Gabonese Air Force

The Gabonese Air Force (Armée de l'air Gabonaise) is a small, functionally organized air arm focused on territorial defense and national security support. Its structure is centered on two main operational air bases: BA01 in Libreville and BA02 in Franceville. The force is organized into specialized squadrons, including a fighter squadron operating Mirage F-1AZ and MB-326 Impala I aircraft, a heavy transport squadron, and the Ministerial Air Liaison Group (GLAM), which handles VIP transport. This composition dictates its primary operational capabilities: limited air defense, tactical transport, and government mobility.

Strategic doctrine is implicitly aligned with French military concepts, a legacy of colonial history and continued reliance on French technical assistance and training. The force's primary mission is to provide aerial support to the army and navy and to safeguard national airspace.

In mid-2023, the air force acquired a single Airbus C295 transport aircraft, which was delivered in August of that year. This acquisition represented a significant portion of the 2023 defense budget. Complementing this, an existing CN235M transport aircraft recently underwent a complete overhaul by Airbus in Spain. While these acquisitions bolster airlift capacity, the serviceability of other assets, such as its C-130 Hercules fleet, remains constrained, with several aircraft in storage. The combat component still relies on Cold War-era Mirage F1 fighters acquired secondhand from South Africa.