Key Dates

Key Dates
Royal Danish Air Force

Last updated:
1 October 1950    Air Force formed from amalgamation of Army and Navy air arms
1950    First jet aircraft delivered – Meteor F.4
1952    First helicopters received – Bell 47
1970    Unified Defence High Command established
2003    Army aviation unit merged into the Air Force

Key Dates
Armed Forces of Malta

Last updated:
Key Dates:
October 1971    First Maltese personnel go to West Germany for helicopter training
May 1972    Helicopter Flight of The Malta Land Force (MLF) established
19 April 1973    Renamed the Helicopter Flight of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM)
April 1979    Helicopter Flight moves to Luqa Airport
1 April 1980    Helicopter Flight Malta Task Force
August 1980    Libyan assistance withdrawn
11 May 1988    Reverted to previous title
February 1992    First fixed-wing aircraft received
22 July 1992    Renamed Air Squadron, Armed Forces of Malta
31 October 2006    Renamed Air Wing, Armed Forces of Malta

Key Dates

Last updated:
of the French Air Force
August 1933    French Air Force (Armee de l’Air) formed
2 July 1934    French Air Force independent of the Army
May 1940    Start of the Battle of France
22 June 1940    French Air Force grounded following surrender
3 July 1940    Vichy Air Force formed under German control
August 1940    Free French Air Force formed by the Allies
1 September 1942    French-manned Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment formed in USSR
1 December 1942    Germany disbands the Vichy Air Force
May 1945    Former Vichy and Free French air arms merged to reform the Armee de l’Air
1948    First operational jet aircraft delivered – Vampire
1951    First helicopters received – Alouette I



[To be rewritten].

Key Dates
Cyprus Air Command

Last updated:
of the Cyprus Air Command
16 August 1960    Cyprus becomes independent
1962    First military aircraft delivered
December 1963    Cyprus Air Command (ADK) formed
June 1964    Cypriot National Guard formed
1968    Cyprus Police separates from ADK
1974    ADK disbanded after Turkish invasion
1982    National Guard Air Wing re-established
1986    New aircraft ordered
1996    Air Wing renamed Cyprus Air Force
May 2002    Single Aircraft & Helicopter Squadron split into two Squadrons
??    Cyprus Air Force reverts to Cyprus Air Command title

Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Key Dates

Last updated:
of the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
1992    Bosniak Army Air Wing established
December 1995    No-fly Zone over Bosnia enforced
May 1996    Air Force re-established
1 January 2006    Integration with Bosnian Serb air arm commenced

Key Dates
Republika Srpska Air Force

Last updated:
9 January 1992    Independent state of Republika Srpska declared
27 May 1992    Bosnian Serb Air Force officially established
1992-1995    Combat and Medvac operations during civil war
December 1995    No-fly Zone over Bosnia enforced
March 1996    Air Force re-organised
1 June 2004    Air Force downgraded to regiment status
1 January 2006    Integration with Bosniak air arm commenced
18 September 2007    Joint Bosnian Air Force and Air Defence created

Key Dates
Republic of Singapore Air Force

Last updated:
1961    Singapore Armed Forces established as a ground force
1965    Singapore gains independence
January 1968    Britain announces a planned withdrawal of forces from Singapore
September 1968    Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) first established
1968    Pilot training commences with leased civil aircraft
May 1969    First SADC aircraft – a Cessna 172K – arrives
1969    First helicopter arrives – Alouette III
1970    First jet aircraft – BAC Strikemaster
1970    First combat aircraft – Hawker Hunter arrives
October 1971    Britain withdraws its forces from Singapore
1 April 1975    SADC renamed Republic of Singapore Air Force

Key Dates
Swiss Air Force

Last updated:
1900    First Swiss military observation balloon unit created
31 July 1914    Swiss military air arm established (Fliegertruppe)
August 1914    Unable to buy aircraft from neighbouring countries, the Swiss government asks the first eight pilots called up to bring their own aeroplanes
1914-1918    Swiss air arm carries out periodic reconnaissance flights to maintain neutrality
19 October 1936    Air Force becomes an independent service (Schweizerische Flugwaffe)
11 September 1937    First M.S.406H arrives in Thun
November 1938    First Bf 109D delivered
September 1939    Neutrality patrols established by fighter units
November 1939    First Swiss produced M.S.406H (D3800) accepted.
10 May 1940    When France invaded, Swiss air space repeatedly violated by German aircraft. mainly bombers returning from France
11 June 1940    Four Swiss Bf 109s shoot down two He 111s that had crossed the frontier
1946    First jet aircraft delivered – Vampire F.1
1946    Air Force name changed to Swiss Air Force & Anti-Aircraft Command
1948    Air Force receives the first 25 of 130 Mustangs bought from the USA
1952    First helicopters received – Hiller 360
January 1958    Swiss Parliament approves order for 100 Hawker Hunter F Mk. 5
June 1961    Swiss Parliament authorises the purchase of 100 Mirage III from France
8 August 1964    Official aerobatic team the Patrouille Suisse is first formed with 4 Hunters
1995    Aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse switches from Hunter to F-5E Tiger II
1 Jan 1996    Air Force name changed to present title