Two dead as army jet ranger crashes

A UPDF officer stands by the wreckage of the crashed UPDAF jet ranger that crashed on Tuesday. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO

Two people have been confirmed dead after a jet ranger belonging to the Uganda People’s Defence Air Force crashed in Gomba.

According to the Uganda People’s Defence Force spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire, the Jet Ranger AF 302 was on a training mission.

“It had two crew members. Sadly, no one is reported to have survived. Investigations into the cause have commenced. We offer our condolences to the family members and entire UPDF fraternity,” he said in a tweet this afternoon.

Victims have however not been identified.

The Uganda Air Force is a statutory institute and a service arm of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, established by the Defence forces Act, 2005, Section 3 Sub section 2(b).

Its core tasks include; defending Uganda's Airspace and supporting own land forces wherever they are, destroying strategic enemy positions and providing VIP transport. Others are; peace support missions and relief in the event of natural disasters and all the other duties of UPDF as per Article 208 of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda.