Columbus Mabika-Herald Reporter
THE Air Force of Zimbabwe has stepped up preparations to host the 2027 multinational humanitarian assistance Exercise Blue Runde, with the SADC Standing Aviation Committee initial planning conference underway in the capital until Friday.
Exercise Blue Runde is set to test and enhance the operational capabilities of regional air forces, especially in disasters, which have become increasingly common globally in recent times.
The exercises bring together personnel, aircraft and support elements from participating SADC member states to practise common procedures and develop interoperability.
The exercise series began with Exercise Blue Hungwe, hosted by Zimbabwe in 1997 and has since been conducted biennially, rotating among participating SADC air forces in line with agreed regional arrangements (in alphabetical order).
Zambia hosted the last exercise, Exercise Blue Lugwasho, in 2025; hence, Zimbabwe will host the 2027 edition.
Running under the theme: “Through Air Power Enhancing Regional Peace and Stability”, the exercise will be conducted in Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces.
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are expected to take part in the exercise slated for June next year.
Officially opening the planning conference, Commander AFZ Air Marshal Jacob John Nzvede, said hosting the exercise was an honour Zimbabwe had taken up with pride.
“The Air Force of Zimbabwe, with the support of the Government of Zimbabwe, has graciously accepted this honour to host the exercise, which has been codenamed ‘Exercise Blue Runde’. For the benefit of our guests, Runde is one of the major rivers in the south-eastern part of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“However, hosting such a multinational exercise requires detailed planning and I believe that this conference is the first and most crucial step in our preparations. As you may recall, last year the regional air forces successfully participated in ‘Exercise Blue Lugwasho’, which was hosted by the Zambia Air Force.”
He said the previous exercise, Blue Lugwasho, was a huge success in that the regional air forces managed to attain most of the set objectives, while also presenting opportunities to appreciate the challenges encountered in conducting joint operations in response to future security threats in the region.
Air Marshal Nzvede said the focus of the Standing Aviation Committee exercises has been and continues to be, on humanitarian operations.
“The basis for this premise is that disasters have emerged as an imminent threat for the region and indeed the globe. A 2026 research on mapping natural disaster risks in Africa shows that disasters pose an escalating threat across Africa, with roughly 80 percent of the continent classified as a high- or very high-risk zone,” he said.
Air Marshal Nzvede said this assessment is supported by evidence witnessed in the region at large.
“In the 2025 to 2026 rain season, the Air Force of Zimbabwe responded to several calls for assistance after cases of flooding across the country. However, the worst case of flooding in the region was in our neighbouring country, Mozambique, where there were over 250 reported deaths,” he said.
“In addition to developing exercise scenarios that are based on the obtaining realities, I expect you to be guided by the principle of capability realism, as air power holds unique capabilities during disasters.
“Air power, as we have all come to appreciate, has unique capabilities to support disaster management and mitigation efforts in our countries and the region. I, therefore, want to remind you to ensure that the exercise uses these air power capabilities such as speed, reach, height and ubiquity, among others.”
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