Aviagraphers visited the Black Lion Air Show & Aviation Expo 2026. Celebrating 90 years of Ethiopian Air Force, almost all of its inventory were on display. Truly, a unique opportunity and the helpful hosts spared no effort in making this a success.
Debre Zeit/Harar Meda air base is near Bishoftu and holds most of the units. First and foremost the 119 Fighter Wing. Within that unit, the Su-27 is responsible for air defence. Seen here are two legacy Su-27SK. Left is 1951, it started life in 1988 as a Su-27S and was upgraded to Su-27SK in 1998 by the 275 Aircraft Repair Plant (275 ARZ, 275-й Авиационный Ремонтный Завод) at Krasnodar and delivered to the Ethiopian Air Force among the first batch of Su-27s. Right is 1967 that joined ETAF after a longer career in the Soviet air force with 871 Fighter Aviation Regiment (871 IAP), 404 Fighter Aviation Regiment (404 IAP) and 797 Fighter Aviation Regiment (797 IAP). After scrutiny by 275 ARZ, it was delivered to Ethiopia in 2004.
Two of the Su-27UBK in use are seen here. Left is 1908 on final approach and right is 1909 also landing on runway 34. For the occasion of the 2026 instalment of the airshow, a new ramp was erected near the threshold of said runway.
Latest addition to the Su-27 fleet are -at least- two Su-30K. These aircraft were originally delivered to India and were mostly used for training and getting their license production efforts on the way. When newer and improved versions were built, the first ones were withdrawn from use. After some years of storage, first at Pune and later at the 558 ARZ in Baranovichy (Belarus) they were thoroughly refurbished and upgraded by the latter institution. First shown to the public during the 2024 edition of the airshow, they were a crowd pleaser again with their stunning colour scheme.
Another aircraft of Soviet design in use is the MiG-23. It long formed the backbone of the interceptor and fighter-bomber fleet. This machine, 1202, is a dual seat MiG-23UB. Since 1982, the ETAF sourced over 150 MiG-23s of various marks, mostly BN fighter-bombers. These came both from Russia as well as from some former Warsaw Pact countries, notably a large number of MiG-23BN from Bulgaria although these were mainly used for spares to keep the rest of the fleet serviceable.
Right: The ETAF logo as worn on some of the aircraft differs slightly from the roundel pictured above.
Turning to yet another classic is the sturdy Su-25, or Grach (rook) as it is affectionately called. Again, a two-seat aircraft was shown to the public. Only a small number are in use, four as far as we know, two single seat Su-25TK and two dual seat Su-25UBK. This 2201 was manufactured on 30 October 1989 and saw service in the Russian Air Force as 97 red before being delivered to Ethiopia.
Newest acquisition and shown to the public for the first time, is the Yak-130. This very capable aircraft can be used for advanced training as well as close-air support and light attack missions. Ten of them were ordered in 2025 and delivered very recently. Six were present during the airshow, presumed the only ones delivered so far.
The venerable L-39 Albatross is used for advanced training by the Ethiopian Air Force Flying School. As you may notice, the first aircraft 1704 sports a colour scheme closely resembling the one adopted by the original manufacturer Aero for their new next generation L-39NG advanced trainers. This caused some raised eyebrows because we thought they may have received NGs in Ethiopia, on closer inspection it was just the paint job. I wonder if our Czech friends like this set up (and the arrival of Yak-130s...)
With so many unique aircraft, it is hard to award a star of the show, but surely the DHC-5 Buffalo qualifies for that accolade. After painstakingly being refurbished by the Ethiopian Air Force, it was finished in time to take part in the 90th anniversary airshow. With its cyan jacket on, it is quite a stunner and looked factory-fresh again. The proud and friendly crew showed us around on board.
More mundane, but obviously very important as cargo hauler is the C-130 Hercules. The ETAF has used various machines and this C-130E is the second to bare the serial 1564. It was donated by the United States of America in June 2014 both as a 'thank you for' to Ethiopia and also to enable them to continue the peacekeeping and disaster relief support missions throughout Africa.
On the opening day, the airshow kicked off with an impressive fly-by of the many types used by ETAF. Seen here are the aforementioned brand new Yak-130 jets and a group of Grob 120TP basic trainers from the local ETAF school. That brings us to the prop-aircraft.
The ETAF acquired a dozen of this German quality product directly from the factory at Tussenhausen-Mattsies in 2019.
Apart from the Grob 120TP, equipped with a glass cockpit for smooth transition to advanced jet aircraft, an Italian-made Tecnam P2006T was present on the static. Its role is not quite clear but we assume it is used for multi-engine training and liaison flights.
Rotary assets are key in the vast and rough countryside of Ethiopia. No wonder they keep a sizeable fleet. The mainstay being of course the rugged Mi-8 family, ideal for hot-and-high circumstances that can be encountered in parts of Ethiopia. First one is a Mi-8MTV-1 variant, itself an upgraded Mi-8 with better engines and hydraulics. The other one, seen taking off for the parade, is a Mi-17V-5 with a so-called 'dolphin' nose housing a weather radar and, a cargo ramp to ease loading and parachuting.
The sharp end of the stick with regard to helicopters is surely the Mi-24. ETAF has been a long-time user of the type, starting with the legacy Mi-24A. The aircraft on display in 2026 were Mi-24P variants equipped with a twin barrel Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 30mm cannon, the same as used for armour strafing by the Su-25. The airborne photo of 2124 shows this menacing piece of equipment.
Another task for helicopters is disaster relief and VIP transport throughout the vast country. Two types in use to support some of these tasks are the AW119 Koala and the bigger AW139. Of the former, at least three are known to have been delivered and were on display at the airshow. The AW139 was loaned from the UAE before Ethiopia acquired two of its own. These are aptly registered AF01 and AF02 to perform VVIP duties.
Speaking of VVIPs, along the runway, a grand stand was created for the many distinguished guests.
And speaking of guests, the United Arab Emirates, long time close friend of Ethiopia, was present with a strong delegation. The F-16E is clearly recognisable for having conformal fuel tanks and a nose without a pitot tube. Three were present, one performed solo displays and the three of them together took part in the formation fly-by. Also, no less than six AH-64E Apaches were present.
The line-up of Apaches seen through the heat haze on the hilly terrain of Debre Zeit's taxiway. One was towed to and from the static display to enable the crowd a closer inspection.
The UAE Mirage 2000-9 solo display was very impressive also. Three of the type also took part in the parade.
The parade was kicked off by two flag-bearing Mi-17V-5s. The first proudly presenting the Ethiopian flag while the other displayed the UAE flag, honouring their mutual friendship.
And so we end our report on this massively enjoyable airshow. Because we can not get enough of the mighty Su-27, here are two action shots of this awesome machine. Goodbye to Ethiopia, it was a very pleasant introduction to this country and it proved to be a hidden gem in Africa.
