Ethiopian Air Force

The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), commanded through the ENDF Chief of General Staff, with the Prime Minister as commander-in-chief. Its headquarters and main base are at Harar Meda, Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. The force is organised around four regional air bases: Central at Harar Meda, Eastern at Dire Dawa, Northern at Mekelle and Western at Bahir Dar, with Semera, Gode and Jijiga used as forward operating locations. Ethiopia does not publish an order of battle. Dejen Aviation Engineering Industry, also at Bishoftu, carries out depot-level maintenance and overhaul.

The combat fleet is of Soviet and Russian origin. The Su-27SK and Su-27UB form the core of the fighter force, alongside a small number of Su-30s received in 2024. In October 2026 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the first twelve Su-35s had been delivered, a year ahead of schedule; some outlets reported only two aircraft handed over at that stage. MiG-23BN fighter-bombers and Su-25 attack aircraft remain in limited service. The transport fleet includes An-12, An-32 and C-130 aircraft, with DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-5 Buffalo and Beechcraft King Air aircraft on utility and liaison duties. Helicopters include Mi-8/Mi-17 transports, Mi-35 attack helicopters, UH-1H utility helicopters and the Alouette III. Pilots train on the Grob G 120TP, SF-260 and L-39C, and on the Yak-130, which was first shown publicly in January 2026.

Armed drones have become the force's main strike instrument. The fleet includes the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı from Turkey, the Wing Loong II from China and the Mohajer-6 from Iran. Russian Orion-E drones were reported at the Bishoftu aviation expo in January 2026, but their delivery has not been visually confirmed. Drone units are reported at Harar Meda, Bahir Dar and Semera, and the ENDF has expanded domestic drone production.

Operations are dominated by internal conflicts. Drones and Mi-35 gunships have been used against Fano insurgents in Amhara, and against the Oromo Liberation Army in Oromia, where an L-39 was lost in August 2026. After the Pretoria agreement collapsed in 2026, federal drone strikes resumed in Tigray, and full-scale fighting broke out in late September. Air strikes supported the federal counter-offensive that retook Mekelle in early October 2026. On 7 and 8 October, Ethiopian drones struck Eritrean troops and vehicles around Adigrat, after Addis Ababa accused Eritrea of sending forces into Tigray.

Procurement is now centred on Russia. Beyond the Su-35s, Ethiopia has received Yak-130 jet trainers to replace the L-39C, and Abiy announced in October 2026 that four S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries would follow, without giving a delivery date.