Somalia receives Bell 412

It was reported that in July 2023 the Federal republic of Somalia received a shipment of two Bell 412 helicopters for its counter-insurgency fight against the Al-Shabaab military group. According to the sparse information another three Bell 412s are expected at a later moment.

Somali news outlets have reported that pilots, technicians and Special Forces have undergone training in Türkiye, particularly on this type of helicopter. This seems very likely because of the close military ties between Türkiye and Somalia. Türkiye has a permanent base in-country dubbed TURKSOM where Turkish troops are training Somali soldiers in fighting against Al-Shabaab. It is therefore possible that Türkiye was indeed involved in the training of Somali pilots.

Scramble Magazine assesses that the helicopters do not come from Türkiye, as this type is used exclusively used by the Türk Sahil Güvenlik Hava Komutanlığı (TCSG, Turkish Coast Guard) and is also equipped accordingly.

The historical ties Somalia has with Italy are more indicative of the origin of these helicopters. Earlier in 2023, two ex-Italian AgustaBell AB412s moved to Somalia. This concerns the following aircraft: 6O-AAG AB412 (c/n 25507, ex I-AGUI) and 6O-AAH AB412SP (c/n 25601, ex I-SPOT).

it is not known, if indeed these two helicopters are concerned, where the AB412s have been modified for use with the Al-Qūwāt al-Gawwīyä as-Ṣūmāl (Somalia Air Force). Unclear photographic material shows two AB412/Bell 412s in a two-tone camouflage scheme somewhere in a desert environment.

Photo (just illustrative) by Elisabeth Klimesch (via jetphotos.com)