Six SADC air forces bolster Ex Blue Lugwasho with aircraft contributions
Date: 19 September 2025
Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa are among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations contributing aircraft to Exercise Blue Lugwasho currently underway in Zambia.
The exercise takes its name from the Tonga verb meaning to help, and is, according to Zambia’s Acting Defence Minister Brenda Tambatamba, “a practical demonstration of regional solidarity and preparedness in responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and modern security threats”.
Zambia, particularly the southern part, is currently being gripped by drought – its worst in 40 years, and so a key element of Blue Lugwasho is hunger relief. To this effect, participating aircraft are delivering maize to communities in need. The Zambia Air Force (ZAF) on 11 September said since exercise activities began on 9 September, over 1 100 bags of maize each weighing 50 kg have been airlifted from the Exercise’s Strategic Operating Base (SOB) at Lusaka Air Force Base to the Main Operating Base (MOB) at Livingstone Air Force Base using the Botswana Defence Force’s C-130 aircraft and the Zambia Air Force’s C-27J aircraft.
The relief maize is being airlifted in preparation for distribution through the Forward Operating Bases (FOB) at Maamba and Namwala to the earmarked districts in the exercise area. A total of 450 tons of maize will be delivered to the Livingstone, Sinazongwe, Maamba, Namwala, Itezhi-Tezhi, Gwembe, Mulobezi and Mwandi districts.
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the host Zambia are participating in Exercise Blue Lugwasho, which runs up to 26 September. All told, according to the Zambia Air Force, nearly a thousand military personnel are taking part, along with aircraft. These assets will move personnel and supplies in and around Zambia’s southern corridor.
The Botswana Defence Force has supplied a C-130 (OM4) to Zambia – this was delivered from the United States in May last year after being donated by the US government. At the time of the handover, the United States said it would enhance Botswana’s ability to support military, humanitarian, and emergency response missions locally and within the Southern African Development Community region.
Zambia Air Force Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Lloyd Chonya, said the Zambia Air Force remains indebted to Botswana for contributing its personnel and the C-130 aircraft to Blue Lugwasho. Commandant of the Botswana Senior Command and Staff College, Brigadier General Dumisani Ndzinge, said the Zambia Air Force has been instrumental in the development of Botswana’s air wing, citing that some of its fighter pilots trained from the Zambia Air Force Mumbwa Base.
The South African Air Force has contributed an A109 and a BK 117 helicopter, while Namibia has sent two K-8 jet trainers. Tanzania has sent two C235 and H215M Cougar helicopters (JW9805 and JW9807), with the helicopters arriving in Lusaka on 15 September. Zimbabwe’s contribution is C212 and Bell 412 aircraft, while host Zambia has allocated C-27J Spartan, Y-12, C208 Caravan, Bell 212, and K-8 aircraft to Blue Lugwasho.
Held under the coordination of the SADC Standing Aviation Committee, Blue Lugwasho marks the first major post-COVID-19 blue exercise, following a pandemic induced hiatus since 2019. Blue Lugwasho 2025 was officially kicked off on 8 September in Lusaka.
Zimbabwe aims to host the next SADC blue air exercise in 2027. “We are also learning and sharing experiences with others such that by the time we shall host, we will be completely ready,” said the Air Force of Zimbabwe’s Air Commodore Maxwell Sakupwanya.
Republished with permission of defenceWeb.
