Page 275 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

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tHe soutH afriCan air forCe: HistoriCal notes and involvement in tHe korean war

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in a compulsory UN Security Council arms embargo in November 1977. South
Africa, now embroiled in the conflict in northern Southwest Africa and southern
Angolan was forced to become more self-sufficient and adept high technology to
local operational requirements. The local defence industry blossomed as they had
to keep the defence force operational and vast amounts of public money were in-
jected into it. Weapons, ammunition, logistics and military equipment production
increased. The first prototype of a locally manufactured attack helicopter, the Alpha
XH1, flew in February 1986, with the XPT-1 Experimental Test Platform being un-
veiled in April 1987. This led to the development of the Rooivalk attack helicopter.
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From April 1987 onwards SAAF also took delivery of its new fighter aircraft, the
Cheetah (an improved and rebuilt Mirage III).
During the 1970s and 1980s the SAAF played an important role in the drawn
out low-intensity conflict on the border of the then Southwest Africa (Namibia) and
Angola. South African pilots displayed their characteristic “can do” mentality and
were at times heavily engaged in supporting South African ground operations into
Angola. After a lengthy process of negotiations and an UN-mediated settlement,
South Africa and Cuba withdrew militarily from Namibia and Angola in 1989, bring-
ing about the independence of Namibia and vast political changes for South Africa.
The changing regional and domestic environment meant that the SAAF went through
a process of rationalisation and scaling down after 1990. Various aircraft types were
withdrawn from service and several squadrons were disbanded.

SAAF: National Air Force Of A New Democratic South Africa

The 1990s spelled change not only for South Africa, but also globally. The Cold
War was no more and the domestic situation in South Africa also changed as the
country’s political leaders embarked on a negotiation process that would lead to the
creation of the “new” democratic South Africa in 1994. The SAAF rendered crucial
support to the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) in 1994 and in Operation
Jambu (its biggest peacetime operation ever) it flew 820 hours in support of the
electoral process. During the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela, 74 aircraft
participated in the flypast.
The creation of the “rainbow nation” meant that a new South African National
Defence Force (SANDF) had to be created and the SAAF had to reflect South African
society. The air wings of the former tribal homelands (so-called TBVC states) as
well as the non-statutory forces (MK and Apla the armed wings of the ANC and the
PAC respectively) as well as the aircraft and helicopters of the TBVC states were
integrated into the new SAAF. As part of the integration process pilots from the

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T.D. Potgieter, The Secret South African Project Team: Building Strike Craft in Israel, 1975-1977,
in Scientia Militaria, Vol. 32, Nr. 2, 2004, p. 133.
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H. Heitman, South African Arms and Armour, Struik, Cape Town, 1988, pp. 156-158.