Air Force Base Makhado Explained

AFB Makhado
Icao:FALM
Type:Military
Operator:South African Air Force
Location:Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, South Africa
Elevation-F:3,069
Elevation-M:935
Coordinates:-23.16°N 29.6967°W
Pushpin Map:South Africa Limpopo
Pushpin Label:FALM
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Limpopo
Website:www.af.mil.za
Metric-Rwy:Yes
R1-Number:10/28
R1-Length-F:13,189
R1-Length-M:4,020
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:10L/28R
R2-Length-F:1,640
R2-Length-M:500
R2-Surface:Asphalt

Air Force Base Makhado, formerly Air Force Base Louis Trichardt, is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is the SAAF's northernmost base, situated at Louis Trichardt near the border with Zimbabwe, as well as being its most modern, and is known unofficially as Fighter Town, RSA.

The base motto is Castrum Borealis (Fortress of the North).

Units hosted

History

The base was officially opened on 14 October 1987 as AFB Louis Trichardt, but changed its name to match that of the nearby town on 7 November 2003. The town has since reverted to its old name, but the base name remains unchanged. The base uses cheetahs to control wildlife.[1]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Koren . Marina . Why South Africa's Air Force Lets Cheetahs Roam Its Bases . The Atlantic . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108105406/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/south-africa-air-force-cheetahs/420045/ . 8 November 2020 . 11 December 2015 . live.