# South African mercenary’s Gazelle helicopter shot down in Mozambique

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2020/04/south-african-mercenarys-gazelle-helicopter-shot-down-in-mozambique/
- Published: 2020-04-10T18:05:59+01:00
- Author: Patrick Kenyette

Multiple reports from Mozambique indicates that one of the South African private
military contractors Gazelle helicopter deployed against jihadists in northern Mozambique
was shot down this morning.

The Gazelle helicopter was attacked with small arms fire, which apparently damaged
the helicopter’s gearbox, thereby forcing it to land. The crew were safely extracted
however, there is no information yet on the status of the helicopter.

The Gazelle helicopter belonging to the South African private military contractors
and Mozambican Air Force aircraft has conduct several major air attacks on Islamist
extremists for a long time.

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For instance, earlier this month, Joseph Hanlon published a photograph showing one
of the Gazelle helicopter gunships supposedly used in an attack. The photograph 
shows a door gunner operating a 20mm cannon mounted in the door of the aircraft.

![](military.africa/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/gazelle-in-mozambique.jpeg)

A door gunner manning a 20mm cannon (Joseph Hanlon)

## Mercenaries in Mozambique

Since Mozambique is embroiled in an emerging counter-terror war, the states security
forces—the _Forças de Defesa e Segurança_ (FDS)—has proved incapable of dealing 
with the lightly-armed terrorists in the north.

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Mozambique president Maputo began a search for military alternatives. Initially,
Erik Prince’s Dubai-based**_ Lancaster Six Group (L6G)_** private security firm 
was in competition with Russia’s _**Wagner**_ private military company (PMC) and
Eeben Barlow’s South African_** Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection
International (STTEP)**_ for security contracts in Cabo Delgado, with Prince promising
to eliminate the terrorists in three months in return for a share of oil and natural
gas revenues.

Although, according to _Daily Maverick_, Wagner had pulled out of Mozambique in 
March after failing in its mission and was replaced by South Africa’s private security
company **_Dyck Advisory Group, (DAG)_** based in South Africa and owned by former
Zimbabwean military colonel Lionel Dyck who is believed to be close to Zimbabwean
President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

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**_Dyck Advisory Group, (DAG)_** operates three helicopters in Cabo Delgado northern
coast — one Gazelle gunship, one Bell UH I “Huey” and one Bell 406 Long Ranger —
and one fixed-wing Diamond DA42. They joined another Gazelle and a Cessna Caravan
fixed-wing personnel carrier which had arrived in Pemba.

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