Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)

AIR FORCE OF ZIMBABWE (AFZ)
Air Force 4,000 personnel. Flying hours 100 hrs/year

Forces by Role & Equipment by Type
(incl Army AD units)

• AIRCRAFT 35 combat capable. Total 137 Aircraft.

Multirole Fighter 1 sqns with 3 Multi-role ac:
Chengdu JF-17 Thunder (12 ordered in 2004 - not yet delivery)
3 Mik-Gur. MiG-23MS Flogger-E;

Air Defence (Interceptor) 1 sqns with 13 Ftr ac:
4 Chengdu F-7M Airguard (J-7IIM);
3 Chengdu F-7II-N Airguard (J-7II / MiG-21FL Fishbed-D);
4 Chengdu F-7N Airguard (J-7I / MiG-21-F-13 Fishbed-C);
2 Chengdu FT-7BZ Arrow (JJ-7 / MiG-21US Mongol-A);

Fighter Ground Attack & Training 1 sqns with 22 FGA/Trg ac:
12 Hongdu K-8E Karakorum (JL-8);
4 BAe Hawk Mk.60;
5 BAe Hawk Mk.60A;
1 Chengdu FT-5 (MiG-17U) (in store)
12 Hawker Hunter FGA.9, 1 Hawker Hunter T.81 (retired or in storage)

Training & Liaison 1 sqn with 40 Recce/Trg/Liaison Ac:
11 SIAI-Marchetti SF-260WC Genet (Warrior);
5 SIAI-Marchetti SF-260M Genet (Warrior);
9 SIAI-Marchetti SF-260TP Genet (Warrior);
6 SIAI-Marchetti SF-260F Genet (Warrior);
9 SIAI-Marchetti SF-260C MX Genet (Warrior);

Counter insurgency & Reconnaissance 1 sqn with 16 Coin-Recce ac:
14 Reims-Cessna FTB.337G Milirole;
2 Cessna O-2A Super Skymaster (Cessna 337);

Transport 1 sqn with 34 Tpt ac:
Heavy Transport:
1 IL-76 Candid
VIP Transport:
1 Boeing 720-025
1 BAe146;
3 Yakovlev Yak-40 Codling;
Tactical Transport:
1 Antonov An-12 Cub;
8 CASA 212M-200 Aviocar;
10 Dauglas C-47 Skytrain (in store);
2 Xi'an MA60;
Light Transport:
? Harbin Y-12 Panda;
5 Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander;
1 Cessna 320C Skynight;
1 Cessna 206 Stationair;


• HELICOPTER 6 armed capable. Total 22 Helicopters.

Anti-Armour Attack 1 sqns with 6 Atk Hel:
4 Mil Mi-35P (Mi-24P) Hind-F; (armed/liaison)
2 Mil Mi-24V Hind-E*;

Utility sqns with 6 Utl Hel
2 Eurocopter AS-532UL Cougar (VIP);
2 Aerospatiale SA-316B Alouette III (SE.3160)
2 Mil Mi-8T Hip-C

Training 1 sqns with 10 Trg Hel:
8 Bell 412 Griffon;
2 Aérospatiale SA-319 Alouette III*;


• MISSILES
  ASM Matra 155 - 68mm rockets
  AAM AIM-9B Sidewinder, PL-5, PL-7, PL-9

• BOMBS
   Mk.82, CB-470 cluster bombs, Hunting BL.755 cluster bombs.


Zimbabwean Air Force Air Defence School
Air Defence School 1 sqn with AD
AD • GUNS 1 sqn with
100mm (not deployed);
37mm (not deployed);
57mm (not deployed)

Zimbabwean Army Air Defence Systems
AD • 1 regt AD
SAM • MANPAD 30 SA-7 Grail
GUNS • TOWED 116:
14.5mm 36 ZPU-1/ZPU-2/ZPU-4;
23mm 45 ZU-23;
37mm 35 M-1939


• FACILITIES
  Air Force of Zimbabwe Organization:
  Air Force Staff Heaquarters: Harare
Gweru-Thornhill (FVTL) Airbase
No.1  'Panther' Squadron: - MiG-23MS, (Future plan -> JF-17)
No.2 'Cobra' Squadron: Strike from above - K-8Z, Hawk Mk60
No.4 'Hornet' Squadron:Coin-Recce - FTB337G, O-2A
No.5 'Arrow' Squadron:Interceptor - F-7II/IIN, FT-7BZ
No.6 'Tiger' Squadron: Training  and Liaison - SF-260M, SF-260TP, SF-260W
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority - FTB337G, O-2A
Historic Flight - Provost Mk1,Provost Mk52; C-47
Harare-Manyame (FVHA) Airbase
No.3 'Falcon' Squadron: Transport - C212-200, BN-2A
No.7 'Spider' Squadron: Mi-8/24/35, SA-316B, AS-532UL
No.8 'Scorpion' Squadron: AB412SP, SA-319

Note. Zimbabwe has 19 airports with paved runways (over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2, 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5, 914 to 1,523 m: 9), and 197 airports with unpaved runways (1,524 to 2,437 m: 3, 914 to 1,523 m: 120, under 914 m: 74)