Air Force Command
A few of the Tanzanian air wing's transport remain serviceable. However, its Shenyang F-5s, and Chengdu F-7s are reported to rarely fly because of airworthiness problems. Tanzania's long coastline means that transports are also used for patrol flights.
In Tanzania, early 1980s; Contrary to what is usually reported, Tanzania never purchased any J-7Is from China. Instead, the Jeshi La Wananchi Wa Tanzania (Tanzanian People's Defence Force Air Wing, TPDF/AW) was given 14 MiG-21MFs and two MiG-21Us by the USSR in 1974. Many of these were lost in different accidents due to the poor training, and two were said to have been lost when their pilots defected. Nevertheless, the few surviving examples took part in the war against Uganda, in 1978-1979, when they saw much action, even if one was shot down in a case of fratricide fire (it was lost to SA-7s fired by Tanzanian troops). The Tanzanian Army captured seven MiG-21MFs and one MiG-21U trainer from the Ugandan Air Force, as well as a considerable amount of spare parts. All of these were flown out to Mwanza AB, to enter service with the TPDF/AW. In 1998, Tanzania purchased four additional MiG-21MFs from the Ukraine, but these were reportedly in a very poor shape, and not used very often. Meanwhile, in 1980, an order for 10 F-7Bs and two TF-7s was issued to China, and in 1997 also two F-7Ns were purchased from Iran, together with four ex-Iraqi Air Force transports of an unknown type. Today, no Russian-supplied MiG-21s remain in service with the TPDF/AW, and only three or four F-7s remain operational. The TPDF/AW MiG-21MFs are now confirmed to have carried serials - in black or green - underneath the cockpit, but no details about these are known.
Another source puts the figures at; Planes and helicopters: 3 J-5 (MiG-17), 11 J-7 (MiG-21), 3 DHC-5D, Y-5, 2 Y-12, 3 HS-748, 2 F.28, HS-125-700, 5 Cessna 310, 2 Cessna 404, Cessna 206, 2 MiG-15UTI, 5 PA-28, 4 AB-205, 6 Bell 206B.
The Air Force currently operates:
Combat Aircraft:
- Shenyang F-5 Fresco - 8
- Chengdu F-7 Skybolt - 11 - reportedly at airfield at Ngerengere (Air Forces Monthly, November 2009)
Transport:
- Shaanxi Y-8
- Harbin Y-12
- de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo - 4
- Beechcraft King Air A100 - 1
- Gulfstream V
- Fokker F27 Friendship
Combat Helicopter:
Training Aircraft:
- Shengyang FT-5 - 2
- Nanchang BT-6 - 2
TPDF operates four air bases at Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tabora and Zanzibar.
Police Helicopter:
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