Collaboration among African Air Forces is critical to strengthening collective air power, enhancing interoperability and building a shared capacity to respond effectively to humanitarian emergencies and disasters. It is against this backdrop that the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF) is preparing to conduct its inaugural Command Post and Field Training Exercise (AAAFEX CPX/FTX), scheduled for 2027 in Kenya.
As part of the preparations, representatives from 15 AAAF member countries, alongside the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, convened for the Mid Planning Conference at a hotel Nairobi from 3 to 7 August 2026. The conference provided a platform to refine the exercise plan, validate the draft AAAFEX Standard Operating Procedures and Concept of Air Operations and Movement and strengthen interoperability among participating forces.
The exercise will test the ability to mobilise and integrate multinational air resources within hours of activation, establish safe and effective command and air tasking procedures, and deliver coordinated humanitarian assistance to affected communities under a Kenya led response.
Presiding over the conference, the Exercise Director and Base Commander Laikipia Air Base, Brigadier Hillary Kipkurui, commended the participants for their valuable contributions and described the conference as a success.
“The success of AAAFEX will depend on our ability to plan together, challenge our assumptions and refine our procedures. I urge all participating members to continue critiquing the plan and identifying gaps so that, by the time we execute the exercise, we have a robust, practical and interoperable framework capable of delivering the desired humanitarian effects,” he said.
The Mid Planning Conference marks an important step towards transforming the AAAFEX concept into a credible multinational capability, while reinforcing the principle behind the exercise name, “Nguvu Pamoja” — collective strength.
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