Kenya Air Force

Key facts

Official Name Kenya Air Force
Country๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ช Kenya
World rank#57
Active aircrafts154 as of 2025
Aircrafts on order2
Roundel

Roundel of Kenya air force

Overview

The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It was established in 1964, shortly after Kenya gained independence from British colonial rule. The primary mission of the KAF is to defend Kenyan airspace and support ground forces in operations by providing air support, transport, and reconnaissance. The KAF operates a fleet of various aircraft, including fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Notable aircraft used by the KAF include F-5 Tiger II and F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter jets, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and various models of helicopters such as the MD 500, Bell 206, and AugustaWestland AW139. The KAF has participated in regional and international peacekeeping missions. It has also played a crucial role in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations within Kenya and the region. The KAF continues to train and modernize its fleet to enhance its operational capabilities and maintain readiness for any potential threats to national security.

Origin countries of aircrafts

Country Active Aircraft
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 79
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany 27
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 21
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China 16
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil 11
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy 6
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine 3
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom 3
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada 3
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Ex-USSR 1

Evolution of Kenyan Air Force fleet

Aircrafts by type in 2025

Aircraft type Active
Helicopter Helicopter 85
Training Training 28
Combat Combat 25
Transport Transport 16

Full inventory in 2025

Kenya Air Force

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active ๐šซ YoY Ordered
CombatCombat F-5E ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1976 17
0
0
CombatCombat F-5F ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1965 6
0
0
CombatCombat Cessna 208 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1984 2
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter MD500/530F ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 45
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter SA330 ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท 1978 13
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter H125M/AS550 ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท 1990 8
-1
0
HelicopterHelicopter UH-1H ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1959 7
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Z-9 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1994 6
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter AW139 ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 2003 3
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter AH-1F ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 2
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-171 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1977 1
-1
0
TransportTransport Y-12 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ 1985 10
0
0
TransportTransport C-27J ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1978 3
0
0
TransportTransport M28 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ 1986 3
+3
0
TrainingTraining Tucano T51 ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท 1983 11
0
0
TrainingTraining G120TP ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 1999 9
0
2
TrainingTraining G120A ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 1999 5
0
0
TrainingTraining Dash 8 ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ 1984 3
0
0
Various public data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.