Gabonese Air Force

In the early 1960s, following the country's independence from the French Republic, aerial detachments were inside the country, with the first official aerial installation being the Mouila Training Center which was established in 1966 in the south-west of the country. On January 25, 1972, by presidential decree signed by President Omar Bongo, the Gabonese Air Force became an official branch of the armed forces, separate from the army. In January 1980, at the initiative of President Bongo, the Air Force developed and adopted a combat structure, acquiring a fleet of fighters, and creating the Mvengue Air Base in the capital. ==Order of battle==

• Fighter Squadron 1-02 Leyou at BA02 Franceville with: • Mirage F1AZ • MB-326M Impala I • Heavy Transport Squadron at BA01 Libreville with: • C-130 Hercules • CN-235 • Ministerial Air Liaison Group ( or GLAM) at BA01 Libreville with: • 1 Falcon-900EX • 1 Gulfstream III Current inventory Retired aircraft Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force consisted of the CM.170 Magister, C-130H Hercules, Embraer EMB 110, Fokker F28, Aérospatiale N 262, Reims C.337, and the Alouette II helicopter. The first fighters flown by the air force were Dassault Mirage 5Gs. == References ==