Benin Air Force

Benin Air Force
Forces Aériennes du Benin
CountryBenin Republic of Benin
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Part ofBenin Armed Forces
HeadquartersCotonou
Commanders
Current
commander
Lieutenant-colonel Hermann William Avocanh
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
Multirole helicopterEurocopter AS332 Super Puma
Utility helicopterEurocopter AS350 Fennec
Transportde Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Xi'an MA600

The Benin Air Force (French: Forces Aériennes du Bénin or FAB) is the aerial service branch of the Benin Armed Forces. It was formed in 1960 when Benin gained independence from France as the Dahomey Air Force. The Air Force provides support to the army and various transport duties, including presidential transportation. It has relied heavily on donations, initially from France and more recently from Belgium. During the short lived People's Republic of Benin, when it was known as the Benin People's Air Force, Soviet aircraft were acquired to demonstrate the change of political allegiance. In the 2020s, new capability was acquired to support counterterrorism activities. The current operational fleet consists of two fixed-wing aircraft and eight helicopters.