Malian Air Force (Armée de l’Air)
A small but consequential air arm — the drone and strike capability that changed the northern war in 2023.
Broad area of activity
Operates from the Bamako and Sévaré hubs against targets nationwide.
Notable history
Nearly moribund by 2012, rebuilt after 2021 with Russian-delivered Su-25s, L-39s and helicopters and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s — later Akıncı — that provided the decisive fires for the 2023 Kidal campaign. Drone strikes have also produced repeatedly documented civilian casualties, and the loss of an Akıncı to Algerian air defence in 2025 triggered a year-long diplomatic rupture.
Strengths
Armed drones give persistent reach the insurgents cannot match; unconstrained by coalition targeting rules.
Limitations
Small inventory with heavy attrition and maintenance dependence on foreign contractors; helicopter losses (including to the 2026 fighting) cut into an already thin fleet; strikes with disputed targeting carry strategic costs.