CuitoAs you know, there is a dearth of reliable information. They definently still fly F7s/Mig-21s. Indeed, Tanzania is reported to have purchased some ex-Iraqi Mig-21s that fled to Iran during Gulf War I. Also, within the past couple years FT-5s (and possibly F6s) have been seen at parades/airshows in Tanzania.
I’ve never seen anything about the L-39 or An-26. However, they did recently take delivery of a Chinese four engine prop transport (the designation escapes me). I believe they operate mostly Bell helicopters (I can think of one that was recently overhauled in South Africa).
Anyone else?
Cuitoand you arrived at that conclusion, how? :rolleyes:
Due to the EPLF’s victory over Nadew Command during the war against the Dergue.
Sorry, I don’t rely on second hand information. Mine comes directly from the horse’s mouth!
So who is the horse? The Ethiopian military, third party intelligence, the mercenaries themselves? And when did you receive this information?
Cuitothat story is a complete fiction.
Your username suggests that you are Eritrean; hence, your opinion is hardly unbiased. Please explain why, if the Eritrean Mig-29s performed well during the war, is Eritrea now trying to acquire Su-27s? …apparently one at a time LOL 😀 .
The Ethiopian Su-27s were supplied from Russia and were flown, naturally, by Russian pilots, if I recall.
Initially, yes. But after a while Ethiopia pilots began to fly Su-27s along with the Russians (as acig and other sources indicate).
CuitoI would assume the Czech Mi-17 in white paint are going into UN service in Angola. Check the UN thread to see UN paint schemes.
Chris
Well, the main UN mission in Angola ended in 1999, and the later mission ended in 2003.
CuitoFAR more because of politics than money. The F-7 is the cheapest fighter on the market today (that a nation can buy as a new air frame.) And it is still selling pretty well with Nigeria and Bangladesh getting new aircraft in the past year.
For the sake of Nigeria’s pilots, I’m glad they bought the new Chinese plane rather than refurbishing their old MiG-21s (I don’t know what Bangladesh was flying). However, at this point the J7 seems to be more of a placeholder – something to give your pilots something to fly until another aircraft arrives.
Cuito^Yes, Rawlings flew the MB326. IIRC, he even continued to fly himself around the country while he was president. (Although, they also had a Gulfstream for this purpose.)
CuitoJust how does Angola justify 15 Su-27 though?:diablo:
By having a vast country which has experienced war in the recent past; hence, they have a need for quick power-projection into the bush. Angola has also played a positive, stabilizing role in the region by intervening in the Dem. Rep. of Congo and the Rep. of Congo. The DRC is another vast country making an aircraft like the Su-27 extremely useful.
At the same time, the Angolan economy has been strongly expanding, thanks in large part to energy exports. Luanda and the interior cities are all being rehabilitated, and new cities, like Luanda Sul, are being constructed.
Look here for some info on some of the reconstruction in Angola:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=420119
CuitoI was doing a bit of research on South Africa(planning to visit soon) and was surprized to find out they had gripen and hawk jets.
In short: how on earth did they afford them and why would they need them?
With the things one reads in the news about SA you would think they would have better uses for the money.Is there any justification for them to have these aircraft, how are they maintaining them and why were the Swedes prepared to sell them in the first place?
I personally think they could have spent the money on a better cause.
It’s a shame to see comments this ignorant in this day and age. The South African budget is over $60 Billion US Dollars; the cost of 28 Gripens and 24 Hawks is absolutely trivial to this country. South Africa’s economy has been consistently expanding, exports have been growing, and the provision of health, education, and physical infrastructure has never been better. Read some real news on South Africa before you jump to opinions such as this (which is obviously ill informed).
Also, you may like to know that Ethiopia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
CuitoI thought UNITA in Angola towards the end of the war managed to get 6 MiG-23s? http://www.aeronautics.ru/mig23unita.htm
I’ve seen press reports that they purchased up to 8 Mig23s – though this seems to be completely unsubstantiated. And I’m almost positive that they were never used in combat. Most likely UNITA was in negotiations with some South African mercenaries/ arms dealers to acquire MiG23s but nothing came of it.
CuitoIf the people are stupid enough to pillage their own history why should the US stop them?
Because those were not Iraqi treasures, they were world treasures.
Where were the goverment/museum officials or police?
The government was being overthrown.
CuitoNo, New Orleans was never civilized.:D
Widespread government corruption…
If you want to talk about government corruption, then we need to mention: Dick Cheney, for abusing office and giving up the name of a covert US agent to pursue a personal agenda; Ronald Reagan for selling weapons to a US enemy (Iran); Oliver North for the same reason; Ronald Reagan again for illegally aiding terrorist groups in Nicaraugua and Angola; and a large number of the people at the Defense Dept. responsible for awarding billions of dollars in military contracts.
But those are all good-ole-white-boys, so you don’t want to talk about them.
CuitoPics of the Mi-17 crash:
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=117341
All aboard survived.
CuitoWASHINGTON (CNN) — A U.S. gunship has attacked suspected al Qaeda targets in southern Somalia, a senior Pentagon official said Monday.
The AC-130 flew its mission within the last 24 hours, the official told CNN. The operation was launched based on intelligence that al Qaeda operatives were in the location, but there was no immediate indication of how successful the strike had been.
Additionally, the official said, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has moved within striking distance of Somalia, but its jets have not been put to use.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/08/somalia.strike/index.html
This is not suprising to hear. The AC-130 was probably used in the extreme southwest corner of of Somalia between the port of Kismayo and the Kenyan border.
CuitoId love to know how these 3rd world countries can afford to operate such hardware as the Fulcrum and the Flanker?
Are these 3rd world airforces a professional and well trained lot? My impression is that they would be bit of a joke,not being racist but if I was a fighter pilot I wouldnt fly in a plane mantained by some some african bushman!
Well, I wouldn’t be that dismissive. Ethiopia has the longest aviation heritage in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopian Airlines just won the Africa Airline of the Year award from some organization. Ethiopian pilots are good and often get poached by Middle-Eastern airlines. The Ethiopian Airlines facility in Addis Ababa has been certified by Pratt & Whitney as a quality service center for certain engines.
Ethiopian Airlines to Host the 12th Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Conference
Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it would host the 12th conference on aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in Africa, which is organized by African Aviation Magazine, here in Addis Ababa from 9th to 11th March 2003, at the Sheraton Addis.
The Airlines said in a release that the annual conference which would have about 200 participants from various aviation organizations, particularly from MRO providers throughout the world, is expected to discuss the future of MRO in the continent as well as exchange of ideas and new solutions pertinent to the effective management of aircraft maintenance costs.
The ETHIOPIAN maintenance base that has FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approval since 1968, has won it a reputation for high standard and excellent safety record. The Airlines said pursuant to approvals secured from several concerned regulator bodies, the airline’s MRO services had been extended to over 75 airlines, both private and flag carriers, mainly from Africa and the Middle East. The facility offered complete maintenance package for most Boeing aircraft: 767, 757, 737, 727 and 707 as well as other models such as Lockheed (L 100), Fokker (F-50), Bombardier (HDC-5/6) and AIR (ATR-42) and associated major accessories. Complete engine ovehaul on Pratt and Whitney JT8D, JT3D, PW120 and PT6 models as well as modular maintenance on PW JT9D and PW2000 engines were also provided at this maintenance base, according to the Airlines. A 100,000lb state-of-the-art engine test facility is used to carry out performance tests on engines maintained at the overhaul shop, it said.
The Airline’s Multinational Aviation Training School, accredited by international institutions such as ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), AFCAC (African Civil Aviation Commission) and AFRAA (African Airlines Association), caters for the training needs of its aircraft technicians and pilots as well as those of several other carriers from different countries of the world. Technical recurrent training for rating requirements on various equipment and simulator training on B757 and 767 models are also among those provided by ETHIOPIAN, the release said.
Through the arrangement of a multi-discipline mobile technical team and technical management consultants, ETHIOPIAN extends its services to customers, both on short- and long-term assignments at locations other than its home base. Such technical support was given among others to Yemenia, Cameroon Airlines, TAAG (Angola), LAM (Mozambique), LAC (Congo-DRC) and Nigeria Airways.
When I’m in Africa, I try to fly Ethiopian as much as possible; I always chose it over Kenya Airways and others. So, Ethiopia is not the first world, but there is significant capacity there. The planes are certainly not serviced by “bushmen.”
CuitoChavez is democratically elected. He speaks for the people and he has the support of a majority of the population. Chavez works for Venezuelans not the White House . No sanctions, let alone military action, is justified. If you thought the global outcry against the Iraq war was loud, it will seem small compared to the outcry over an invasion of Venezuela where there is no possible justification whatsoever.
U.S. action is politically impossible.
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