As the United Nations armed forces found themselves struggling to quell a Series of armed rebellions, towards the end of 1962 the United States increased its military role in the Congo Crisis by providing the Congolese government with a small air force recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. Initially unarmed, and used as a show of strength, this air force grew rapidly in size and power and provided air cover to government forces in operations against anti-government forces up until 1967.
Recognising that a threat existed in the east of the Congo, with weapons and supplies being transported across Lake Tanganyika, the CIA next put in place a naval force to patrol Congolese waters and to prepare areas for attacks made by mercenaries. The presence of this navy proved to be crucial in limiting supplies and persuaded Ernesto ‘Che' Guevara that his attempt to provoke widespread communist revolution in Central Africa was forlorn.