The Association of African Air Forces (AAAF) is preparing to hold its inaugural Command Post and Field Training Exercise (AAAFEX CPX/FTX) in Kenya in 2027, bringing together air forces from 15 African countries alongside the United States to test their ability to respond to humanitarian emergencies and disasters.
The exercise will be conducted under a Kenya-led response framework and will focus on strengthening cooperation among African air forces, improving interoperability and building shared capacity to respond to major emergencies.
Preparations for the exercise gained momentum after representatives from 15 AAAF member countries, together with the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, met in Nairobi for a Mid Planning Conference held from August 3 to 7, 2026.
The conference focused on refining the exercise plan, validating the draft AAAFEX Standard Operating Procedures and Concept of Air Operations and Movement, as well as strengthening coordination among participating forces.
The exercise will test the ability of participating countries to mobilise and integrate multinational air resources within hours of activation.
It will also assess their capacity to establish safe command and air tasking procedures while coordinating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to communities affected by disasters.
Presiding over the conference, Exercise Director and Laikipia Air Base Commander Brigadier Hillary Kipkurui said extensive planning would be critical to ensuring the exercise delivers its intended results.
“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 development comes as Kenya continues to strengthen its position as a major regional hub for military logistics, training and strategic coordination in peacekeeping, security operations and humanitarian response across East and Central Africa.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has specialised capabilities for responding to emergencies, including the Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) and the Kenya Air Force’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU).
The units have been involved in multi-agency responses to severe flooding, climate-related emergencies, search-and-rescue missions and other civil disasters, working alongside civilian authorities and security agencies.
Kenya's experience in coordinating such operations is expected to provide a foundation for the 2027 exercise, which will bring together air forces from across the continent to test joint responses to humanitarian crises.
The drill will provide participating countries with an opportunity to assess how quickly they can deploy air assets, establish coordinated command structures and deliver assistance to affected communities under a unified operational framework.
It will also allow the participating forces to identify weaknesses in their procedures and improve interoperability ahead of potential real-world emergencies.
The Mid Planning Conference marked a key stage in turning AAAFEX from a concept into a multinational operational capability, reinforcing the principle behind its theme, “Nguvu Pamoja” — collective strength.
