South African Air Force
The South African Air Force, which counts its birthday from 1 February 1920, fought from East Africa to Warsaw in the Second World War, flew Mustangs and Sabres in Korea and spent 23 years at war in Namibia and Angola under an arms embargo — and in 2026 it owns a modern core of 26 Gripens, 24 Hawks and 11 Rooivalks that its own budget can keep only partly in the air.
The South African Air Force story: Warsaw in 1944, the Flying Cheetahs in Korea and a Border War under embargo
1914–1939: from the Aviation Corps to an air force of its own
South African military flying began before the Union had an air force. Six officers qualified at the flying school at Alexandersfontein, near Kimberley, in April 1914, and the South African Aviation Corps flew in the campaign against German South West Africa from 6 May 1915. Its pilots then went into the Royal Flying Corps: a South African unit, 26 Squadron RFC, was in Kenya from January 1916, and Wikipedia counts some 3,000 South Africans in the RFC, 260 of whom died. Pierre van Ryneveld, who flew from England to the Cape with Quintin Brand in 1920, was appointed Director of Air Services in June 1920 with effect from 1 February 1920 — the date the service still treats as its birthday. Britain’s Imperial Gift supplied 100 aircraft, Zwartkop became the first air base in 1921, and the name South African Air Force was first used officially on 1 February 1923. Its first operations were at home and in the mandated territory: 1 Squadron lost two aircraft against the striking miners of the Rand in March 1922, and two DH.9s bombed and strafed the Bondelswarts in May 1922, when about 100 Nama were killed, women and children among them — an action the League of Nations’ Permanent Mandates Commission investigated.
1940–1945: East Africa, the Desert, Italy and Warsaw
In September 1939 the SAAF had 160 permanent officers, 35 cadets and 1,400 other ranks, and its modern combat aircraft amounted to six Hurricanes, one Battle and one Blenheim. It grew into one of the larger Allied air arms. Converted Ju 86s of 12 Squadron bombed Italian positions at Moyale in June 1940, and by December 1940 ten squadrons and a flight were flying against the Italians in East Africa. In the Western Desert, Wikipedia records eleven SAAF squadrons flying 33,991 sorties between 1941 and 1943 and claiming 342 enemy aircraft destroyed; SAAF squadrons flew from Malta over Sicily and then fought up Italy and over the Balkans. In August and September 1944 the Liberators of 31 and 34 Squadrons flew 181 supply sorties from Italy to the Warsaw Uprising, part of an airlift in which the air forces involved lost 41 aircraft. By the end of 1944 the SAAF had 44,417 people, 2,349 of them pilots, and by 1945 the Joint Air Training Scheme had trained 33,347 aircrew at 36 air schools in South Africa. The war made the SAAF; it also left it far larger than peacetime South Africa wanted to pay for.
1948–1963: Berlin, the Flying Cheetahs and the first jets
The post-war air force was small but busy. It supplied 20 aircrews to the Berlin Airlift, which flew 4,133 tons of supplies on 1,240 missions, and in November 1950 put the springbok in the centre of its roundel. Korea was its last war as part of a large allied force. 2 Squadron, the Flying Cheetahs, sailed for Japan on 25 September 1950 and flew its first mission from the airfields at Pyongyang on 19 November 1950, as part of the USAF’s 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Ground attack in the F-51D Mustang was costly: 10,373 sorties and 74 of 95 aircraft lost. From January 1953 the squadron flew F-86F Sabres, losing four of 22 in 2,032 sorties. The unofficial SAAF history counts 34 pilots killed and eight taken prisoner, among them Denis Earp, later Chief of the Air Force; Wikipedia’s squadron article gives 33. The squadron earned US and Korean Presidential Unit Citations. At home the jet age arrived with Vampires from 1950, Canadair Sabre Mk 6s from 1956 and Mirage IIIs from 1963, with Canberras, Buccaneers and Shackletons for strike and maritime patrol.
1966–1989: the Border War, under embargo
The Border War was the SAAF’s longest war: it is dated from a clash at Omugulugwombashe on 26 August 1966 and ended with the withdrawal from Angola and Namibia in 1988–1989. Helicopters, Impalas and light aircraft did most of the daily work; the jets first went into action since Korea at Cassinga on 4 May 1978, which South Africa calls a SWAPO base and SWAPO and Angola call a refugee camp — the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1998 found it was a military facility from the SADF’s perspective but could not establish the civilian toll. International arms embargoes meant South Africa could not buy new fighters after the Mirage F1s that arrived from 1975, so it rebuilt Mirage IIIs into Cheetahs with Israeli help. In the air the record is contested. Major Johan Rankin shot down two Angolan MiG-21s in 1981 and 1982; over Cuito Cuanavale in 1987–1988 Cuban-flown MiG-23s and dense air defences took the initiative, and Cuba and South Africa still give different accounts of who won. Wikipedia, citing Dick Lord, counts 22 SAAF aircraft lost to enemy action between 1974 and 1989. By 1990 the force had more than 800 aircraft.
1994–2012: integration, the arms deal and the Gripen
Democracy shrank the air force and changed who served in it. The South African National Defence Force formed in 1994 took in the old SADF, the homeland forces and the guerrilla armies MK and APLA; the SAAF retired more than 400 aircraft and closed more than a dozen squadrons and two bases. The Mirage F1 went in 1992 and 1997, the Impala in 2005 and the Cheetah on 1 April 2008. The replacements came in the arms deal signed on 3 December 1999: 24 Hawk Mk 120s, 28 Gripens (cut to 26 in 2005) and 30 A109 helicopters, part of a package announced at R29.992 billion. It was dogged by corruption allegations: Schabir Shaik was convicted in 2005, the Seriti Commission found no evidence of wrongdoing in 2016, and the High Court set its findings aside in August 2019. The aircraft themselves were good. The first Hawks were handed over on 24 May 2006, the first Gripen reached Makhado in 2008, and the locally designed Rooivalk attack helicopter, in development since 1984, was declared fully operational on 1 April 2011.
2013–2026: Goma, groundings and an “unfunded” air force
The Rooivalk then had its war. Three deployed to the eastern DRC with the UN Force Intervention Brigade in October 2013 and on 4 November 2013 attacked M23 positions; the defence minister of the day said M23 had to retreat because of them. But money was running out. The Gripens were grounded from September 2021 until a Saab contract let 13 of the 25 fly again on 5 September 2022, with 12 stored. In November 2024 Armscor told Parliament that most support contracts were underfunded and that the Hawk contract had lapsed; the Rooivalks, unflown in the DRC since August 2022, came home in December 2024. During the SADC mission in the DRC, defenceWeb reported Oryx helicopters hit by small-arms fire with fatalities; ten South African soldiers died at Goma in January 2025, and SADC ended the mission in March. In June 2025 Armscor reported two serviceable C-130s and a maintenance shortfall of R7.7 billion over three years. The SAAF still delivers: it policed the G20 summit in November 2025 with Gripens, Hawks and Rooivalks. Its new chief, Carl Moatshe, has said plainly that it is part of “an unfunded Defence Force”.
The South African Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Suid-Afrikaanse LugmagThe Afrikaans name, used for example by Maroela Media in 2026. English and Afrikaans are two of South Africa’s official languages; no SAAF-published name in the other official languages was found, and the official site af.mil.za could not be reached
- Founded
- 1 February 1920Van Ryneveld’s appointment as Director of Air Services, made in June 1920 and backdated to 1 February, is “acknowledged as marking the official birth of the SAAF”. The name South African Air Force was first used officially on 1 February 1923. The Aviation Corps of 1915 was its predecessor
- Part of
- South African National Defence ForceFormed in 1994; the President is commander-in-chief
- Headquarters
- PretoriaAir Force Headquarters, Pretoria
- Chief of the Air Force
- Lt Gen Carl MoatsheSince 1 April 2026; succeeded Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo
- Motto
- Per aspera ad astra“Through adversity to the stars”
Strength
- Personnel
- About 9,000–12,815Moatshe spoke of about 9,000 air force members in May 2026; Wikipedia gives 12,815 active and 1,000 reserve. The sources may count different things (uniformed members against all posts), so the range is given
- Aircraft on inventory
- 199 (DoD, March 2025)The Department of Defence said the SAAF had 199 aircraft when it disputed a News24 report that only six of 330 were working. Analysts quoted by defenceWeb put average serviceability at 15–20 per cent
- Combat aircraft
-
- JAS 39C/D Gripen — 26 delivered, one written off; 13 kept in flying rotation
- Rooivalk attack helicopter — 11
The 2022 Saab contract funded 13 Gripens with 12 in storage; Armscor still targeted only 13 in June 2025
- Trainers
-
- Hawk Mk 120 — 24 delivered, about 22 in service
- PC-7 Mk II Astra — 35 upgraded airframes
A report cited by defenceWeb in March 2025 had two Astras of 35 available
- Transport
-
- C-130BZ Hercules — six on the books, one or two flying
- C-212, Caravan, PC-12, King Air
- VIP: Boeing BBJ, Falcon 50, Falcon 900B, Citation II
Only aircraft 401 was flying in October 2025; 409 was at Marshall in the UK
- Helicopters
-
- Oryx — 37 airframes
- A109 — 24
- BK 117 — 8
- Super Lynx 300 — 4 (for the Navy)
Availability figures cited in March 2025: Oryx 4 of 13 in the operating pool, A109 1 of 9
- Air Defence programme budget
- R7.570 billion (2026/27)Up 4.44 per cent from R7.248 billion, while the whole defence budget fell to R57.606 billion, a real cut of about 5 per cent. Defence is about 0.8 per cent of GDP
Infrastructure
- Flying bases
-
- Makhado — 2 Sqn Gripen, 85 Combat Flying School Hawk
- Waterkloof — transport and VIP squadrons
- Bloemspruit — 16 Sqn Rooivalk, 87 Helicopter Flying School
- Hoedspruit — 19 Sqn
- Durban — 15 Sqn
- Ysterplaat — 22 and 35 Sqn
- Langebaanweg — Central Flying School
- Overberg — Test Flight and Development Centre
Per the unofficial SAAF website’s base list; Swartkop is now the Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing with 17 Squadron and the SAAF Museum
- Closed since 1994
- Two air bases, more than a dozen squadronsWikipedia’s summary of the post-1994 drawdown, which also retired more than 400 aircraft
- Flying hours
- About 6,000–6,800 of 12,000 budgeteddefenceWeb reported 6,800 of 12,000 in 2025; Wingrin wrote in February 2026 that only half the target was achieved the year before
- Maintenance shortfall
- R7.7 billion over three yearsArmscor to Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, 13 June 2025
- Air show
- Africa Aerospace and Defence, AFB WaterkloofHeld in September 2026; the next is planned for 27 September–1 October 2028
How the South African Air Force is organised
One of the services of the South African National Defence Force, run from Air Force Headquarters in Pretoria through numbered squadrons and flying schools at ten active bases and stations. Its modern core came from the 1999 arms deal — 26 Gripens with 2 Squadron and 24 Hawks with 85 Combat Flying School, both at Makhado — beside 11 locally designed Rooivalk attack helicopters with 16 Squadron at Bloemspruit. Money limits all of it: only 13 Gripens are funded to fly, and Armscor told Parliament in June 2025 of a maintenance shortfall of R7.7 billion over three years.
Air Force Headquarters
One of the services of the South African National Defence Force, formed in 1994, whose commander-in-chief is the President. Lt Gen Carl Moatshe, until then Chief Director Force Preparation, became Chief of the Air Force on 1 April 2026, succeeding Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo, who retired on 31 March 2026, according to defenceWeb; the official SAAF and Department of Defence websites could not be reached to confirm the appointment notice.
2 Squadron “Flying Cheetahs”
The SAAF’s only fighter squadron, the Korean War unit, at Makhado since January 1993. It flew Cheetahs until 2 April 2008 and now the Gripen C/D: 26 were delivered and one was written off, and under the 2022 Saab support contract 13 fly and 12 are stored. Four Gripens policed the G20 summit in November 2025.
16 Squadron
The only unit flying the locally designed Rooivalk, 11 airframes. Three fought with the UN Force Intervention Brigade in the eastern DRC from 2013, were unflown there from August 2022 and came home in December 2024; Armscor told Parliament in June 2025 that full serviceability would cost over R2 billion, against R469 million allocated.
21, 28, 41 and 44 Squadrons
21 Squadron flies the President in the Boeing BBJ “Inkwazi” and other VIPs in Falcon and Citation jets; 28 Squadron the C-130BZ Hercules, six on the books, of which reports in 2025 gave none, one or two as serviceable. 41 and 44 are light transport squadrons with Caravans, King Airs, C-212s and a PC-12, which the sources do not assign to either squadron.
15, 17 and 19 Squadrons
Oryx, A109 and BK 117 utility and rescue helicopters: 15 Squadron at Durban with a C Flight of BK 117s at Port Elizabeth, 17 Squadron at Swartkop and 19 Squadron at Hoedspruit. Of 37 Oryx and 24 A109 airframes, a report cited by defenceWeb in March 2025 gave four of 13 Oryx and one of nine A109s in the operating pool as available.
22 and 35 Squadrons
22 Squadron flies Oryx and the four Super Lynx 300 helicopters operated for the Navy from its frigates. 35 Squadron flies the C-47TP Turbo Dakota, South Africa’s only maritime patrol aircraft; Wikipedia lists five and also reports none operational in the mid-2020s.
Flying schools and the Test Flight and Development Centre
Pilots learn to fly on the PC-7 Mk II Astra at the Central Flying School, at Langebaanweg since December 1992, train on helicopters with 87 Helicopter Flying School at Bloemspruit and finish fighter training on the Hawk Mk 120 with 85 Combat Flying School at Makhado. The Test Flight and Development Centre flies Hawks and PC-7 Mk IIs at Overberg.
What the South African Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saab JAS 39C/D GripenIn service | Multirole fighter | 25 | 2008 | 26 delivered (17 C, 9 D); one written off in a ground incident. Under the 2022 Saab contract 13 fly and 12 are stored.
MoreA December 2023 parliamentary question by Mosiuoa Lekota was premised on only two being available. |
||
| BAE Systems Hawk Mk 120In service | Lead-in fighter trainer | 22 | 2006 | 24 delivered; about 22 in service after two were damaged in accidents. A support contract for 12 airframes runs to 2029, according to a report cited by defenceWeb. | ||
| Denel Rooivalk Mk 1In service | Attack helicopter | 11 | 1999 | 11 airframes; a report cited in March 2025 had two of six in the operating pool available. | ||
| Atlas / Denel OryxIn service | Medium transport helicopter | 37 | 1989 | 51 built; 37 airframes on strength in 2025, two written off.
MoreA report cited by defenceWeb in March 2025 gave four of 13 in the operating pool available; an IOL report in May 2026 claimed one was flying. |
||
| Leonardo (AgustaWestland) A109 LUHIn service | Light utility helicopter | 24 | 2003 | 30 bought; 24 left after six accidents. Armscor reported two serviceable in November 2024. | ||
| MBB/Kawasaki BK 117In service | Light utility helicopter | 8 | 1994 | Eight in Armscor’s 2024 figures. | ||
| Westland Super Lynx 300 Mk 64In service | Maritime helicopter (for the Navy) | 4 | 2007 | Four. | ||
| Lockheed C-130BZ HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 6 | 1963 | Six with airworthy potential of nine received; two written off and one cannibalised.
MoreServiceable figures differ: none of five (report cited March 2025), two (Armscor, June 2025), one (defenceWeb, October 2025). |
||
| CASA C-212 AviocarIn service | Light transport | 3 | 1994 | Three in service of four (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Cessna 208 CaravanIn service | Light transport and surveillance | 8 | 1988 | Eight in service of 12 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Pilatus PC-12In service | Light transport | 1 | 1997 | One. | ||
| Beechcraft Super King Air B200C and 300In service | Light transport | 1981 | Two–four: Wikipedia lists two in service of four acquired. | |||
| Boeing 737-7ED BBJ, Dassault Falcon 50 and 900B, Cessna Citation IIIn service | VIP transport | One BBJ; Falcon and Citation numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | ||||
| Douglas C-47TP Turbo DakotaIn service | Maritime patrol and transport | Wikipedia lists five; it also reports none operational in the mid-2020s. Not confirmed. | ||||
| Pilatus PC-7 Mk II AstraIn service | Basic trainer | 35 | 1994 | 60 bought; 35 upgraded airframes. A report cited by defenceWeb gave two available in March 2025; Armscor said recovering to 25 was impossible without more money. | ||
| Denel Dynamics Seeker 400In service | Reconnaissance UAV |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milkor 380 UCAVOn order | 5 | Wikipedia reports an initial order of five systems after a first flight in September 2023, with service entry expected from 2025. Delivery was not confirmed in the sources checked.
MoreNo contract had been signed for a C-130 replacement; the C-390 and A-29 Super Tucano were being evaluated in 2026. |
Every type the South African Air Force has retired
54 types, from the Airco DH.9 (and local DH.9J M’pala and Mantis) to the Atlas Cheetah C, D and E. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Cheetah C, D and E | Multirole fighter | 1986–2008 | Gripen | 68–70: Wikipedia’s Cheetah article gives 38 C, 16 D and 16 E (70); its list of SAAF aircraft gives 68. | ||
| Sud Aviation Alouette II and III | Light helicopter | 126 | 1960–2006 | 126 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Atlas Impala Mk I and Mk II (Aermacchi MB-326M and MB-326K) | Jet trainer and light attack | 1966–2005 | About 251–300: Wikipedia’s list gives 251; the main article says more than 300. About 100 were Mk IIs (7 + 15 kits, 78 built by Atlas). | |||
| Dassault Mirage F1CZ and F1AZ | Interceptor and attack | 48 | 1975–1997 | Cheetah C | 48 per the unofficial SAAF website (16 F1CZ, 32 F1AZ) and Wikipedia’s main article; Wikipedia’s aircraft list gives 51. | |
| Sud Aviation SA 330 Puma | Transport helicopter | 109 | 1969–1997 | Oryx | 109 (Wikipedia list). | |
| North American Harvard and T-6G Texan | Trainer | 1942–1995 | Wikipedia’s list gives 744 for 1942–1995; not corroborated. | |||
| Transall C-160Z | Tactical transport | 9 | 1969–1993 | Nine (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Piaggio P.166S Albatross | Coastal patrol | 27 | 1969–1993 | 27 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Aermacchi AM.3C Bosbok | Forward air control and liaison | 40 | 1973–1992 | 40 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk 50 | Maritime strike and attack | 16 | 1965–1991 | 16 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| English Electric Canberra B(I)12 and T.4 | Bomber | 9 | 1963–1991 | Six B(I)12 and three T.4 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Atlas C4M Kudu | Light utility | 40 | 1976–1991 | 40 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Dassault Mirage IIICZ, BZ, DZ, D2Z, EZ, RZ and R2Z | Interceptor, attack and reconnaissance | 57 | 1963–1990 | Cheetah | 57 (Wikipedia list). | |
| Sud Aviation SA 321L Super Frelon | Heavy transport helicopter | 17 | 1967–1990 | 17 (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Avro Shackleton MR.3 | Maritime patrol | 8 | 1957–1984 | Eight (Wikipedia list). | ||
| Canadair Sabre Mk 6 | Fighter | 34 | 1956–1980 | Mirage III | 34 (Wikipedia list). | |
| de Havilland Vampire FB.5, FB.6, FB.52, T.11 and T.55 | Fighter-bomber and trainer | 56 | 1950–1978 | 56 FB.5 and FB.6 (Wikipedia list); trainers additional. | ||
| Supermarine Spitfire Mk V, VIII and IX | Fighter | 1942–1954 | Wikipedia’s list gives 205 for 1942–1954; not corroborated. | |||
| North American F-86F Sabre (Korea) | Fighter-bomber | 22 | 1953–1953 | 22 supplied by the USAF; four lost. | ||
| North American F-51D Mustang (Korea) and Mustang III/IV | Fighter-bomber | 95 | 1944–1953 | F-86F Sabre | 95 F-51Ds in Korea per the unofficial SAAF history, 94 per Wikipedia; 74 lost. Wartime Mustang IIIs and IVs not counted. | |
| Consolidated B-24J Liberator | Heavy bomber | 1944–1945 | ||||
| Hawker Hurricane Mk I and II | Fighter | Six Mk Is were the SAAF’s only modern fighters in September 1939. | ||||
| Gloster Gladiator Mk I and II | Fighter | |||||
| Curtiss H-75A-4 Mohawk | Fighter | |||||
| Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk and Kittyhawk | Fighter-bomber | |||||
| Junkers Ju 86 K-3/Z | Bomber (converted airliner) | 1940– | Maryland | |||
| Junkers Ju 52/3m | Transport and bomber | |||||
| Fairey Battle | Light bomber | One operational in September 1939. | ||||
| Bristol Blenheim Mk I, IV and V | Light bomber | One Mk I in September 1939. | ||||
| Martin Maryland II | Bomber and reconnaissance | |||||
| Martin Baltimore Mk I–V | Light bomber | |||||
| Douglas DB-7 Boston III (A-20C) | Light bomber | |||||
| Martin B-26C and B-26G Marauder | Medium bomber | |||||
| Bristol Beaufort Mk I | Torpedo bomber and reconnaissance | |||||
| Bristol Beaufighter Mk II, VI and X | Strike fighter | |||||
| de Havilland Mosquito F.II, FB.VI, PR.IX and PR.XVI | Reconnaissance and fighter-bomber | |||||
| Lockheed Ventura II and PV-1 Ventura GR.5 | Maritime patrol | |||||
| Lockheed Hudson Mk I | Maritime patrol | |||||
| Short Sunderland GR.5 | Maritime patrol flying boat | |||||
| Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina IB/III | Maritime patrol flying boat | |||||
| Vickers Wellington B.III to B.XIII | Bomber | |||||
| Vickers Wellesley | Bomber | |||||
| Hawker Hart, Hind, Audax and Hartbees | Light bomber and army co-operation | 65 Hartbees built locally; other variants not confirmed. | ||||
| Hawker Fury I | Fighter | |||||
| Gloster Gauntlet Mk II | Fighter | |||||
| Westland Wapiti Mk IIA and III | General purpose | 1931– | 27 built locally. | |||
| Avro Tutor | Trainer | 52 built locally. | ||||
| Airco DH.9 (and local DH.9J M’pala and Mantis) | Bomber and general purpose | 48 | 1920– | 48 DH.9s in the Imperial Gift of 1920. | ||
| Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a | Fighter | 22 | 1920– | 22 in the Imperial Gift. | ||
| Avro 504K and 504N | Trainer | 30 | 1920– | 30 Avro 504Ks in the Imperial Gift; 504N numbers not confirmed. | ||
| Airco DH.4 | Bomber | |||||
| Douglas C-47 Dakota | Transport | 1943– | Wikipedia’s list gives 149; not corroborated. | |||
| Westland Wasp HAS.1 | Naval helicopter | |||||
| Boeing 707-328C | Transport and tanker |
Where the South African Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Swartkop, acquired in April 1921, was South Africa’s first air force base; Waterkloof, opened in 1938, is the busiest according to the unofficial SAAF website, and Makhado, opened in 1987 as Louis Trichardt, holds the whole fighter force. Bloemspruit and Port Elizabeth share their runways with civil airports, and the former fighter base at Pietersburg became Polokwane International Airport in 1996. Most coordinates are from the unofficial SAAF website, to the nearest minute, because the official site and the military pages of the South African AIP could not be reached.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force Base BloemspruitFree State (Bloemfontein) | FABL | Active | 02/202,563 m12/302,194 m |
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| Air Force Base DurbanKwaZulu-Natal (Durban, former Durban International Airport) | Active |
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| Air Force Base HoedspruitLimpopo | FAHS | Active |
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| Air Force Base LangebaanwegWestern Cape (West Coast, about an hour from Cape Town) | FALW | Active |
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| Air Force Base MakhadoLimpopo | FALM | Active |
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| Air Force Base OverbergWestern Cape (near Bredasdorp) | FAOB | Active |
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| Air Force Base SwartkopAir Force Mobile Deployment WingGauteng (Valhalla, Centurion, City of Tshwane) | FASK | Active |
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| Air Force Base WaterkloofGauteng (City of Tshwane, south of Pretoria) | FAWK | Active |
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| Air Force Base YsterplaatWestern Cape (Cape Town) | FAYP | Active |
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| Air Force Station Port ElizabethEastern Cape (Gqeberha) | FAPE | Active |
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| Air Force Base PietersburgLimpopo (Polokwane) | FAPP | Closed |
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No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the South African Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. South African flying units are numbered squadrons — 2 Squadron, the Flying Cheetahs of Korea, flies the Gripen, 16 Squadron the Rooivalk and 28 Squadron the C-130BZ — beside reserve squadrons such as 102 and 111 and flying schools such as 85 Combat Flying School. Former units, among them 1 Squadron with its Mirage F1AZs at Hoedspruit until 1997, are listed and marked as such. Where the sources list a base’s aircraft types without assigning them to squadrons, the entry says so.
- 21 SquadronVIP transport squadron · active
- Boeing 737-7ED BBJ “Inkwazi”, Dassault Falcon 50 and 900, Cessna Citation II
- 28 SquadronMedium transport squadron · active
- Lockheed C-130BZ Hercules
- 41 and 44 SquadronsLight transport squadrons · active
- Cessna 208 Caravan, Beechcraft Super King Air, CASA C-212 Aviocar, Pilatus PC-12
- 111 SquadronReserve squadron · reserve
- 504 Squadron, 1 and 5 Air Servicing Units, and support unitsBase protection, maintenance and support · active
- 1 Squadron1975–1981
- Dassault Mirage F1AZ
- 2 Squadron “Flying Cheetahs”1953–
- Canadair Sabre Mk 6, Dassault Mirage III
- 2 Squadron “Flying Cheetahs”Flying Cheetahs · Fighter squadron · active
- Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen, Atlas Cheetah C/D (to 2008)
- 85 Combat Flying SchoolLead-in fighter training school · active
- BAE Systems Hawk Mk 120
- 102 SquadronReserve squadron · reserve
- 3 Air Servicing Unit and 515 SquadronMaintenance and base protection · active
- 17 SquadronHelicopter squadron · active
- Leonardo A109 LUH, Atlas/Denel Oryx
- SAAF Museum Historic FlightHeritage flight · active
- North American P-51D Mustang (museum), Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXe (museum), Avro Shackleton MR.3 (museum), North American Harvard, de Havilland Canada Chipmunk
- 104 SquadronReserve squadron · reserve
- Airspace Control UnitAir traffic and airspace control · active
- No 1 Flight1921–
- Airco DH.9, Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a, Avro 504K
- 26 Squadron1942–
- 1 Squadron1951–
- de Havilland Vampire
- 19 SquadronHelicopter squadron · active
- Atlas/Denel Oryx, Leonardo A109 LUH
- 101 and 514 Squadrons, 7 Air Servicing Unit, Command and Control School, Lowveld Airspace Control SectorReserve, protection, maintenance and control · active
- 1 Squadron1981–1997
- Dassault Mirage F1AZ
- 2 Squadron “Flying Cheetahs”1978–1993
- Dassault Mirage III, Atlas Cheetah C/D
- 16 SquadronAttack helicopter squadron · active
- Denel Rooivalk Mk 1
- 87 Helicopter Flying SchoolHelicopter training school · active
- Leonardo A109 LUH, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, Atlas/Denel Oryx
- 106, 107 and 506 Squadrons and 6 Air Servicing UnitReserve, protection and maintenance · active
- Test Flight and Development CentreFlight test unit · active
- BAE Systems Hawk Mk 120, Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Astra, Atlas Cheetah D (listed; retired)
- 525 SquadronBase protection · active
- Central Flying SchoolBasic flying training school · active
- Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Astra
- 2 Air Servicing Unit and 526 SquadronMaintenance and base protection · active
- 22 SquadronHelicopter squadron (maritime and rescue) · active
- Atlas/Denel Oryx, Westland Super Lynx 300 (for the Navy)
- 35 SquadronMaritime patrol and transport squadron · active
- Douglas C-47TP Turbo Dakota
- 80 Air Navigation SchoolNavigator training school · active
- 110 and 505 SquadronsReserve and base protection · active
- 15 SquadronHelicopter squadron (search and rescue, utility) · active
- Leonardo A109 LUH, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, Atlas/Denel Oryx
- 105 and 508 SquadronsReserve and base protection · active
- 15 Squadron C FlightHelicopter flight (search and rescue) · active
- MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
- 108 SquadronReserve squadron · reserve
No unit matches that search.
South African Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
The South African Aviation Corps is formed (5 February per the unofficial SAAF history; Wikipedia gives 29 January) and flies in German South West Africa from 6 May.
1 February: official birth of the SAAF, the backdated start of Pierre van Ryneveld’s appointment as Director of Air Services. Britain’s Imperial Gift supplies 100 aircraft.
10–15 March: 1 Squadron flies against the Rand Revolt and loses two aircraft. May: two DH.9s bomb the Bondelswarts in South West Africa.
1 February: the title South African Air Force is first used officially.
1 August: Waterkloof Air Station opens.
June: Ju 86s of 12 Squadron bomb Moyale, the SAAF’s first raid of the Second World War.
August–September: Liberators of 31 and 34 Squadrons fly 181 supply sorties to the Warsaw Uprising.
Twenty SAAF aircrews join the Berlin Airlift, flying 1,240 missions.
19 November: 2 Squadron flies its first Korean War mission, from Pyongyang.
16 March: first SAAF Sabre mission in Korea. 27 July: the armistice.
4 May: Cassinga, the first action by SAAF jets since Korea.
6 November: Maj. Johan Rankin shoots down an Angolan MiG-21 in a Mirage F1; he downs a second on 5 October 1982.
August 1987–March 1988: the air war over Cuito Cuanavale; an F1CZ hit by a MiG-23 missile crash-lands at Rundu on 27 September 1987.
The SAAF becomes part of the new South African National Defence Force.
3 December: the arms deal is signed: Gripens, Hawks and A109s.
1 April: the Cheetah is retired; the first Gripen reaches Makhado.
4 November: Rooivalks of the UN Force Intervention Brigade attack M23 positions in the eastern DRC.
1 April: Lt Gen Carl Moatshe becomes Chief of the Air Force.
Every war the South African Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- German South West Africa campaign 1915 Reconnaissance for the Union forces
- First World War with the Royal Flying Corps 1916–1918 26 Squadron RFC, formed from South African pilots, flew reconnaissance in East Africa; others served in RFC units in Europe
- Rand Revolt 1922 Reconnaissance, bombing and strafing in support of the government against armed strikers
- Bondelswarts Rebellion 1922 Bombing, strafing, reconnaissance and supply for the mandate administration
- East African campaign 1940–1941 Bombing, fighter and army co-operation operations against Italian forces
South African Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the South African Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the South African Air Force
What is the South African Air Force called in Afrikaans?
When was the South African Air Force founded?
What aircraft does the South African Air Force fly in 2026?
How many Gripens does South Africa have working?
Who is the Chief of the South African Air Force?
Did the South African Air Force fight in the Korean War?
Did South African pilots shoot down MiGs over Angola?
Who won the air war at Cuito Cuanavale?
Why are so many South African Air Force aircraft grounded?
Where are the South African Air Force’s main bases?
Read the aircraft the South African Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Unofficial SAAF website (saairforce.co.za), home pagePrivately run by the journalist Dean Wingrin; not an official SAAF site. Used as a finding aid and for reproduced defenceWeb, SABC and IOL reports.
- saairforce.co.za: current aircraftCurrent types and operating squadrons: Gripen C/D (2 Sqn), Hawk Mk 120 (85 CFS, TFDC), PC-7 Mk II (CFS), C-130B/BZ (28 Sqn), C-47TP (35 Sqn), Caravan, PC-12, King Air (41 Sqn), C-212 (44 Sqn), VIP jets (21 Sqn), Rooivalk (16 Sqn), Oryx, A109, BK 117, Super Lynx 300, Seeker 400 (10 Sqn).
- saairforce.co.za: retired aircraftList of more than 200 retired types, from the Avro 504K, DH.9 and SE.5a of the Imperial Gift to the Mirage F1, Cheetah, Buccaneer and Canberra.
- saairforce.co.za: Gripen COrder of 9 two-seat and 19 single-seat aircraft revised in 2005 to 9 and 17 (26); first Gripen C flight 11 June 2009; first arrival 11 February 2010; 2 Squadron.
- saairforce.co.za: Hawk Mk 12024 ordered; SA001 built at Brough, the other 23 assembled by Denel; first two delivered 24 May 2006; 85 Combat Flying School at Makhado and the Test Flight and Development Centre.
- saairforce.co.za: RooivalkDevelopment from March 1984; in service from 1999; Block 1E to Mk 1 standard 2007–2011 with 130 modifications; fully operational 1 April 2011; 16 Squadron.
- saairforce.co.za: OryxPuma derivative with IAR airframes and Super Puma parts; 51 assembled by Denel; first flight September 1987; in service May 1989; 39 upgraded under Project Drummer II.
- saairforce.co.za: A109 LUH30 bought under Project Flange; in service from 2003 after a two-year slip; 15, 17 and 19 Squadrons and 87 Helicopter Flying School.
- saairforce.co.za: C-47TP Turbo DakotaTurboprop conversions of the early 1990s with PT6A engines; maritime patrol and transport versions with 35 Squadron at Ysterplaat; still listed as current.
- saairforce.co.za: Mirage F1AZ32 F1AZ, 1 Squadron; withdrawn in 1997.
- saairforce.co.za: Mirage F1CZ16 F1CZ received from 1975; 3 Squadron at Waterkloof; stored when the squadron disbanded in September 1992.
- saairforce.co.za: Cheetah CIn service from 1993; phased out on 1 April 2008 pending the Gripen.
- saairforce.co.za: Buccaneer S.Mk 50In service 1965–1991.
- saairforce.co.za: Impala Mk IISeven MB-326K kits in 1974, 15 more in 1975 and 78 built by Atlas; in service 1974–2005.
- saairforce.co.za: Mirage IIICZInterceptor in service 1963–1990.
- saairforce.co.za: history of the SAAF (Aviation Corps)Six officers qualified at Alexandersfontein in April 1914; South African Aviation Corps formed 5 February 1915, operations in German South West Africa from 6 May 1915; 26 Squadron RFC; Beauchamp-Proctor VC.
- saairforce.co.za: formation of the SAAFVan Ryneveld appointed Director of Air Services in June 1920, backdated to 1 February 1920, “acknowledged as marking the official birth of the SAAF”; Imperial Gift of 100 aircraft; Zwartkop acquired April 1921; title first used officially 1 February 1923.
- saairforce.co.za: between the warsRand Revolt 10–15 March 1922 (127 hours, two aircraft lost); Bondelswarts 1922; Rehoboth 1925; local Wapiti, Hartbees and Tutor production; Waterkloof opened 1 August 1938.
- saairforce.co.za: World War TwoStrength in September 1939; Madagascar; Sicily; 181 Warsaw supply sorties by 31 and 34 Squadrons; 44,417 personnel at the end of 1944; 33,347 aircrew trained by 1945.
- saairforce.co.za: the post-war yearsBerlin Airlift: 20 aircrews, 4,133 tons in 1,240 missions; grey-blue uniform July 1949; springbok roundel November 1950.
- saairforce.co.za: Korea2 Squadron sailed 25 September 1950; first mission 19 November 1950; 10,373 Mustang sorties, 74 of 95 lost; 2,032 Sabre sorties, 4 of 22 lost; 34 pilots killed, 8 prisoners.
- saairforce.co.za: the Border War26 August 1966 start; Savannah; Cassinga 4 May 1978; Rankin’s MiG-21 kills 6 November 1981 and 5 October 1982; Impalas destroyed six helicopters in September 1985; withdrawal 1988–1989.
- saairforce.co.za: current basesAir force bases and stations with their units.
- saairforce.co.za / defenceWeb: Moatshe is new SAAF Chief (27 March 2026)Lt Gen Carl Moatshe, Chief Director Force Preparation, takes over on 1 April 2026 from Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo, who retired on 31 March 2026; C-390 and Super Tucano under evaluation.
- saairforce.co.za / defenceWeb: How the SAAF’s new Chief plans to do more with less (15 May 2026)Dean Wingrin. About 9,000 air force members; Moatshe quotes on an “unfunded Defence Force” and on air and space power.
- saairforce.co.za: New SA Defence budget for 2026/27 released (25 February 2026)Dean Wingrin. Air Defence programme R7.570 billion (2026/27) against R7.248 billion; defence R57.606 billion, down 2.48 per cent nominal; 12,000-hour flying target, about half achieved.
- saairforce.co.za / IOL: No fuel, no flights, pilots sent home (22 May 2026)IOL report: claims that 80 per cent of the fleet is grounded and one Oryx is flying; 17 Squadron closed for a month for lack of diesel; Minister Angie Motshekga on helicopter serviceability.
- saairforce.co.za / SABC: Soldiers and pilots demonstrate expertise at AAD (20 September 2026)Africa Aerospace and Defence 2026 at AFB Waterkloof: Gripen, Hawk, Rooivalk, BK 117, A109 and C-130 displayed.
- defenceWeb: Setting the record straight on SAAF aircraft availability (27 March 2025)Ricardo Teixeira and Dean Wingrin. News24 claim of six working aircraft; DoD reply that the SAAF has 199 aircraft; per-fleet availability figures from a report cited by defenceWeb.
- defenceWeb: Most SAAF fixed wing maintenance contracts underfunded (14 November 2024)Armscor to the Portfolio Committee on Defence, 13 November 2024: Gripen airframe contract adequately funded to August 2025; Hawk contract expired 31 August 2024; C-130BZ, PC-7 Mk II and others underfunded.
- defenceWeb: All SAAF rotary wing maintenance contracts underfunded (18 November 2024)Guy Martin. Armscor figures: 11 Rooivalk, 24 A109 (two serviceable), 8 BK 117; every helicopter support contract underfunded.
- defenceWeb: SAAF urgently seeking spares for four types in its fleet (3 April 2025)Requests for information for C-212, Gripen, Oryx and C-130BZ spares; about 6,800 of 12,000 budgeted hours flown.
- defenceWeb: Gripen back in the air as Saab awarded maintenance contract (19 September 2022)Guy Martin. Gripens grounded from September 2021, flying again 5 September 2022; R532 million three-year contract; 13 aircraft to fly, 12 stored; one written off in a ground incident.
- defenceWeb: Gripen tag listingHeadlines and dates, including the Gripen engine support contract awarded on 18 October 2023.
- defenceWeb: SAAF’s C-130BZ Hercules 409 expected back in service mid-2026 (24 October 2025)Nine aircraft originally; six with airworthy potential; only 401 flying; 409 at Marshall in Cambridge since August 2023; R1 billion ring-fenced; peak of four airworthy expected by 2028/29–2029/30.
- defenceWeb: SAAF Rooivalks return from the DRC (2 December 2024)Guy Martin. Deployed October 2013 with the Force Intervention Brigade; first combat 4 November 2013 against M23; last flight August 2022; three airframes flown home 27 November–2 December 2024.
- defenceWeb: SAAF secures South Africa’s airspace for historic G20 summit (5 December 2025)Dean Wingrin. Four Gripens, five Hawks, three Rooivalks, two Oryx and two A109s for the summit of 22–23 November 2025.
- PMG: Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Armscor on Air Force and Navy maintenance and acquisition contracts (13 June 2025)Gripen recovery limited to 13 aircraft with an R173 million gap; new Hawk contract; two C-130s serviceable; Rooivalk needs over R2 billion, R469 million allocated; R7.7 billion maintenance shortfall over three years.
- PMG: Question NW3973 to the Minister of Defence (11 December 2023)Question by Mosiuoa Lekota (COPE) premised on only two of 26 Gripens and three of 24 Hawks being available; the minister’s reply was not on the page.
- PMG search results: Gripen serviceabilityFinding aid for Hansard references, including an MP’s statement of 15 May 2025 that no Gripen was serviceable in 2022.
- Maroela Media: search results for “Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag”Afrikaans-language usage of the name in 2026 news reports.
- Maroela Media: Weermag stuur span om vloedgeteisterde Mosambiek te help (19 January 2026)Operation Chariot: an Oryx deployed to flooded Mozambique on 18 January 2026; SANDF spokesperson Brig Gen Selinah Rawlins.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Disbanded basesLists AFB Pietersburg and the Ysterplaat detachment at Cape Town International as disbanded.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base WaterkloofOpening 1 August 1938, grass field, 1951–1956 runway works (434,000 pounds), units, types, motto, coordinates.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base MakhadoOpened 14 October 1987 as AFB Louis Trichardt, renamed 7 November 2003; units, Gripen and Hawk, motto, coordinates.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): AFB Swartkop (now AF MDW)April 1921, 1949 spelling change, AFB 1 February 1968, 1999 downgrade, units, museum types, motto, coordinates.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base HoedspruitOpened 1 July 1978, “Fighter Town, RSA”, Eastgate Airport, units, coordinates.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base BloemspruitShares the runways of Bloemfontein airport; units, types, Vastrap range.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base OverbergTFDC Bredasdorp operational 1987, AFB from 2004; units, types, coordinates.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base LangebaanwegPlanning 1942, first aircraft February 1946, CFS from Dunnottar December 1992, renamed 2001, Somersveld.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base YsterplaatHistory from 1915 to the Freedom of Cape Town in 2009; units and types.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base DurbanShares the runways of the Durban airport since September 1956; units and types.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Station Port ElizabethDowngraded to a station in the early 1990s; 15 Squadron C Flight.
- SA Air Force (unofficial website): Air Force Base PietersburgDisbanded; no description; satellite-link coordinates.
- South African Civil Aviation Authority: AIP Aerodromes (effective 15 July 2026)Index lists FAWK, FASK, FALM, FAHS, FALW, FAOB and FAYP as military, unlicensed aerodromes (their AD 2 pages could not be retrieved); FABL reference point, elevation and runways; Defence Act rule on civil landings.
- South African Civil Aviation Authority: Aeronautical Information PublicationDownload page for the AIP volumes.
- defenceWeb: Motshekga names AAD 2028 dates and lead partner (21 September 2026)AAD origins in the 1975 Waterkloof open day; AAD 2026 ended 20 September; AAD 2028 dates.
- defenceWeb: CAF tells Zondo Gupta landing at AFB Waterkloof “hurt” (5 July 2019)Testimony of Lt Gen Zakes Msimang and Lt Gen (ret) Derrick Mgwebi.
- defenceWeb: Russian Tu-160 bombers arrive in South Africa (24 October 2019)Arrival 23 October 2019, registrations, support aircraft, SAAF escort.
- defenceWeb: DA goes PAIA route for answers on Russian ship and aircraft in SA (10 May 2023)Il-76 RA76502 of Aviacon Zitotrans; SANDF and DA statements.
- defenceWeb: New boss for Flying Cheetahs at AFB Makhado (23 July 2025)2 Squadron change of command; base OC; Ndzuta’s training path.
- defenceWeb: Hawk fleet grounded after accident (1 April 2014)85 CFS Hawk nose-wheel accident at Makhado; fleet of 23 grounded.
- defenceWeb: Cheetahs attack SA Air Force member at AFB Makhado (11 December 2015)Wim and Tobie, released November 2015; attack on 8 December 2015.
- defenceWeb: Gripen in ground run incident at AFB Makhado (11 June 2021)8 April 2021 anchor-cable failure; board of inquiry.
- defenceWeb: SAAF explains disappearance of AFB Swartkop name (29 May 2023)Brig Gen Jacobus Crous on the Mobile Deployment Wing; closure and reopening history.
- defenceWeb: Vandalism and theft leave historic SAAF base dependent on generator power (17 April 2026)MDW Central, East and West; 11 generators; diesel use and cost.
- defenceWeb: SAAF gears up for annual Museum Air Show (4 June 2026)6 June 2026 programme, venue and prices.
- defenceWeb: Flood damage fixed at AFB Durban, move on hold (17 August 2022)April 2022 flood repairs; planned move to King Shaka on hold; Mbambo quote.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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