Bangladesh Air Force
Active Bangladesh military aircraft is a list of military aircraft that are used by the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
For aircraft no longer in-service see: List of historic Bangladesh military aircraft.
Approximately 80 aircraft and five Mil Mi-17 were destroyed by the devastating 1991 Bangladesh cyclone.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed wing | ||||||||
| Cessna 208 | United States | transport / utility | 1 | |||||
| Cessna 152 Aerobat | United States | Light aircraft | 5 | A152 Aerobat variant. | 1 [1] | |||
| CASA C-295 | Spain | transport | C-295W | 2 [1] | ||||
| Diamond DA40 | Austria | training | 4 [15] | |||||
| Helicopters | ||||||||
| Bell 206 | United States | training | 206L | 1 [1] | 1 Crashed | |||
| Bell 407 | United States | training | 407GXi | 2 [16] | ||||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | transport | Mi-171Sh | 6 | [1] | |||
| Eurocopter AS365 | France | utility | 2 [1] | |||||
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | ||||||||
| Baykar Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 6 delivered | |||||
| Bramor C4EYE | Slovenia | Reconnaissance UAV | Bramor C4EYE | 36 | [17] | |||
| RQ-12B Wasp AE | United States | Miniature UAV | RQ-12B | on order [18] | ||||
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritime Patrol | ||||||
| Dornier 228 | Germany | patrol / surveillance | 228NG | 4 | [1] | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| AgustaWestland AW109 | Italy | utility / SAR | AW109E Power | 2 [1] | ||
The Bangladesh Armed Forces are the military forces of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. They consist of the three uniformed military services: the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Air Force. The Armed Forces are under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Defence of the Government of Bangladesh, and are directly administered by the Armed Forces Division of the Prime Minister's Office. The President of Bangladesh serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh has the third-largest defence budget in South Asia and according to the Global Firepower index, The Bangladeshi ilitary is the 37th strongest in the Worldit is the third most powerful military force in South Asia. Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Coast Guard are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs during peacetime, but during wartime they fall under the command of Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy respectively.
The Chengdu J-7 is a People's Republic of China fighter aircraft. It is a license-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, and thus shares many similarities with that aircraft. The aircraft is armed with short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missiles and is mainly designed for short range air-to-air combat. The aircraft is also used for close air support.
The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The air force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy. Furthermore, the BAF has a territorial role in providing tactical and strategic air transport and logistics capability for the country.
The Aermacchi M-346 Master is a family of military twin-engine transonic advanced jet trainers and light combat aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and then Alenia Aermacchi proceeded to separately develop the M-346 Master, while Yakolev continued work on the Yakovlev Yak-130. The first flight of the M-346 was performed in 2004. The type is currently operated by the air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore, Greece, Turkmenistan and Poland. Since 2016 the manufacturer became Leonardo-Finmeccanica as Alenia Aermacchi merged into the new Finmeccanica, finally rebranded as Leonardo in 2017.
The Bangladesh Navy is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's 118,813 square kilometres (45,874 sq mi) of maritime territorial area, and the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Navy protects the country's economic and military interests at home and abroad. The Bangladesh navy is also a front line disaster management force in Bangladesh, and participates in humanitarian missions abroad. It is a key regional player in counter terrorism efforts, and engages in global peacekeeping with the United Nations.
The Grob G 115 is a general aviation fixed-wing aircraft, primarily used for flight training. It is built in Germany by Grob Aircraft. The E variant with a 3-blade variable pitch propeller is in service with the Finnish Air Force, the Royal Navy and Army Air Corps for Flying Grading and in the Royal Air Force as part of No. 6 Flying Training School which provides flying to both University Air Squadrons and Air Experience Flights to Cadets of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. As of 2020, the Tutor is still being used by the RAF for some Elementary Flying Training (3FTS) but is due to be phased out in favour of its replacement, the more advanced Prefect T1.
The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft originally developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi as the "Yak/AEM-130". It has also been marketed as a potential light attack aircraft. Development of the aircraft began in 1991 and the maiden flight was conducted on 25 April 1996. In 2002, it won a Russian government tender for training aircraft and in 2010 the aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force. As an advanced training aircraft, the Yak-130 is able to replicate the characteristics of several 4+ generation fighters as well as the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57. It can also perform light-attack and reconnaissance duties, carrying a combat load of 3,000 kg (6,600 lb).
Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman BS was a Bengali officer of the Pakistan Air Force from East Pakistan and a recipient of Bir Sreshtho, Bangladesh's highest military gallantry award for his actions during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram is an international airport serving Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chittagong. Operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, it is the second-largest international airport in Bangladesh after Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is used by the Bangladesh Air Force as a part of 'BAF Zahurul Haq Base'. It was formerly known as MA Hannan International Airport, named after Awami League politician M. A. Hannan, but was renamed on 2 April 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh, after an 18th-century Islamic saint, Shah Amanat. It is capable of annually handling 1.5 million passengers and 6,000 tonnes of cargo. It also serves as a base for the Arirang Flying School.
Armed Forces Day is observed in Bangladesh on 21 November. This signifies the day in 1971, when the members of the Bangladesh army, navy and air force were officially united and launched joint operations against the Pakistan occupation forces. On 16 December 1971, the Pakistani Army of 93,000 surrendered to the allied force of Bangladesh army, ending the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Tejgaon Airport is a Bangladesh Air Force military base in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The name of the base is BAF Base Bashar. Bangladesh Army also uses this military base. It served as the country's sole international airport prior to the construction of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The history of aviation in Bangladesh began with kites, the traditional heavier-than-air man-made object that is flown by one or more people while staying on the ground. The first recorded manned flight was arranged by the Dhaka Nawab Family in 1882, which resulted in the death of the flyer.
The Bangabandhu Aeronautical Center, or BAC is a Bangladeshi state-owned major defense contractor and aerospace, arms, defense and advanced technology company headquartered in Kurmitola, Dhaka. It was formed by Ministry of Defence in 2011, and is managed by Bangladesh Air Force.
The Grob G 120TP is a two-seat turboprop training and aerobatic low-wing aircraft with a composite airframe, built by Grob Aircraft. It is based on the Grob G 120A training aircraft and has been developed for military and civil pilots training. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and a low tailplane.
Bogra Airport is a primarily military but planned for public use airport 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of Bogra, in northern Bangladesh. It is operated by the Bangladesh Air Force. As of July 2015, no scheduled passenger flights serve the airport, but civil air operations are allowed with prior approval.
Forces goal 2030 is a military modernization program which began in 2009 and was revised in 2017. It was designed to enhance the capabilities of three service branches of Bangladesh Armed Forces: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The primary focus of the modernization program is the reformation of the military organization, expansion of the forces, the transformation of the indigenous defense sector to support research and manufacturing, and acquisition of modern military weapons. The requirement for modernization was realized in the aftermath of 2008 Bangladesh–Myanmar naval standoff later resulting in Bangladesh's favour. One of the primary objectives of the modernization program is to develop a three-dimensional force capable of conducting multi-platform warfare.
The Aero L-39NG is a turbofan-powered military trainer and light combat aircraft developed and produced by the Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody. It is a successor of the Cold War era Aero L-39 Albatros.
The Army Aviation Group is the army aviation unit of the Bangladesh Army. The AAG conducts military air operations and is responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation resources in the Army.
Shamsul Alam was a veteran of Bangladesh Liberation war. For his bravery during Operation Kilo Flight the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the title of Bir Uttom. He was awarded the Independence Day Award in 2017.
| Organization |  | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership | |||||||||
| History and wars | |||||||||
| War leaders | |||||||||
| Decorations | |||||||||
| Personnel and equipment |
| ||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
