African Air Chiefs convene for symposium in Tunisia

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Air chiefs from more than 30 countries on the African continent, alongside senior leaders from U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, convened in Tunis for the 2026 African Air Chiefs Symposium (AACS), May 13 to May 15, 2026.

This year’s symposium, co-chaired by Nigeria, is a pivotal event for the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF), building on decisions made at previous forums to transition from strategic discussions to tangible action. The central theme, "Operationalizing AAAF: An Era of Shared Responsibility," guides the agenda, which includes defining a new seven-year strategic plan, facilitating critical bilateral and multilateral discussions to enhance regional security and interoperability and voting on commitments for a major live-fly exercise in 2027.

A major focus of the symposium is to address shared security challenges, particularly in humanitarian assistance and disaster response. “Our working groups remain central to this effort, advancing initiatives that strengthen both capability and cohesion across our forces,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Kristin Cullinan, AAAF secretary general.

The symposium underscores a strategic shift toward increased African leadership and ownership in addressing the continent's security needs.

The Association of African Air Forces is a voluntary, non-political organization dedicated to fostering friendship, cooperation and mutual support among its members to develop a premier African airpower collaborative organization for safety, peace, and security.

For more information, please contact the USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs office athttps://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Ausafepao.pao%40us.af.mil.