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Botswana Defence Force Air Wing

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Image:Botswana_Defence_Force_Logo.gif right|100px|thumb|Logo of the BDF The '''Botswana Defence Force Air Wing''' is the air force of Botswana.

Overview
The Air Wing was formed in 1977 and is organisationally part of the Botswana Defence Force. All squadrons are designated with a Z, which has no meaning but is used as a designation for "squadron". The main base is Molepolole and was built mostly by foreign contractors from 1992 being finished around 1996. Other bases used are Sir Seretse Khama International Airport at Gaborone and Francistown. The backbone of the Air Wing is formed by ex Canadian CF-116s which are locally designated as CF-5s. Thirteen ex-Canadian CF-116s (ten single-seater CF-5As and three trainer CF-5Bs) were ordered in 1996 to replace the BAC Strikemaster Strikemasters, with another three single-seaters and two dual-seaters delivered in 2000. For transport the Air Wing uses BN-2A/B, C212, CN235 and C-130 Hercules C-130Bs. Latest addition to the transport fleet was an ex-Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center AMARC C-130 Hercules C-130B to complement the two existing aircraft. In 2000, three additional AS350BA helicopters were bought for Z21, bringing the total to eight. The single Italian built AB412 has been replaced by a Bell 412EP in VIP-configuration. Z21 has a total of six Bell 412s of which the Bell412EP is being used by the VIP-Flight. Flying training is done on seven PC-7s. The VIP flight uses besides the Bell 412 a Gulfstream and a Be 200. In 1993 nine ex United States Army US Army/Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center AMARC O-2As were delivered for use against poaching.

Order of Battle (2001)
Image:BotswanaStrikemaster.jpg thumb|200px|right|An ex-BDF Strikemaster :F-5 Freedom Fighter CF-5A fighter - 10 :CF-5B operational trainer - 3 :C-130 Hercules C-130B tactical transport - 3 :CASA CN-235 CN-235 medium tactical transport - 2 :Shorts SC.7 Skyvan Skyvan 3M transport - 2 :Britten-Norman Islander BN-2A/B Defender light transport - 10 :Gulfstream G400/G450 Gulfstream IV VIP transport - 1 :BAe 125-800 VIP transport - 1 :CASA C.212 Aviocar CN-212 VIP transport - 2 :O-2 Skymaster O-2A - reconnaissance - 9 :Pilatus PC-7 PC-7 basic trainer - 10 :Cessna 152 trainer - 2 :Eurocopter Ecureuil AS-350B light helicopter - 4 :Bell 412 utility helicopter (1 Bell 412EP is used for VIP) - 6

Sources
[http://www.scramble.nl/bw.htm ''Scramble.nl''] [http://www.iss.co.za/AF/profiles/Botswana/SecInfo.html ISS] {{airlistbox}} Category:Air forces Botswana Category:Military of Botswana Air Wing

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