FAZA).
8 March–26 May: Shaba I. Zairian Mirages bomb FNLC positions; Morocco flies in 1,300–1,500 troops on 9 April.
May: Shaba II. The FNLC takes Kolwezi; French Legion paratroopers retake it after a seven-day battle.
Five of the eight Mirage 5Ms counted by English Wikipedia have been lost in accidents.
17 May: Kabila takes power after the First Congo War; Zaire becomes the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
August: the Second Congo War begins with a Rwandan-led airlift to Kitona; Zimbabwe’s and Angola’s air forces back Kinshasa.
Ten Su-25s are received, according to defenceWeb.
18 July: the Second Congo War formally ends.
30 June: a Su-25 crashes at the Independence Day display near Kisangani, killing the pilot. Jane’s finds few aircraft flyable.
27 January: Mi-24 9T-HM12 comes down in North Kivu with two Georgian pilots aboard.
November: Su-25s deploy to Goma against the M23; on 7 November one lands briefly in Rwanda. 27 October: Franck Ngama Lebe becomes chief of staff, per French Wikipedia.
24 January: Rwanda fires on a Congolese Su-25. Nine CH-4 drones ordered from China; six Mwari reported in June. Military spending more than doubles to US$794 million.
28 January: Goma airport falls to the M23. 14 February: Kavumu airport is taken; 16 February: Bukavu falls. 27 June: DRC–Rwanda agreement signed in Washington.
31 January–1 February and 1 March: the AFC/M23 attacks Kisangani airport with drones; the authorities say they were intercepted.
Every war the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has fought
Kayıtlarda belirtilen yerlerde sorti ve kayıplar, belirtilmeyen yerlerde ise boş bırakılmıştır.
- The Katanga secession and the UN operation in the Congo 1960–1963 Created to oppose the Katangese air arm; the air war against Katanga was fought mainly by the UN’s own air component
- The Simba rebellion 1964–1965 Ground attack against the Simba rebels by aircraft supplied by the United States and flown largely by Cuban exiles and mercenaries; Belgian paratroopers were dropped from US aircraft to free hostages
- Shaba I 1977 Mirage 5s bombed FNLC positions, with Egyptian pilots and technicians, while Moroccan troops were flown in by French aircraft
- Shaba II 1978 The air force’s own role is not documented in the sources checked; the town was retaken by French and Belgian paratroopers with US airlift support
- Deployment to Chad 1980'ler Three Mirage 5Ms deployed with 1,750 Zairian troops and helped train Chadian forces after Libya’s incursion into northern Chad
Everything people ask about the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
What is the Congolese air force called in French?
What aircraft does the DRC air force fly in 2026?
Does the DRC have fighter jets?
What happened at Goma airport in 2025?
Does the DRC use armed drones?
Did Rwanda shoot at a Congolese Su-25?
Does Rwanda support the M23?
Who flew for the Congolese air force in the 1960s?
Did Zaire fly Mirages?
Who commands the DRC air force?
Read the aircraft the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo flew
Hayvanlar Kitabı'nda sayfası bulunan her tür, önce hizmete girdiği yıl, sonra da filodan ayrıldığı yıl sıralanmıştır.
Her bilgi kontrol edildi.
- defenceWeb: Democratic Republic of the Congo (military profile, 19 November 2025)About 2,500 air force personnel; Su-25 ~6 (10 in 1999, 2 in 2012); Mi-24 8 (3 unserviceable); CH-4 3–6 of 9; Mwari 6 on order; transports and helicopters.
- defenceWeb: African military spending up 22% in 2023 with DRC leading the push (23 May 2024)SIPRI: US$794 million in 2023, up 105 per cent; nine CH-4, six Mwari, seven second-hand OH-58 and UH-1H.
- defenceWeb: Democratic Republic of Congo emerges as Mwari’s next customer (27 June 2023)Six Mwari for the DRC; no delivery timeline.
- The Defense Post: DR Congo Deploys Fighter Jets Against M23 Rebels (8 November 2022)Two Su-25s deployed; Rwanda’s statement on the airspace violation and the DRC reply.
- ADF (Africa Defense Forum): Drones, Heavy Weapons Dominate DRC’s Fight With M23 (28 May 2024)Six CH-4 delivered; drones from Bulgaria and Turkey; Rwandan SAM fired at a UN drone in February 2024.
- The Diplomat: China Sends Military Drones to DRC Amid Fears of Regional War (20 March 2023)Nine CH-4 from CASC, as reported by Africa Intelligence.
- Bellingcat: The Strange Tale of the Georgians in Congo (26 June 2017)Georgian Mi-24 pilots and trainers at Goma; Mi-24 9T-HM12 lost on 27 January 2017.
- Human Rights Watch: World Report 2025 – Democratic Republic of CongoAt least five apparently unlawful attacks by the Rwandan military and M23 near Goma in 2024; Congolese artillery near displacement sites.
- Radio Okapi: Le vice-Premier de la Défense nationale appelle les lauréats à servir l’État (30 July 2025)Names Jules Banza as FARDC chief of general staff (from the search listing).
- Africanews: AFC/M23 rebels claim responsibility for drone attack on Kisangani airport (4 February 2026)AFC/M23 claim; local authorities say eight drones shot down.
- US Department of State, Office of the Historian: FRUS 1964–1968, Volume XXIII, Congo, 1960–1968 (preface)Covert programmes providing paramilitary and air support to the Congolese government.
- defenceWeb / Africa Center for Strategic Studies: The DRC conflict enters a dangerous new phase (6 March 2025)M23 rebels "overran Kavumu Airport and the adjacent air force base" on their way to Bukavu.
- Africanews: Drone attack targets DRC’s strategic Kisangani airport (2 March 2026)Tshopo provincial authorities blame the M23; four drones intercepted; no casualties reported.
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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