Zimbabwes 23s were indeed donated to them by Libya, but went straight into storage at Gwero?……and apparently still wearing their former Libyan marks.

Dont ask me to source that info, since i remember reading it in either AFM or Air International yonks ago:confused:

Zimbabwean MiG-23s participated in a live fire exercise in 2003.

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=7235

http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/jul22a_2003.html

Now you can see CAC is really busy on manufacturing J-10, FC-1, J-7,even no room in the covered workplace to do some serious overhaul job on the FC-1 prototype. Must carry on the job outdoor. Probably they were also testing the engine, better do it outdoor.

I would not say it one of the protos being reworked – i.e notice the primer paint. I would say it could be a new one or possibly one of the ones we have seem already before they were painted. I.e. it could be 04 or one of the two delivered to Pakistan before they had been painted.

Finding information on African Air Forces is extremely difficult, if not impossible. That has led to reliance on unsubstantiated (and often wrong) information published by various sources (always with no details or pictures).

That is true. I have lately been trying to collect and document but info is hard to come by.

I have lately the UN Arms Transfers Register and Russia and China don’t submit much info at all and these are the people supplying Africa.

I have been to few military display days but could not afford a camera then. I have checked with the national Archives and they said they have loads of photos and articles, so next time i visit, I have promised myself to spend a couple of afternoons there.

African have problems of failing systems/institutions. Training the guys and keeping them practicing, they don’t put effort in good working combat maneuvers and strategies and unserviceable equipment. When a war breaks out, they best they can do is buy a Hind of the shelf and hire technicians and pilots.

Zimbabweans fly their own fighters. They may have employed mercenaries on the Hinds in DRC because they had just received them. I lived and grew up near Harare. Choppers practiced everyday and close enough to see the guys flying them. On rare occasions landed on our school grounds. I never saw a white pilot. In fact last year South Africa borrowed a few flying instructors from Zimbabwe and they are black. 😀

You might also want to read here on AFZ’s DRC involvement and refences to a few pilots. Will try to get you a few photos later: http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/printer_190.shtml

Let’s not get too excited here:)

I just asked what I thought was a perfectly reasonable question and used SA as an example. My argument that countries in general should still be spending less on arms and more on social needs still stands though.

Obviously a country has the right to defend itself and South Africa’s arms purchase is entirley within reason when you realize what they could be up against, in fact it seems to be rather conservative.

Their arms industry is also mighty impressive when you consider the resources available to them, they seem to build or have built everything from handguns to nukes and IRBMs. All on a limited budget and in isolation(during apartheid) that’s some seriously impressive sh!t.

Just how does Angola justify 15 Su-27 though?:diablo:

PS no offence taken from any of the replies

Angola also has 20 Su-24s. They have had wars in their country for decades, so being heavily armed and a large defence force (108,000 total), is sort of “normal” for them. It will take time for them to feel safe – they have learnt that the world is not kind, that world peace is an illusion, 🙂

Botswana’s F-5s were upgraded and i have read sources saying they are as capable as F-18As according to http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_537.shtml … …“As delivered to Botswana, the CF-5s were very advanced fighters – almost comparable to Boeing F/A-18A Hornets. They have got new GEC-Marconi HUDs and weapons aiming and computing system (WACS), with an air data compute, and an improved navaid suite, including Litton INS and GPS, Magnavox AN/ARC-164 VHF radios, JET standby attitude indicator, Corac AoA sensor, Honywell radar altimeter and Ferranti video cameras.”

I am afraid they only have two.. At least flyworthy..

You could be right on only two flying, I don’t have that info, but I know they received 15 … … and mentioning a couple of guys in North Africa with Flankers and fulcrums is not accurate because Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan have Flankers & Fulcrums. Also, although I have not seen confirmation, is it not rumored that Tanzania got some MiG-29?

The only operational terrorist group with an airforce ?

Tamil t’s are a bunch of ceasefire breaking losers.

I thought UNITA in Angola towards the end of the war managed to get 6 MiG-23s? http://www.aeronautics.ru/mig23unita.htm

Two Hinds photographed at Entebbe during 2006, with a rather airworthy looking MiG.17F Fresco sitting further back.

The first Hind is definatly Ugandan as it carries a roundal, the two-tone green one behind is not so clear.

It may indeed be Ugandan, but is it an example from Burundi?

A burundian Hind is pictured below for comparison.

Check post #1493 by cy24driver show two more Hinds in the lighter colours. Photos taken on the same place and shows the othe clolour scheme to be Ugandian too.