Mozambique Air Force Gazelles

Morné Booij-Liewes attended us on the first photos of Força Aérea de Moçambique (FAM, Mozambique Air Force) Gazelles on the Facebook page of FlyAfrica.

According to the information, the Paramount Group (owned by Ivor Ichikowitz) bought over thirty former UK military Gazelle helicopters on an auction. Two of them surfaced in Mozambique in February 2021. They were identified as FA-083 (ex Army Air Corps ZB673, construction number 1966) and FA-085 (ex Army Air Corps XX445, c/n 1435). Both Gazelles were painted in a clearly recognizable light green/brown camouflage pattern.

It was also reported that a number of other Gazelles are being readied for export from the UK. The two Gazelles were once part of a group of thirteen Gazelles stored at Stapleford Tawney (UK) since 2012.

In the back-ground a Mi-24 variant can be seen. The FAM operated several Mi-24s, Mi-25s and Mi-35s, but these are all reported as withdrawn from use or stored at Maputo-Mavalan air base (Mozambique).

Photo: via Duncan Gillespie on FlyAfrica