Eritrean Air Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Eritrean Air Force is the official aerial warfare

Aerial warfare

Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...

service branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces and is one of the three official uniformed military brances of the State of Eritrea.

History

The Eritrean Air Force was established shortly after Eritrean War of Independence

Eritrean War of Independence

The Eritrean War of Independence was a conflict fought between the Ethiopian government and Eritrean separatists, both before and during the Ethiopian Civil War. The war started when Eritrea’s autonomy within Ethiopia, where troops were already stationed, was unilaterally revoked...

in 1994. It was first established by Commander Habtezion Hadgu, who used to be an Ethiopian Air force pilot during the Mengistu regime, and latter defected to the Eritrean People Liberation Front (EPLF) in the late 80s. When the air force was established,Commander Hadgu, called many officers who served in the Ethiopian Air force, including Col. Abrahan (Chief of Staff), Col. Melake, Col. Mesfin, Col. Dr. Efrem, and some others like Major Shekay who came from Lebanon. His Deputy was a veteran EPLF fighter, a Major General, Aka. Wedi Kahsay whom he remained acrimonious with commander Habtezion until he was sent to Norther zone as a commander of a regiment in the army. The director of air-force intelligence and administration was also a veteran EPLF fighter, Col. Mussie Lebassi, who gives immense value to education, and who enjoyed a good relationship with Commander Habtezion Hadgu and other officers, and was member of the 72nd intelligence unit of the EPLF, which was dissolved in 1994. Commander Habtezion and Col. Mussie were latter suspended form the air force when they allowed a defected Ethiopian war plane to land at the Asmara air force base with the permission of the president. Eventually, the air force was taken over by Major General Teklay Habteselasie who is also the commander of the Sawa military training camp. Under his command many young officers and pilots have defected to neighboring countries and the moral of the air force personnel declined sharply. The Eritrean Air force trained and grew enormously in such a short period and was able to challenge the Ethiopian army in the 1998 border conflict. Commander Habtezion along with young Air Force pilots retaliated in short time after the Ethiopian Air force bombed Asmara through their popular pilot General Bezabh Petros, who was in captive during the liberation war and captivated for the second time in the 1998 war. Commander Habtezion destroyed 11 planes in air force base in Mekele and returned safely.
The MiG-21's which were taken from the Ethiopian Air Force are believed to be no longer in service. The main airbase is Asmara AP, which is combined civil/military. At this moment, peace-keepers from different countries try to maintain the fragile peace over the disputed border. Other bases are Barentu, Mitsiwa and Aseb. Serials are sometimes worn with 'ERAF'in front of the digits, but not always.

The make-up of the original force was composed of aircraft that were abandoned by the defeated Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

n armed forces. The Eritrean Air Force is a smaller branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces.

Expansion of the Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) did not occur until the Eritrean-Ethiopian War

Eritrean-Ethiopian War

The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...

in which the two air forces fought for superiority. In a sort of arms race

Arms race

The term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...

Eritrea responded to Ethiopia's purchase of Su-27's with a purchase of MiG-29's. Also during the border war with Ethiopia, Eritrea captured attack helicopters from Ethiopia. However, ERAF suffered a great loss during this war which even forced it to ground until the end of the war. In 2000 the ERAF bought eight Su-25's from Georgia, and six more MiG-29's from Moldova. In 2003 Eritrea also acquired several Su-27's.

Organization

The Commander of the Eritrean Air Force is Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

Teklai Habteselassie. The official headquarters of the Eritrean Air Force is located in Asmara, Eritrea

Asmara

Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...

Air-to-air missiles

! style="text-align: left; background: #accccc;"|Missile
! style="text-align: left; background: #accccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #accccc;"|Notes
|-----
| AA-2 Atoll ||

Soviet Union
|-----
| AA-10 Alamo ||

Russia
|-----
| AA-11 Archer ||

Russia
|-----
| AA-12 Adder ||

Russia
|}

Aircraft Inventory

Aermacchi M-290 RediGO

|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Taylor, Michael, J.H. . Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory: 1999/2000 Edition. London: Brassey's. 1999. ISBN 1-85753-245-7....

|
| trainer
| L-90TP
| 6
| 8 delivered
|-
| Aermacchi MB-339

Aermacchi MB-339

The Aermacchi MB-339 is an Italian military trainer and light attack aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier MB-326.-Design and development:...

|
| attack
| MB-339C
| 20
| 6 delivered
|-
| Antonov An-12

Antonov An-12

The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...

| /
| transport
|An-12
| 2
|
|-
| Xian MA-60
|
| transport
| MA-60
| 4
|
|-
| Harbin Y-12

Harbin Y-12

-See also:-Bibliography:* Taylor, John W R. . Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1988. ISBN 07106-0867-5....

|
| utility transport
| Y-12
| 5
| 4 delivered
|-
| IAI Astra

IAI Astra

|-See also:-External links:...

Mikoyan MiG-29

The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...

| rowspan="2"|
| fighter
| MiG-29
| 33
|
|-
|trainer
|MiG-29UB
|2
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|Mil Mi-8

Mil Mi-8

The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....

| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2"|transport helicopter
| Mi-8
| 2
|
|-
| Mi-17
| 1
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| Mil Mi-24

Mil Mi-24

The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...

|rowspan="2"| /
|rowspan="2"| attack helicopter
| Mi-24D
| 17
|
|-
| Mi-35
| 4
|
|-
| Sukhoi Su-25

Sukhoi Su-25

The Sukhoi Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975...

|
| attack
| Su-25
| 17
| Su-25K\UK
|-
|rowspan="2"| Sukhoi Su-27

Sukhoi Su-27

The Sukhoi Su-27 is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability...

Agusta

Agusta is an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It is based in Samarate, Northern Italy. It is a subsidiary of Finmeccanica. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907...

Bell-412
|

| transport helicopter
| AB-412
| 4
|
|-
| Bombardier Challenger 600

Bombardier Challenger 600

The Bombardier Challenger 600 series is a family of business jets designed by Bill Lear and produced first by Canadair until that company was bought by Bombardier Aerospace in 1986.-Development:...

|
| VIP
|CL-601-3A
| 1
|
|-
| Dornier

Dornier

Dornier may refer to:* Claudius Dornier , German aircraft designer and builder** Dornier Flugzeugwerke, German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1914 by Claudius Dornier* Dornier Consulting, international consulting and project management company...

Do-28
|

Dornier

Do-228
|

United States
| Transport
| C-130E/H Hercules
| 8
|
|}

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