Ongoing talks between Kenya and the U.S. should result in the Kenya Air Force buying and fielding new F-16 fighters, which would make Kenya the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to own and operate the Lockheed Martin-made jet. Such an acquisition would cap a consistent military hardware and software upgrade that the KDF has undergone since 2013.
Aside from partnering with the United States to bolster its military superiority in the air, Kenya has courted other partners. These include the acquisition of two AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters from the Jordanian military after a state visit to Kenya by Jordan’s King Abdullah that culminated in the signing of a military training and cooperation pact between the two countries.
Kenya’s military has also acquired a further six Grob G120A basic trainer aircrafts from Germany. Kenya is currently the only African country operating this type of military aircraft.
The KDF have acquired four attack helicopters from Russia, inlcuding Mi-28 Havoc attack helicopters. The Mi-28 is an all-weather, day-and-night attack helicopter that will serve the KDF in strategic military operations both in Somalia or elsewhere in the region. The Mi28 comes with an armored cockpit with air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities.
The KDF also acquired eight light combat helicopters from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These are the Fennec AS550C3 aircrafts, which the KDF says offers superior air-to-air combat capabilities, and can be used for other roles such as medical air evacuations and as a transport platform.
The AS550C3s join an existing fleet of AS350B3 acquired from Airbus Helicopters. From Italy, the KDF has acquired three C-27J Spartan transport planes and a number of AW139 utility helicopters from Italian defense manufacturer Leonardo Helicopters. The number of AW139s ordered by the KDF is yet to be established.
These military hardware acquisitions underline Kenya’s thirst to not only better equip its military, but also to partner with its regional and international allies in battling terrorism in the Horn of Africa region. At present, Kenya’s military forces are still active in Somalia under the African Union and United Nations backed regional peace initiative dubbed African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
