The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially launched Exercise Blue Lugwasho 2025, a multinational humanitarian and disaster-response air exercise at a high-level flag-off ceremony held at the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Lusaka Air Base.
Acting Minister of Defence Hon. Brenda Tambatamba, officiating on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema, described the exercise as “a practical demonstration of regional solidarity and preparedness in responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and modern security threats.”
Coordinated under the SADC Standing Aviation Committee (SAC), this year’s exercise is the first major Blue Exercise since 2019 following a pandemic-induced break. Tambatamba urged full participation from all Member States, stressing that “instability anywhere is instability everywhere.” She also commended the Zambia Air Force for its planning and coordination with civil authorities, calling it “a model for inter-agency cooperation.”
The event was attended by senior military officials, government representatives, defence attachés and regional stakeholders. It marked the start of a complex simulation featuring humanitarian airlifts, medical outreach operations and asymmetrical warfare scenarios in Zambia’s drought-stricken Southern and Western Provinces.
ZAF Commander Lt Gen Oscar Nyoni revealed that 450 metric tonnes of relief maize provided by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) will be airlifted to eight districts: Livingstone, Sinazongwe, Maamba, Namwala, Itezhi-Tezhi, Gwembe, Mulobezi and Mwandi. He highlighted that the humanitarian component was anchored in real needs, noting Zambia had suffered its worst drought in 40 years during the 2023/2024 rainy season.
He further announced that medical outreach services will be delivered by the Zambia Flying Doctor Service with operational support from multiple government ministries, security wings, the SADC Secretariat and participating Member States.
Lt Gen Nyoni emphasized the unique nature of this year’s exercise, stating: “What distinguishes Blue Lugwasho 2025 is its integration of asymmetrical warfare simulations, a first for SADC SAC Blue Exercises. This inclusion ensures that participating Air Forces can train for the real world, not just theory.”
The asymmetrical warfare component will test the ability of SADC Air Forces to operate in complex environments where humanitarian assistance may coincide with security threats such as enemy intrusions or non-state actor aggression. Supporting units from the Zambia Army and Zambia National Service will also take part.
Participating air assets include a wide range of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft—among them the C-130, C-27J, CASA-295, IL-76, Oryx, BK-117 and Agusta-109—demonstrating the diversity and capability of regional fleets.
Lt Gen Nyoni expressed gratitude for Member States’ logistical and personnel contributions, describing their collaboration as “the cornerstone of SADC’s regional security architecture.”
With nearly 1,000 military personnel and assets from nine SADC Member States—Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and host nation Zambia—the exercise is expected to leave a lasting impact by strengthening regional preparedness for both natural disasters and complex emergencies.
