Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , also known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force ( French : " Force Aérienne Congolaise " , or FAC ) , is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( aka Congo - Kinshasa ) . From 1971 to 1997 , the Air Force was known as the Zaire Air Force ( French : " Force Aérienne Zairoise " , or FAZ ) . History . The FAC was officially created in 1961 , out of the remains of the colonial aviation service of the Belgian Congo . It originally operated light aircraft , transport aircraft and helicopters . The first combat aircraft , some armed T - 6 Texan trainers , were added in 1962 . A Central Intelligence Agency front company , Anstalt WIGMO , provided maintenance support to large parts of the FAC in the 1964 – 1968 period . The CIA also provided aircraft during the same period and pilots from late 1962 onwards . In July 1970 the Institute for Strategic Studies described the " Force Aérienne Zairoise " ( FAZ ) as numbering 650 with 21 combat aircraft . Aircraft strength was listed as ten T - 6 Texan and eight T - 28 Trojan armed trainers , two DC - 4 and ten DC - 3 transports , and six Alouette helicopters . The ISS said that 17 MB - 326GB ground attack / trainer aircraft were on order , of which about five had been received . In July 1974 the International Institute for Strategic Studies described the FAZ as numbering 800 personnel with 33 aircraft . The Military Balance for 1974 – 75 listed one fighter wing with 17 MB - 326GB , 6 AT - 6G and 10 T - 28 armed trainers , one transport wing with 9 C - 47 , 4 C - 54 , and 3 C - 130 , one training wing wing with 8 T - 6 and 12 SF - 260MC , and one helicopter squadron with 20 Aérospatiale Alouette II / III and 7 Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma s . It noted that 17 Mirage V and 3 C - 130H were on order . The Air Combat Information Group states that by the mid - 1980s the FAZ suffered from the same problems as the rest of the Zairean military , including lack of funding and widespread corruption . In the 1980s the air force was theoretically organised into the " 1er Groupement Aérien " , at Kinshasa ( N ' djili Airport ? ) , with the 19th Logistics Support Wing ( C - 130s and Dakotas ) , the 12th Liaison Wing ( helicopters , MU - 2Js , and CEssna 310Rs ) and the 13th Training Wing . The " 2e Groupement Aérien Tactique " at Kamina comprised the 21st Fighter - Attack Wing with Mirage 5s and MB . 326Ks , and the 22nd Tactical Transport Wing , with 221 Squadron operating the two of three originally delivered Buffalos . The extreme corruption of the force meant that Zairean aircraft were more often used for private ' business ' of their fliers and their superiors than operations against rebels . From an originally delivered eight Dassault Mirage 5 Ms , only seven were left by 1988 , with no less than five being lost in different accidents . By the mid - 1990s the last three were sold . Michela Wrong ' s " In the Footsteps of Mr . Kurtz : Living on the Brink of Disaster in the Congo " reports a story that the remaining Mirages were sold in France whilst there for maintenance , in order to finance a Zairean air force commander ' s retirement . The FAZ played little part in the First Congo War , with most aircraft inoperable . Some aircraft were imported and used by Serbian mercenaries , but had little operational effect . Current structure . As of 2007 , all military aircraft in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were operated by the Air Force . Jane ' s World Air Forces states that the Air Force has an estimated strength of 1 , 800 personnel and is organised into two Air Groups . These Groups command five wings and nine squadron s , of which not all are operational . 1 Air Group is located at Kinshasa and consists of Liaison Wing , Training Wing and Logistical Wing and has a strength of five squadrons . 2 Tactical Air Group is located at Kaminia and consists of Pursuit and Attack Wing and Tactical Transport Wing and has a strength of four squadrons . Foreign private military companies have reportedly been contracted to provide the DRC ' s aerial reconnaissance capability using small propeller aircraft fitted with sophisticated equipment . Jane ' s states that People ' s Air and Air Defence Force of Angola fighter aircraft would be made available to defend Kinshasa if it came under attack . Like the other services , the Congolese Air Force is not capable of carrying out its responsibilities . Few of the Air Force ' s aircraft are currently flyable or capable of being restored to service and it is unclear whether the Air Force is capable of maintaining even unsophisticated aircraft . Moreover , Jane ' s states that the Air Force ' s Ecole de Pilotage is ' in near total disarray ' though Belgium has offered to restart the Air Force ' s pilot training program . Brigadier General Bitanihirwa Kamara was chief of staff in 2005 . Djedje Namba , a major - general , was named chief of staff of the air force in June 2007 . Aircraft . The IISS Military Balance 2007 lists the Air Force with 6 combat capable jet aircraft ( 2 MiG - 23 Flogger and 4 Su - 25 Frogfoot ) and 7 + helicopters , 6 Mi - 24 Hind , 1 Mi - 26 Halo , and an unknown number of Mi - 8 Hips . The IISS estimates air force strength at 4 , 000 . Jane ' s World Air Forces 2007 stated that the Air Force has four fixed - wing aircraft in service ( 2 C - 130 , 1 DHC - 5D , 1 Boeing 727 ) and an unknown number of Su - 25s ( no more than 8 in the air force ' s fleet following losses ) , C - 47s , MB - 326GBs and possibly some MiG - 23s . Jane ' s also states that the Air Force operates between 9 and 22 Mil Mi - 24 / 35s attack helicopters , a Super Puma transport helicopter and possibly a single Mi - 26 . The condition of the DRC ' s aircraft which are not currently in service is generally so poor that they cannot be repaired and returned to flyable status . The DRC ' s single Mil Mi - 26 ' Halo ' was shown as a photo in Air Forces Monthly ( AFM ) ' s July 2007 issue without obvious rust and appearing to be in good condition which was taken on April 12 , 2007 , at Lubumbashi . It was delivered in 2005 . AFM says that a second Mi - 26 prepared for the DRC has been stored with Skytech at Liège Airport , Belgium since at least June 2002 , and was still there in May 2007 . On the 50th Independence Commemoration June 30 , 2010 , at least 6 Mi - 24 , 2 Mi - 17 , 1 An - 26 , and 1 B727 took part in a fly - past .