Côte d'Ivoire


A brief history of the nation's air forces
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Ivory Coast Air Force

Formed in 1960 on the independence of Ivory Coast, formerly part of French West Africa, it received the standard independence military aid package of a c-47, 3 Max Holste 1521M Broussard and an AlouetteII helicopter.

It soon embarked on a limited expansion program, acquiring 2 more Broussards, an additional Alouette II and 3 Alouette III. it received a gift of an Aero Commander 500 from the US. Two SA330 Puma helicopters were bought later, followed by a Fokker F-27M Troopship and three Cessna 337 in 1971.

In recent years, they have acquired a limited combat ability with 5 Alphajet armed trainers. Biggest expansion of the Air Force has been in VIP transport, for which it has a Foker 100, Gulfstream III and IV, a Puma and a Dauphin. In the communications role is a Cessna 421 and a 401, and a Beech Super King Air, while 4 F33C Bonanza are used for training, with 2 Reims Cessna 150H.



Abstracted from and copyright of Jane's Air Forces of the World