As the only air wing in Africa, the 406th AEW is comprised of two groups, 10 squadrons and four airfields within Europe and Africa which remain committed to the USAFRICOM, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Special Operations Command mission, to include assisting our African partners in protecting their borders with matters of national security.

The wing will continue the now-deactivated 435 AEW’s mission of providing secure, reliable, flexible power projection platforms by means of persistent attack, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, tactical airlift, personnel recovery/casualty evacuation, base operations support, direct logistics management, as well as battlefield and expeditionary Airmen capable of responding to humanitarian and contingency operations around the world in support of combatant commander objectives.

The 409th Air Expeditionary Group, located primarily in West Africa and headquartered at Nigerien Air Base 201, Agadez, provides secure, reliable, flexible power projection platforms across North and West Africa and base operating support integrator (BOS-I) in support of combatant commander objectives and partner nations.  These objectives are largely supported through joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational teammates’ actions such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter violent extremist organization (C-VEO) capabilities. 

They also provide aircraft launch and recovery elements (LRE), and offer personnel recovery, casualty stabilization, and evacuation efforts. As an invited guest of the government of Niger, Airmen in the 409th AEG are committed to providing installation support and defense-in-depth while enabling our Nigerien partner’s ability to provide security and stability for Africans through training and other means. The 409th AEG activated in 2011 and consists of four squadrons split between Agadez, Niger; Niamey, Niger; and Sigonella, Italy:

• 724th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, AB201, Agadez, Niger
• 409th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, AB201, Agadez, Niger
• 768th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, AB101, Niamey, Niger
• 324th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, Sigonella, Italy

The 449th Air Expeditionary Group, located in East Africa and headquartered at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, provides personnel recovery task forces, intra-theater airlift, base operating support integrator (BOS-I), intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, and aircraft launch and recovery elements in support of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command mission requirements, including support to our regional partners. As the Joint Air Component Coordination Element (JACCE) to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and in partnership with joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational teammates, the 449th AEG also engages in theater security cooperation activities.

These activities enable regional actors to neutralize violent extremist organizations and enable regional access and freedom of movement within East Africa. The 449th AEG activated in 2005 and currently consists of six squadrons:

• 726th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
• 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
• 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
• 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti
• 12th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti
• 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, Cooperative Security Location-Manda Bay, Kenya