Yemen Air Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

North and South Yemen

The Yemen Air Force, known as al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya, was established in 1926. During the mid-1950s, the Imam of Yemen established a private fleet that was run by the military. Later, the Russians delivered MiG-15 and MiG-17 fighters, followed by MiG-21s to the South Yemen Air Force. The northern Yemen Arab Republic

Yemen Arab Republic

The Yemen Arab Republic , also known as North Yemen or Yemen , was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the western part of what is now Yemen...

(YAR) had ties with Western

Western world

The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...

-oriented countries, and they supported a new air force. In the 1970s, Saudi Arabia donated F-5E and F-5B fighters, and two C-130H Hercules Transport aircraft. The Yemen Arab Republic Air Force (YARAF) aircraft markings are the basis of the current roundel and flag, which come from the North Yemen's support of the United Arab Republic between 1958 and 1961.

The South Arabian Air Force (or PDRYAF) was supported by the British and received BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk81s, DHC-2 Beavers, Jet Provost Mk52As and Bell 47G helicopters. The PDRYAF aircraft markings were a light blue triangle with a dark outer part and a red star in the center while the fin-flash consisted of a flag in the national tricolour with a blue triangle bearing a red star. This was used as the fin-flash until the unification of Yemen in 1990.

Unified Air Force

Yemen's air force was created in 1990 when the south and north unified in 1990. Yemen is planning to buy more MiG-29s. Yemen's new MiG-29s were modified by Yemen to also attack air and land units. They have also been proven effective and very effective and have very powerful payloads. The new MiGs have been used against terrorists and has also proven to effective in the Sah'da conflict. Many of the aircraft used by Yemen is from South Yemen and only a small percentage from North Yemen due to the fact South Yemen was allies with the Soviets in the Cold War. After the fall of the Soviet Union, South Yemen stopped receiving fighters as it used to. Yemen has also used fighter and bombers before. Mainly in the 1994 civil war to bomb the city of Aden and also there were reports of EEG (English Electric Lightning) fighters in the North Yemen civil war. They were used by Saudi Arabia since Yemen never owned EEG fighters.

The first MiG-29SMT was delivered in October 2004. Two MiG-29UBs are possibly also modified to SMT-standard as MiG-29UBT. A second batch of 6 MiG-29SMTs and 2 MiG-29UBTs was ordered in 2003 and delivered in 2004-05. The MiG-29s are armed with R-27 (AA-10 Alamo), R-73 (AA-11 Archer) and R-77 (AA-12 Adder) air-to-air missiles, as well as Kh-29

Kh-29

The Kh-29 is a Soviet air-to-surface missile with a range of 10–30 km. It has a large warhead of 320 kg, has a choice of laser, infrared, active radar or TV guidance, and is typically carried by tactical aircraft such as the Su-24, Su-30, MiG-29K as well as the "T/TM" models of the...

(AS-14 Kedge) air-to-surface missiles. In the first quarter of 2007 another 34 MiG-29SMTs were ordered from Russia. They are defending the Yemeni skies alongside the Northrop F-5B/F and the aging MiG-21 Fishbed and Sukhoi Su-20/-22 Fitters. Ukraine delivered 21 second-hand MiG-21bis Fishbed-Ns and 12 Su-22 Fitters in the period 2005-07. Yemen plans to buy more MiG-29s from Russia.

War in Sadah

Yemeni Air Force has been used extensively in the Sadah War. The Yemeni Air Force has been proven effective destroying enemy positions and buildings. Most enemy casualties were attributed to air raids. A number of accidents have occurred, including one in which a fighter plane accidentally fired a missile and killed more than 80 civilians.
During Operation Scorched Earth

Operation Scorched Earth

Operation Scorched Earth was the code-name of a Yemeni military offensive in the northern Sa'dah Governorate that began in August 2009, marking the fifth wave of violence in an ongoing insurgency pitting the Shi'a, Zaidi Houthis against the government...

on 2 and 5 October and on 8 November 2009, three fighter jets reported as a MiG-21, a Su-22 and a Sukhoi respectively crashed during military missions. The government claimed the crashes were due to technical problems malfunctions, while the rebels claimed they shot them down with MANPADS.

War on terror

As part of the Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown

Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown

The Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown refers to military operations by the Yemeni government and the United States government against al Qaeda and related targets in Yemen as part of the Global War on Terror. The crackdown began in 2001 and escalated on January 14, 2010 when Yemen declared open war on al...

, the Yemeni Air Force have launched air raids on terrorist bases throughout Yemen to kill important terrorist leaders. The raids were confronted with antiaircraft fire.

2011 Yemeni uprising

The Yemeni Air Force performed air strikes against opposition forces to the Saleh government during the 2011 Yemeni uprising

2011 Yemeni uprising

The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...

.
On 28 September 2011, a Su-22 was shot down during a bombing mission north of Sanaa by rebel soldiers using so called "advanced air defenses", possibly a MANPADS. The pilot ejected and was captured.

On 30 October, the al-Daylami air base near Sanaa was attacked by uprising forces. Different official sources reported two or three fighter jets destroyed on the ground either by mortar shells or with planted explosive charges. The aircrat were loaded with ammunition and combat ready for strikes on the next day. Among the destroyed aircraft it was reported at least one MiG-29.

Aircraft

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:...

|| || tactical transport || An-12BP || 1 ||
|-----
| Antonov An-24 Coke

Antonov An-24

The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...

|| || tactical transport || An-24RV || 6 ||
|-----
| Antonov An-26 Curl

Antonov An-26

The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...

|| || tactical transport || An-26 || 6 ||
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| Yakovlev Yak-40 Codling

Yakovlev Yak-40

The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small, three-engined airliner that is often called the first regional jet transport aircraft...

|| || tactical transport || || 2 ||
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros

Aero L-39

The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...

|| || jet training/light attack || L-39C || 12 ||
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| Agusta-Bell AB204/AB205 || ||utility || AB204B || 2 ||
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| Agusta-Bell AB206

Bell 206

The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...

|| ||utility || AB206B || 5 ||
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| Agusta-Bell AB212 Twin Huey || || utility || AB212 || 5 ||
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| Agusta-Bell AB214

Bell 214

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

|| || utility || AB214 || 6 ||
|-----
| Ilyushin Il-76

Ilyushin Il-76

The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...

|| || transport || || 3 ||
|-----
| Mil Mi-17 Hip-E

Mil Mi-17

The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...

|| || transport || Mi-17
Mi-171Sh|| 25 ||
|-----
|Lockheed C-130 Hercules || || tactical transport || C-130H || 3 ||
|-----
| Mil Mi-8 Hip

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....

|| || transport/attack || Mi-8T || 10 ||
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| Mil Mi-14 Haze

Mil Mi-14

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

|| || transport/anti-submarine || || 2 ||
|-----
|Mil Mi-24 Hind

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...

|| || attack || Mi-24D
Mi-35 || 14
8 ||
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| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...

|| || fighter || MiG-21bis/MF
MiG-21U
MiG-21UM || 40
4
8 ||
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...

|| || fighter || MiG-23ML
MiG-23UB || 10
5 ||
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

|| || ground attack || MiG-23BN || 20 ||
|-----
| Mikoyan MiG-29

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...

|| || multirole fighter|| MiG-29SMT
MiG-29UBT || 20
5 ||
|-----
| Northrop F-5 || || fighter/advanced trainer || F-5E
F-5F || 8
3 ||
|-----
| Sukhoi Su-22 || || ground attack || Su-22M-2
Su-22U || 30
3 ||
|-----
| Yakovlev Yak-11 Moose

Yakovlev Yak-11

|-See also:-References:* Gordon, Yefim, Dmitry Komissarov and Sergey Komissarov. OKB Yakovlev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1 85780 203 9....

|| || trainer || || 14 ||
|-----
| Zlin Z 142 || || trainer || Z 142 || 12 ||
|-----
| Total : || || || || 247 ||

Air Defence

Up to more than six hundred SAM vehicles in service.
12 Tor missile systems were ordered and tested in 2007.

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