Photo By 2nd Lt. Eve Daugherty | U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa...... read more read more
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TUNIS, Tunisia – African air chiefs, representatives from 29 African nations and U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa leadership, participated in the 2026 African Air Chiefs Symposium in Tunis, Tunisia, May13-15.
Nigerian Air Force Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, NAF chief of the air staff and chairman of the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF), along with U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander and AAAF co-chairman, collaborated with Tunisian Air Force General Mohamed Hajem, chief of staff, who hosted the symposium in a tri-lateral effort, demonstrating the continued advancements of interoperability, leadership and cohesion among African nations.
“This year’s symposium is particularly remarkable as it is led by the Nigerian Air Force but graciously hosted here in Tunisia by the Tunisian Air Force, making it a unique milestone in the history of our association,” said Aneke.
Both AAAF member nations and non-member nations attended the symposium, which focused on the theme "Operationalizing AAAF: An Era of Shared Responsibility," highlighting the mutual focus toward African-led solutions for continental security and crisis response.
“It was at the last AACS here in Tunisia where we collectively began to operationalize the Association of African Air Forces,” said Hinds. “Together, we decided to transform the association into an effective force that is ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow and absolutely the challenges we're experiencing today.”
The symposium offered opportunities for bilateral discussions, where Hinds met with delegates from Libya, Morocco, Kenya, Tunisia, Nigeria and Egypt. The discussions included topics such as each nation’s unique capabilities, contributions to the advancement of the AAAF, future efforts for continued collaboration across Africa, the value of interoperability, high standards of safety, airmanship, and the importance of African led air mobility across Africa.
In total, 50 bilateral discussions were held between various AACS participants and air chiefs during the three-day symposium.
Key decisions on AAAF were voted into adoption during the conference, including a shift to a two-year event cycle alternating between the symposium and a major field exercise, a regional rotation model for hosting future exercises, organizational position changes to enhance continuity and additional measures to enable AAAF partner capabilities and manpower.
These changes aim to distribute leadership responsibilities and ensure the continued growth of the African-led association.
“We're dedicated to efforts that enable independence and also offer robust systems of partnerships that maintain lasting security built upon trust,” said Hinds.
At the close of the symposium, 20 African nations pledged commitments to a live-fly exercise, the African Air Forces Exercise (AAAFEX), planned for Jan. to Feb. 2027, a key milestone to operationalize AAAF.
The exercise will focus on enabling shared African capabilities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HA/DR). Continued planning meetings and collaboration among committed partners are expected to continue in the coming months as contributors work towards executing their first ever joint live-fly exercise.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2026 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 565900 |
| Location: | TUNIS, TN |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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