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Central, Eastern, & Southern Africa Database
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Little is known about MiGs in service with different African air forces. Except MiGs in Algeria, Egypt, or Libya (which are described in a separate gallery, to be found in the "North and Western Africa Data-base"), for example, standard reference publications mention only the numbers of MiGs operated by different African countries: pictures are either extremely rare, or not available.
The following series of artworks is based on what little evidence about MiG-17s and MiG-21s in service with different smaller African air forces since the 1960s is available, with emphasis on unusual camouflage patterns, national markings, serials, and special unit insignia. Part 3 covers the air forces of Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, and Mali.
Note that this article formed the basis for the book "African MiGs", which is a delivering the full story of 18 Sub-Saharan air forces that flew or still fly MiGs, and specially detailing their combat operations. Details about "African MiGs" can be found HERE.
Any additional informations to this topic, including eventual corrections, would be most welcome.
Ethiopia
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| Debre Zelt, late 1980s; MiG-21MF "1054" was probably a survivor from the original batch of 48 MiG-21s supplied to Ethiopia by the USSR - via Cuba, together with Cuban pilots and technicians - in late 1977. At the time, the type was introduced in service with the 1st and 2nd Wing EtAF, both of which flew many combat sorties in the final months of the Ogaden War, in 1978, and then fought the years-long and bloody war with Eritrea. In addition to this conflict, during the 1980s the EtAF MiG-21s were also used during several skirmishes with Somalia (in summer of 1980 one was even shot down on the Somali side of the border), and against Sudan. The final fate of this MiG-21 remains unknown. The original colors of its camouflage pattern were at delivery probably similar to those of the 1127, shown bellow, but the colors faded due to years of exposition to the African sun. Interestingly, the national markings were apparently fresh - i.e. re-applied subsequently. |
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| Asmara, Eritrea, 1992: "1127" was one of several Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl (Ethiopian Air Force, EtAF) aircraft captured by Eritreans at Asmara AB when the Communist regime in Addis Ababa collapsed, in late May 1991. The aircraft belonged to one of the final batches supplied to Ethiopia sometimes in the late 1980s, and was subsequently returned to Ethiopia, sometimes in the mid-1990s, to be used by the new, re-established EtAF - also during the new war with Eritrea, from 1998 until 2000. The colors used on this artwork were those applied originally, before delivery: at the time the aircraft was captured, all were very bleak, like on the MiG-21MF "1054", seen above. |
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| Asmara, Eritrea, 1992; two of the EtAF MiG-21MFs captured at Asmara AB, in May 1991, were "1461" and "1464", painted in this unusual camouflage pattern. Interestingly, both aircraft were also carrying launch rails for R-13/AA-2 Atoll missiles, which is especially interesting given that during the long war against Eritrean rebels the EtAF faced actually no opposition in the air, and the main role of its MiGs was air-to-ground. |
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| Debre Zelt, autumn, 1998; MiG-21bis "1087" is one of the examples sent to Israel for general overhaul and an upgrade to MiG-21-2000 standard. Due to the lack of funds, the aircraft was "only" completely overhauled before being returned to Ethiopia and then used during the war with Eritrea. Another MiG-21 from the same batch overhauled in Israel was "1083", flown by Col. Petros, when this was shot down and captured during an attack against Asmara AB, on 6 June 1998. |
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| Djibouti, May 1991; In the final days of Mengistu's regime, three Ethiopian Air Force MiG-23BNs were flown to sanctuary in Djibouti, together with 19 other Ethiopian aircraft and helicopters. All were subsequently returned to Ethiopia, and used with the new EtAF, re-organized from 1994. The example depicted here, "1270" wears an unusual camouflage pattern for the type, probably applied after the aircraft was refurbished somewhere in the Europe, or in the USSR, in the late 1980s. Note, however, that this plane was not equipped with the RWR, usually carried in a blister underneath the cockpit. |
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| Djibouti, May 1991; "1289" was the third MiG-23BN flown to Djibouti on 28 May 1991 (together with 1270 and 1288). This obviously war-weary aircraft still carried the original camouflage pattern, applied before delivery. Ethiopia purchased a total of 36 MiG-23BN, and these entered service with two squadrons of the 3rd Air Wing, based at Dire Dawa, but sometimes also deployed at Debre Zelt. Both units were almost exclusively manned by Cuban pilots. Ethiopian MiG-23BNs saw extensive service during the long war against Eritreans, in the 1980s, but the type suffered extensive losses. No less but 16 were destroyed during a single raid by Eritrean sappers against the Asmara AB, on 21 May 1984 (together with two An-26, two Soviet Il-38s, four unidentified aircraft, as well as six Mi-8s and Mi-24s). Additional examples were shot down during other battles, including four in April and May 1991. The new Ethiopian Air Force was thus able to recover only a dozen or so MiG-23BNs in the mid-1970s: these were refurbished and seven or eight of them put into service again just in time to participate in the new war against Eritrea, from 1998 until 2000, when - however - again at least two were shot down by Eritrean air defenses. |
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| Debre Zelt, Ethiopia, January 1999; in December 1998 and January 1999 Ethiopia received six ex-Russian Air Force Su-27S and two Su-27US' directly from Russia. The aircraft were disassembled at the Krasnodar AB, before transport to Debre Zelt, where they entered the service with either the No. 5 Sqn EtAF, and were initially mainly flown by Russian instructors. One of these, Col. Vyacheslaw Myzin, crashed during a demonstration flight for VIPs over Debre Zelt, on 6 January 1999. Myzin ejected safely, but his Ethiopian pupil - Flt.Lt. Abaniyeh - was killed. A replacement aircraft was rushed to Ethiopia and the EtAF Su-27s became operational within only one month, so that by February of the same year they could already fly CAPs along the embattled border to Eritrea. The plane wears the standard Russian AF camouflage. National markings are apparently worn on fins only: photographs showing Su-27s wearing national markings on wings as well, were all "doctored". The serials, applied on the fin in black, are not - as previously reported - in the "18xx" range, but there are disputes between our sources in this regards, and because of this we have only marked their position. (Artwork by Jan Mikes) |
Guinea
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| Guinea (probably at Conakry-Gbessia), late 1950s or early 1960s; Force Aérienne de Guiné was formed soon after French-Guinea became independent from France, in 1959, and initially operated at least ten MiG-17Fs as well as two Mig-15UTIs, plus some other training and light transport aircraft. The artwork here depicts the MiG-17F "242": it is based on a b/w photograph, taken from considerable distance. Because of this, several details remain unclear, even if the general arrangement and the size of the markings are correct. For example, the exact order of the fin flash could also be yellow-green-red, but is shown here as based on the roundel which was in use from 1959 until 1962. The serial on the nose could also have been applied in either light blue or orange (it was certainly neither red nor green, as the color of the serial on the b/w photo is too light when compared with red and green fields on the flash). The fate of FAG MiG-17s remains unknown, but they were probably retired once the service has got MiG-21MFs from the USSR, in 1986. (All artworks by Tom Cooper; copyright 2003, all rights reserved) |
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| Guinea, early 1960; this is how at least one FAG MiG-15UTI should have been marked in the early 1960s. The serial of this aircraft should have been either AF202 or AF220, but it remains unknown where it was carried. The title "TRAINING COMMAND" was supposedly carried on the fin - apparently in the place of the flash. After the change of the national markings, in 1962, only the order of colors changed (from green - red - yellow, to red - yellow - green). |
Guinea-Bissau
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| Guinea-Bissau, time and place unknown; In the late 1980s the Forca Aérea da Guine-Buissau has got five MiG-17F and a single MiG-15UTI from the USSR, which were stationed at Bissalanca. At least two were lost in different accidents before the type was replaced by several MiG-21MFs. The "red 43" shown here was last seen in derelict condition and all three guns removed. |
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| Bissalanca, Guinea-Bissau, 1995; according to unconfirmed reports, Guinea-Bissau probably got also few Lim-5s - Polish-built MiG-17Fs - some of which were probably equipped with an additional pylon, mounted under the inner part of the wings, and used for carriage of MARS-1 rocket pods (Polish version of the Soviet UB-16-57-UD pod). |
Ivory Coast
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| Yamoussoukro AB, Cote d'Ivoire, November 2004: Some of the most colorful African combat aircraft ever were the two Su-25UBs in service with the Forces Aériennes Cote d'Ivoire (FACI) - until badly damaged and written off in an attack of French special troops and attack helicopters against Yamoussoukro AB, on 6 November 2004. The aircraft depicted here, "Red 21", is unusual for FACI then it carries no civilian registration - as all FACI aircraft and helicopters previously, regardless of their purpose. The French attack in which it was destroyed came in retaliation for a strike flown by this and the other Ivorian Su-25UB ("Red 20") on a UN-Peacekeepers base near Buake, in which nine French Marines were killed. |
Madagascar
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| Ivato IAP, Madagascar, early 1980s; The Armée de l'Air Malgache was given four MiG-17Fs and eight MiG-21FL from North Korea, in 1978. These were used by the Escadrille de Chasse - together with at least one MiG-21U - in the local Fighter School. The symbol applied to the nose of this MiG-17F was obviously not reserved solely for the Fighter Flight of the AAM: it was also seen on several Piper Aztec and Norman Islanders. Note that the remnants of the DPRKAF (North Korean Air Force) sign can still be seen on the rear fuselage. By the early 1990s only two MiG-17Fs remained intact, but currently the AAM has no operational fighter jets. |
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| Ivato AB, Madagascar, cca. 1997: Madagascar received a number of MiG-21MFs and MiG-21UMs from Russia, in 1996. The exact number of delivered examples remains unknown: known is only that they were operated for a relatively short period of time (two or three years) and are ever since in "active storage" at Ivato. All AAM MiG-21s are painted light silver-grey, and have their serials applied on the fin, as well as the title "TAFIKA ANABAKABAKA" on the nose. The situation with serials is not entirely clear: there are only two serials for MiG-21MFs, "169" or "269" and "255". One MiG-21UM was certainly serialled "339". The situation with another remains unclear, as only a part of the fin was seen, with the serial "291". It could be that the aircraft in question is the second MiG-21UM known to have been operated by the AAM, but it could also be that this is another MiG-21MF. |
Mali
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| Bamako AB, Mali, 1999: Force Aérienne de la République du Mali acquired five MiG-17Fs or Lim-5s and a single MiG-15UTI in the 1960s. These were all based at Bamako/Sénou AB, and flown by Soviet pilots. Although planned to be replaced by 12 MiG-21MFs, delivered in 1976 at least five examples remained in service into the 1990s. The last sighting of several examples was reported from 1999, with all the remaining examples "in storage" - actually left to rust in the open. FARMA MiG-17s were painted in several camouflage patterns, starting with this in sky-blue, blue, and azure blue, via another in tan and olive, to another similar to the camouflage pattern worn by MiG-21MFs. |
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| Gao AB, Mali, 1991: this is another camouflage pattern reported to have been applied to FARMA MiG-17s. So far, however, there is no pictorial evidence for it. |
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| Gao AB, Mali, 1991; Aside from MiG-17s, in 1976 the FARMA also acquired 12 MiG-21MFand two MiG-21UMs from the USSR. The type saw some combat during the war in Chad, in which the military of the Republic of Mali was involved time and again. By the early 1990s, at least two FARMA MiG-21s were lost in different incidents, and then a better part of the fleet was stored. |
Acknowledgments
As always, it is impossible to realize projects like this one without a team-work. Several persons were kind to share informations about "African MiGs" and thus instrumental for the final results; my special thanks go to Mr. Pit Weinert, Mr. Tom N., Mr. Jin Ho, Mr. Chris Thornburg, and Mr. Alvaro Ponte.
© Copyright 2002-3 by ACIG.org
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