The Association of African Air Forces (AAAF) is a voluntary and non-political organization; membership is open to Air Forces or their equivalent within the continent of Africa and the United States of America. The Association is operated with support from the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA); a United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) and a component command of both United States European Command (USEUCOM) and United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM).
AAAF fosters collaboration among the air forces of African countries to address trans-national threats, and to promote efficient use of air resources to improve air operations across Africa. During the 5th annual African Air Chief Symposium (AACS), AAAF was established and all signatory members "have an equal voice within the association, and will be recognized as the air force or the equivalent service of every other signing country."
Charter
The Charter of the Association of African Air Forces was formally signed into agreement on Sept. 17, 2015 by the U.S. and three African nations during the 2015 African Air Chief Symposium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
According to the Executive Summary following the 2015 African Air Chief Symposium:
"Air Force Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff from eighteen African countries participated in the event, which focused on continuing to build a network of airmen to increase the capabilities of airpower in Africa (p.1)."AACS 2015 Exec Summary, 2015-09-20At the conclusion of the 2022 Symposium, two additional Air Forces signed,Burundi and Gabon bringing the total number of signatories to 28.
Shortly after the opening ceremony of the 2023 Symposium, Somalian air force Brig. Gen. Mohamud Sheikh Ali Mohamed, chief of the Somalian air force, signed the charter bringing the total number of signatories to 29.
African Air Chiefs Symposium A function of the Association is to help assemble and advocate partnerships during the annual African Air Chiefs Symposium, hosted in a different African country each year. The symposium serves as a premier event for fostering trust and cooperation. At AACS, the AAAF members approve collaborative directives for their respective designated Liaison Officers (LNOs) to work on each year together.AAAF Charter, 2015-09-15
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 2011: United States Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA), in cooperation with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), hosted the inaugural African Air Chiefs Conference from 25 to 28 April 2011. This event was an opportunity to explore contemporary air domain challenges and discuss the conference's central theme, Building Air Partnerships Across Africa. The Conference was attended by forty-one participants and sixty-one observers representing twenty-four African countries. The conference aimed to provide African Air Chiefs and other senior-level military leaders with an opportunity to build rapport and discuss their shared air safety and security challenges. Throughout the conference, attendees contributed a diversity of perspectives and exchanged ideas aimed at enhancing Africa's ability to manage its air domain.
Dakar, Senegal, August 2012: The United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) and the Senegalese Air Force, with support from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, hosted the North/West African Regional Air Chief's Conference with the theme "Beyond partnerships: Building Operational Frameworks for Cooperation". The conference goals were to continue the strategic dialogue started at the 2011 African Air Chiefs Conference at the regional level and provide a vehicle to increase cooperation among West and North African Air Forces. Specifically, the conference provided a forum to foster multilateral dialogue regarding common challenges in the Trans-Sahel region and promoted collective security efforts within the region.
Accra, Ghana, August 2013: The U.S. 3rd Air Force commander and the Ghanaian Chief of Air Staff hosted the Regional Air Chiefs Symposium at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center.
Douala, Cameroon, September 2014: United States Air Forces Africa and the Cameroon Air Force co-sponsored the fourth annual 2014 African Air Chiefs Symposium in Douala, Cameroon, with the support of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). Air Force Chiefs of Staff from fourteen African countriesBenin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda. participated in the event, which focused on developing effective African air power strategies and formalizing a network among the air chiefs. They analyzed the role of air power in providing security in their countries and regions, the challenges facing this objective, and the steps they must take to reach their goals. They specifically noted issues of political will, the changing nature of threats, and the pervasive lack of familiarity with the role of air forces in providing security, from citizens to heads of state. In this process, the air chiefs learned about the network of Latin American air forces, the Sistema de Coperación Entre las Fuerzas Aéreas Americanas (SICOFAA) and indicated that this would be a good model for building their own organization.
Nouakchott, Mauritania, September 2015: United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) – United States Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA) and the Mauritanian Air Force co-hosted the fifth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. Air Force Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff from eighteen African countriesAngola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Tunisia. participated in the event, which focused on continuing to build a network of airmen to increase the capabilities of airpower in Africa. The Association of African Air Forces charter was signed at the end of the symposium.
Ramstein, Germany, May 2016: The sixth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium was held in Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Air Force Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff from 26 African countriesAngola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. participated in the event, which focused on the opportunity to utilize mobility operations to increase overall impact of airpower in Africa. The symposium aimed at fostering a strategic dialogue on improving airlift operations across the continent.
Kasane, Botswana, May 2017: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and the Botswana Defence Force Air Arm (BDFAA) co-hosted the seventh annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. Air Force Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff from 28 African countries,Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. the African Union and the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, participated in the event, which focused on the importance of training and force development to increase the capacity of African Air Forces. The symposium aimed at fostering a strategic dialogue on improving training coordination and cooperation across the continent. The 2017 event was the first to be held in Southern Africa.
Marrakech, Morocco, October 2018: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and The Botswanan Defence Force co-chaired the eighth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. Seventeen signatories were presentBenin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, United States and Zambia attended. Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Seychelles and Tunisia were unable to attend. and, during the Executive Session, Kenya and Zambia signed the charter bringing the AAAF membership to 22 members.
Nairobi, Kenya, August 2019: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and the Kenya Air Force co-hosted the Association of African Air Force's ninth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. Air Force Chiefs of Staff or their designated representatives from 35 African nations,Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia. the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Defense Policy, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to Kenya participated in the event. The Kenya Air Force Commander, Major General Francis O. Ogolla, as AAAF Chairman and USAFE-AFAFRICA Commander, General Jeffrey L. Harrigian, as co-chairman led all Symposium proceedings. The Symposium aimed at fostering a strategic dialogue on air policies and procedures in personnel recovery (PR). At the conclusion of the symposium, three additional Air Forces signedDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone. and joined the 23 current members of the AAAF, bringing the total number of signatories to 26.
Virtual with Tunisia Co-Host, March 2021: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and The Tunisia Air Force co-chaired the tenth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. In the first of its kind, the AACS took place in a virtual environment over a two-day period with 32 Air Chiefs present.
Kigali, Rwanda, January 2022: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and The Rwanda Defence Force co-chaired the eleventh annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. 32 Air Chiefs were present and, during the Executive Session, Burundi and Gabon signed the charter bringing the AAAF membership to 28 members. Topics of focus included crisis management and strategic airlift, ISR and force development, airlift resource sharing and a senior enlisted panel covering NCO development and retention.
Dakar, Senegal, February to March 2023: Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe-United States Air Forces Africa (HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA) and the Senegalese Air Force co-chaired the twelfth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium. Air Force Chiefs of Staff or their designated representative from 38 African nations participated in the event. Shortly after the opening ceremony Somalian air force Brig. Gen. Mohamud Sheikh Ali Mohamed, chief of the Somalian air force, signed the charter. The theme for the symposium was “African Air Forces in the Fight against Transnational Threats.” Air Force leaders across Africa discussed and shared challenges in three key areas: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); Women, Peace, and Security (WPS); and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
Tunis, Tunisia, February to March 2024: