Italian wars in post-war conflicts: the Eritrean MB339 in the border war with Ethiopia

(To Manuele Serventi Merlo)
08/11/18

The MB-339 was immediately a good commercial success for its manufacturer Aermacchi. Since the entry into service in the 1979, in fact, the aircraft, while not equaling the success obtained with the previous MB-326, obtained several foreign orders to equip multiple medium / small air forces in need of modern aircraft.

The causes of this state of affairs are certainly due to multiple factors. First of all, they must be linked to the great flexibility of use of the MB-339 cell and its relative low purchase and maintenance costs, ideal for military aviation afflicted by chronic financial shortages and operational experience.

The example of the "Macchino 3 °" with the Argentine insignia during the conflict with Great Britain for the possession of the Falkland Islands / Malvinas in the 1982 already dealt with on these pages Online Defense (v.articolo).

Just the good evidence provided by MB-339 in the Anglo-Argentine conflict stimulated other military aircraft to acquire the small Italian aircraft for their operational needs in the following years.

Among these, it stands out for its particularity above all Eritrea. Small State of the Horn of Africa overlooking the Red Sea, what had been a former Italian colony for almost the entire first half of the '900, later became a region of Ethiopia for several years until it managed to gain independence in 1991 after several years of hard civil war with the various central governments succeeded in Addis Ababa.

Although Eritrea had achieved its much-desired independence at a high price, the tensions with neighboring Ethiopia did not cease at all.

On the contrary, several crucial issues remained between the two countries. The most important one concerned the exact definition of the boundaries between the two States.

Since the problem of the exact definition of the borders between Ethiopia and Eritrea could not be resolved by diplomatic means, the two countries tried to prepare themselves as they could to the inevitable military confrontation that would follow with the scarce economic resources available.

From this point of view, Eritrea started from a truly dramatic situation. Gathered the few Eritrean pilots already belonging to the ETAF (Ethiopian Air force), the top of the newly created Air Force Eritrean (ErAF) needed, however, also aircraft with which to equip the first gathering crews at best.

Apart from some old MIG-21 ex Ethiopian abandoned by the old owners on the airport of the capital Asmara at the time of independence, in fact, other flying material was not practically available.

It was necessary, therefore, to go abroad. In this way, in the 1996 Eritrea acquired from the Hermès six MB-339 in the CE version with a light attack, motorized Viper 680-43, with which a special operating department was equipped the following year.

Just enough time to actively participate as protagonists in the war that was soon to be fought with Ethiopia in the 1998.

The conflict over the possession of the border areas exploded, in fact, definitively in the spring of the 1998 after several artillery duels between the two contenders and overruns of patrols with consequent firing at close range very intense.

Thus began a war that saw the MB-339 with the Eritrean insignia involved from the first initial beats in tactical support to their troops on the ground and, more rarely, outside their original role, as an interdiction aircraft.

Missions that Italian aircraft accomplished mainly using BL755 cluster bombs and rockets contained, probably, in French-made TB-100-4 factory.

Armaments that the MB-339 Eritreans used since the first days of war against the Ethiopians going to bomb in the afternoon of 5 June at least twice the city of Macallè, capital of the province of Tigrai.

The action, according to Ethiopian reports, caused a real massacre as a school was hit (photo). The final budget would have been 44 civilians killed, of which at least 12 children, and a hundred wounded more or less serious because of the devices used.

As happened in Macalle, the Ethiopians in turn launched several raids against the Eritrean capital Asmara and its airport.

In the meantime, however, the action of Italian aircraft did not end at all. Indeed, the day after, the 6 June, were used constantly to support the troops on the ground to repel the land attacks of the enemy army in the border regions of Badme and Tsorona.

Just in one of these tactical support missions, a MB-339 was hit and knocked down by the enemy, thus forcing his pilot to eject. It will be retrieved shortly after by a friendly Mi-8 helicopter.

Not even this event, however, halted the employment of the Eritrean Macchi.

When the 9 in June the Ethiopians attacked and occupied the boundary city of Zalambessa in force, it was again the MB-339 to give back to the friendly Eritrean troops in the theater of the clashes for the next decisive counterattack that drove back the attackers.

Still the next day the Eritrean Macchi were engaged in fighting, this time around the town of Erde Mattios hitting, according to the Ethiopians, even the local hospital thus causing the death of about 30 people.

Despite the many hours of combat flown, however, the Ethiopian army still had the will and forces sufficient to launch other offensives in order to conquer the most important border areas.

On the morning of the 12 June, therefore, two Eritrean Mi-8s appeared at low altitude above the main base of the Ethiopian army of Adigrat launching several bombs causing considerable damage. But a couple of hours later, the ubiquitous MB-339s who were launching more attacks in the area were continuing. Attacks that caused, according to Ethiopian sources, four dead people and other wounded 30.

At this point in the conflict, however, it seemed obvious to the Eritreans that, although they were effective and easy to use, the MB-339 could not perform all the tasks effectively possible.

In particular, it was evident the almost absolute inability of the Macchi for air-to-air missions. Important missions to effectively counter the Ethiopian opponent's stakes not only with his own flaky air-raid.

The government of Asmara, then, almost simultaneously with that of Addis Ababa, took the decision to acquire Russian MIG-29 fighters by operating them with Russian and Ukrainian mercenary crews.

A new phase of the air war was opened between Eritrea and Ethiopia. But wanting to borrow a successful narrative formula, this is another story...

(photo: web)