Rwandan Air Force officers undergo first-ever air power training

Rwanda has graduated its first 40 officers from a four-week air power course presented by the South African Air Force (SAAF) in its first training team deployment outside South Africa.

The Rwandan Air Force paid for its ranking officers to attend the course, held in June at the Nyakinama Military Academy, following a formal request from air force chief Lieutenant General Charles Muhire to his South African counterpart, Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano.

Two Rwandan officers had previously attended an SAAF senior air power programme in 2008 and it was decided to stage a similar programme in Rwanda for a wider array of officers as a cost-saving mechanism.

The course provided the Rwandan officers with a basic understanding of the potential of air power, to lay the foundation for in-depth courses and joint warfare courses. It began with a survey of general military studies and included air war elements as well as a short module on maritime air operations, as the Rwandan Air Force must also support patrols on Lake Kivu.

The course also covered air power doctrine; the main types of air operations; the employment of air power in peace support operations; and the planning of air operations. It also included a land warfare module to illustrate how the elements combine to provide joint capability.