- Burundi’s Helicopter Fleet and Maintenance
- Burundi’s aviation assets: According to widely available sources, the Burundi National Defence Force maintains a modest rotary-wing inventory—it includes several Aérospatiale Alouette III, SA 342 Gazelle, and Mil Mi‑24 (Mi‑35) helicopters .
- Maintenance arrangements: The country appears to rely on internal maintenance capacity or informal arrangements, though details are scant.
Russia’s Regional Service Infrastructure
- Pro‑Heli facility in Uganda: Russia supports Pro Heli International Services Ltd, a helicopter overhaul and maintenance center based at Nakasongola Air Force Base, Uganda. Operational since 2022, it services Mi‑8/17 and Mi‑24 helicopters from Uganda and neighboring countries, significantly reducing costs and downtime compared to repairs in Russia .
- While this facility underscores Russia’s presence and support for rotary fleets across the region, no evidence suggests Burundi uses or is tied into that Ugandan-based capability .
Bilateral Relations Don’t Extend to Helicopter MRO
- Burundi–Russia diplomatically close since 1962, and Burundi often aligns with Russia in international forums, including on issues like the Syrian crisis and votes in the UN.
Nonetheless, those ties have not translated into any publicly known aviation maintenance agreements. Unlike some other African countries (e.g. Uganda or Ethiopia), Burundi has not been reported to have direct contracts with Russian companies for its rotary-wing fleet.
Summary
Burundi operates a small fleet of helicopters—Alouette III, Gazelle, Mi‑24—but there is no documented agreement with Russia for maintenance or technical support for these aircrafts.
