aving gained independence in 1960,
the Republic of Dahomey – as Benin
was then known – acquired an Aero
Commander 500B the following year. Post-
colonial assistance from France arrived in the
shape of five C-47 transports, received between
1961 and 1971, and three MH1521M Broussards
delivered in 1964-65. A Bell/Agusta-Bell 47G
and an Alouette II may have been loaned during
this period. In 1969 the fleet was joined by a
Cessna 337D Super Skymaster from France,
which later transferred to a civil operator.
Commander Mathieu Kérékou staged a
successful coup d’état in 1972 and became
president. Dahomey was renamed as the
People’s Republic of Benin three years later.
In 1978, the Force Aérienne Populaire de Benin
(Benin Air Force) transport fleet expanded with theAfrica’s ‘small air forces’
PART ONEBenin
H
Above: The LH-10 ultralight demonstrator F-WWNX was exhibited at the 2011 Paris Air Show in the
markings of the Benin Air Force. Although confi gured primarily for the surveillance and observation
roles, the two aircraft are also used to undertake fl ight training. Manuel Llama Right: Benin’s sole
airworthy HS748, TY-21A (c/n 1741/222), was among the military materiel provided to the country by
Belgium. It has been used for the airlift role in support of ongoing operations in Mali. Benoît Denet44 // MAY 2018 #362 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comBenin, Ghana, Togo