{"id":2220,"date":"2026-01-27T11:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2026-01-27T12:57:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T12:57:14","slug":"90th-anniversary-of-the-ethiopian-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/2026\/01\/27\/90th-anniversary-of-the-ethiopian-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"90th Anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force: A Legacy of Defense, Diplomacy, Development, and Pride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>January 19, 2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The skies above&nbsp;Bishoftu&nbsp;resonated with pride as Ethiopia commemorated the 90th anniversary of its Air Force with the grand \u201cBlack Lion Air Show 2018\u201d on January 17, 2018. This momentous event was marked not only by its ceremonial grandeur but also by its strategic significance, reflecting Ethiopia\u2019s evolution from humble beginnings in 1936 to a formidable pillar of national&nbsp;defense and regional stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attended by Prime Minister&nbsp;Abiy&nbsp;Ahmed(PHD), senior military officials, and distinguished international dignitaries, the celebration underscored the Air Force\u2019s pivotal role in safeguarding sovereignty, fostering regional security, and advancing national aspirations. The event served as a testament to Ethiopia\u2019s commitment to modernization, highlighting its technological advancements through exhibitions of cutting-edge aircraft and fostering multinational cooperation within defense forums.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The celebration was a strategic display of Ethiopia\u2019s intent to bolster its military capabilities while projecting stability across the Horn of Africa. Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force, Lieutenant General&nbsp;Yilma&nbsp;Merdasa, emphasized the Air Force\u2019s enduring legacy of defending national airspace, supporting peacekeeping operations, and contributing to regional peace initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This milestone reinforced confidence in ongoing defense reforms and showcased Ethiopia\u2019s technological ambitions, positioning the Air Force as a resilient symbol amid regional geopolitical challenges. The aviation expo not only opened avenues for investment in aerospace education and industry but also bolstered Ethiopia\u2019s diplomatic credibility as a reliable partner\u00a0in collective security efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 90th anniversary was more than a reflection on the past; it was a forward-looking declaration of Ethiopia\u2019s unwavering resolve to ascend higher in the realms of defense,\u00a0diplomacy, and development\u00a0affirming its commitment to progress and regional leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-130.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/image-131.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 19, 2018 The skies above&nbsp;Bishoftu&nbsp;resonated with pride as Ethiopia commemorated the 90th anniversary of its Air Force with the grand \u201cBlack Lion Air Show 2018\u201d on January 17, 2018. This momentous event was marked not only by its ceremonial grandeur but also by its strategic significance, reflecting Ethiopia\u2019s evolution from humble beginnings in 1936&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-news_en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2220"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2225,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220\/revisions\/2225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcs.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}