624 FLIGHT 13 May 1955

THE WORLD'S AIR FORCES. . .ETHIOPIA

The Imperial Ethiopian Air ForceDEVELOPED OVER a period of nine years, this Force nowconsists of a headquarters, at Addis Ababa; a training unit forpilots, navigators, meteorologists, radio operators and tech-nicians, fitters, riggers and armourers; and an attack wing. Aphotographic section deals with aerial photography and survey,and there is a transport squadron, which achieves a high utiliza-tion on internal and international flights.

The main duty of the Force, which is continually expanding,is national defence. Soon, it is hoped, a highly effective force ofmodern jet fighters will be built up; for the present the followingtypes are in service: Saab 91B Safir (primary pilot-training);Saab B-17 (advanced pilot training); Fairey Firefly Mk 1 (groundattack, dive bombing and training); Stinson L-5 (communica-tions); Cessna Crane (advanced pilot- and crew-training); DouglasDC-3 (transport); and D.H. Dove (transport). The Force is underthe command of Brig.-Gen. Chr. Nilsson, K.S.O. 1st cL, R.N.O.,Royal Swedish Air Force, and there is a staff of Swedish tech-nicians and instructors. Three British instructors are also on thestrength.

FINLANDThe Finnish Air ForceIN accordance with the Peace Treaty signed in Paris in 1947,Finland may not possess aircraft designed primarily as bomberswith internal bomb-carrying facilities, nor any guided missiles.The peace-time air force may not consist of more than 60 com-bat aircraft and 3,000 officers, N.C.O.s and men; in fact, thestrength maintained since the Peace Treaty has been con-siderably less than allowed. Headquarters are at Helsinki,Munkkiniemi. There are wings at Jyvaskyla, Pori, and Utti, anair academy at Kaukava, and a depot at Tampere.

The Force is charged with general interception duties and thesupport of land forces, and provides, in addition, aircraft forsurvey and ice reconnaissance. Primary trainers are the Swedish-built Valmet Viima and the German Focke-Wulf Stieglitz;advanced trainers are the Valmet Pyry and Vihuri II; the FokkerC.X serves as a target tug; the Bristol Blenheim and DouglasDC-2 for aerial photography; the Beechcraft for liaisonduties; and the de Havilland Vampire as a fighter/trainer. It isplanned to renew the obsolescent equipment, and on March23rd the Financial Council of State Finance Committee decidedto order four de Havilland Vampire Trainers. It has also beenannounced that a contract has been signed between HuntingPercival Aircraft, Ltd., and the Finnish Ministry of Agriculturefor the supply of two Pembrokes, to be used primarily for survey.

General Officer Commanding is Major General R. Artola.

de Havilland Vampire F.B.52 (Egyptian A.F.).

Gloster Meteor F.4s (Egyptian A.F.).

Fairey Firefly 7 (Imperial Ethiopian A.F.).

Saab-17s (Imperial Ethiopian A.F.).

D.H. Vampire F.B.52 (Finnish A.F.). Bristol Blenheim IV (Finnish A.F.).

Valmet Vihuri (Finnish A.F.). Valmet Pyry (Finnish A.F.).(Below) Focke-Wulf Stieglitz (Finnish A.F.). (Below) Valmet Viima (Finnish A.F.).