List of aircraft of the South African Air Force explained

The following is a list of current and historic aircraft of the South African Air Force.

Current aircraft

These aircraft are in service as of 2024[1]

AircraftImageOriginTypeVariantIntroductionIn serviceNotes
Combat aircraft
JAS 39 GripenSwedenMultirole fighterC/D201026[2] JAS 39C: 17JAS 39D: 9
BAE HawkUnited Kingdom / South AfricaFighter trainerMk. 120200624[3]
Tanker
KC-390 MillenniumBrazil / South AfricaAerial refuelingPlannedSAAF has expressed interest in this aircraft[4]
Transport
C-130 HerculesUnited StatesTactical airlifterBZ19639[5] 9 aircraft in inventory of which six are operational and 3 others used for spare parts, the six operational aircraft are undergoing major upgrades as of 2023
C-47 Turbo DakotaUnited StatesTransport / electronic warfareBlock II19436Modernised in the 1990s
CASA C-212 AviocarSpainTransport200/30019942
Cessna 208 CaravanUnited StatesUtility / observation208B19887[6]
Super King AirUnited StatesTransport19944
Pilatus PC-12United StatesTransport19971
Boeing 737United StatesPresidential transportBBJ20011
Citation IISpainVIP transport19832
Falcon 900FranceVIP transport19921
Falcon 50FranceVIP transport19822
Helicopters
Atlas OryxSouth AfricaTransportMk. II199039[7]
AH-2 RooivalkSouth AfricaAttackMk. I199911[8]
MBB/Kawasaki BK 117JapanGermanyUtility19946
Westland AW109ItalyUtility200330[9]
Westland Super LynxUnited KingdomASWMk. 30020074
Trainer aircraft
Pilatus PC-7SwitzerlandBasic trainerMk. II1994 56
UAV
Milkor 380South AfricaMALE UCAV20245[10] The largest UAV to be manufactured in South Africa and in Africa, it has an endurance of up to 35 hours of flight time and a payload capacity of 210 kg

Historic aircraft Aircraft types no longer in service.

width=27%Aircraftwidth=12%OriginRolewidth=12%Service periodNo. operatedNotes
Aermacchi AM.3C BosbokItaly/S. AfricaUtility1973–199240[11]
Aeronca KCAUSLiaison??
Aeronca 50C ChiefUSLiaison1940-?1
Aeronca 65C Super ChiefUSLiaison??
Aérospatiale SA365N DauphinFranceHelicopter1994–19981
Aermacchi/Atlas MB.326 ImpalaItaly/S. AfricaTrainer1966–2005251
Aermacchi/Atlas C.4M KuduItaly/S. AfricaUtility1976–199140
Airco DH.4UKBomber1919–192710
de Havilland DH.9UKBomber1919–194211Airco DH.9 until 1920. Some had Bristol Jupiter engines as DH M′pala
Airspeed AS-6J EnvoyUKTransport1936–19407
Airspeed AS-10 Oxford Mk.I & IIUKTrainer1940-1950700
Atlas Cheetah C, D, ESouth AfricaFighter1986–200868
Auster AOP-3, 5, 6 & 9UKLiaison1945-1967
Avro 504K & NUKTrainer1919–?31+
Avro AvianUKTrainer?-193621+
Avro TutorUKTrainer1930–193859
Avro AnsonUKTrainer1940–1947750+
Avro York C.1UKTransport1944–19521
Avro Shackleton MR.3UKMaritime Patrol1957–19848
Beechcraft C-45 ExpeditorUSTransport19452
Beechcraft B-80 Queen AirUSTransport1975–19922
Boeing 707USTransport1986–20075
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I, IV & VUKBomber1939–194310+
Bristol Beaufort I, IA, II, IIAUKBomber1941–194458
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.II, VI, XUKAttack1943–19447+
British Aircraft Double EagleUKLiaison1939–19401
Britten-Norman IslanderUKTransport1994-?2
Bücker Bü 131A/B/D JungmannGermanyTrainer1936–1939?
Bücker Bü 133 JungmeisterGermanyTrainer1939-??
Canadair Sabre Mk.6CanadaFighter1956–198034
CASA CN-235SpainTransport1994-20121
Cessna C-34 AirmasterUSLiaison?1
Cessna 185A, D & E SkywagonUSLiaison?45
Cessna 320USTransport1965–19671
Cessna SkymasterUSTransport??
Cessna 411USTransport??
Consolidated Catalina Mk.IB/IIIUSMaritime Patrol1943–194618
Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VIUSMaritime Patrol1944–194516
Curtiss MohawkUSFighter1941–1942159
Curtiss Tomahawk, Kittyhawk & WarhawkUSFighter1940–1948210+
Dassault Falcon 20FranceTransport19661
Dassault Mirage IIIFranceFighter1963–199057
Dassault Mirage F1AZ & CZFranceFighter1975–199751
de Havilland DH.60 Moth/Gypsy Moth/Moth MajorUKTrainer1939-?28
de Havilland DH.66 HerculesUKTransport1934–19433
de Havilland DH.80A Puss MothUKLiaison1939-?1
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger MothUKTrainer1939–1958675
de Havilland DH.83 Fox MothUKTransport1939-??
de Havilland DH.84 DragonUKTransport1939-?1
de Havilland DH.85 Leopard MothUKLiaison1939–19437
de Havilland DH.87B Hornet MothUKLiaison1939–194019
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide/DominieUKTransport1939-?21
de Havilland DH.90 DragonflyUKTransport1939-?3
de Havilland DH-94 Moth MinorUKTrainer1939-??
de Havilland DH-98 MosquitoUKBomber1943–194522+
de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.5, FB.6UKFighter1950–197856
de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11, T.55UKTrainer1953–197827
de Havilland DH.104 Dove 5UKTransport1949–19659
de Havilland DH.114 Heron 2UKTransport1955–19622
Desoutter Mk.IIUKLiaison?1
Dornier Do 27BGermanyLiaison1958–19752
Douglas Boston Mk.IIIUSBomber1941–194318
Douglas DakotaUSTransport1943–?149
Douglas DC-4-1009, C-54 SkymasterUSTransport1966–19948
English Electric Canberra B(1)12UKBomber1963–19916
English Electric Canberra T.4UKTrainer1964–19913
Fairey Battle B, T, TTUKTrainer1939–1942340
Fairchild F-24G, R Argus IIIUSLiaison1939-?1
Fieseler Fi 156C-7 StorchGermanyLiaison1946-?1
General Aircraft ST-4 II MonosparUKTransport?1
General Aircraft ST-25 UniversalUKTransport?1
Gloster GauntletUKFighter1939–19436
Gloster Gladiator Mk I & IIUKFighter1939–194131
Gloster SurveyUKTransport1933–19421
Gloster Meteor F.3UKFighter1946–19491
Hawker Hartbeest Mk.IUKBomber1935–194069
Hawker HartUKBomber1936–1944320
Hawker AudaxUKFighter1937–194480
Hawker Fury Mk.I & Mk.IIUKFighter1936–194253
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I & IIUKFighter1939–1945193
Hawker-Siddeley HS-125UKTransport1970–19998
Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk.50UKBomber1965–199116
Farman HF.27FranceTrainer1915-?
Junkers A-50 JuniorGermanyTrainer??
Junkers F.13GermanyTransport?-19441
Junkers Ju 52-3mGermanyTransport1939–195323
Junkers Ju 86GermanyTransport1939–194518
Klemm Kl 25GermanyTrainer??
Koolhoven F.K.46NetherlandsTrainer??
Lockheed Super ElectraUSTransport?3
Lockheed LodestarUSTransport1940–194431
Lockheed HudsonUSBomber1940-?1
Lockheed Ventura GR.VUSMaritime Patrol1942–1960395
Lockheed C-130F HerculesUSTransport1997–19987
Martin Maryland Mk.I & IIUSBomber1940-1942148+
Martin BaltimoreUSBomber1941-194526+
Martin Marauder I, II & IIIUSBomber1942-194556+
Miles M.2H HawkUKTrainer1943-?2
Miles SparrowhawkUKTrainer1939–19411
Miles MagisterUKTrainer1940-?7
Miles Master T.IIUKTrainer1941–1945426
Miles FalconUKTrainer?1
Nord C160Z TransallFranceTransport1969–19939
North American Harvard/TexanUSTrainer1942–1995744
North American Mustang IIIB, IV, IVAUSFighter1945, 1951-195295+
Northrop Nomad Mk.IUSTrainer1941–194457
Percival Gull VIUKTrainer1940-?1
Piaggio P166 AlbatrossItalyTransport1969–199327
Pilatus PC-6 PorterSwitzerlandTransport1994–19981from Bophuthatswana Air Force
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerSwitzerlandTrainer1994–19963from Bophuthatswana Air Force, returned to Pilatus
Piper J-3USTrainer??
Piper J-4 Cub CoupeUSTrainer?1
Piper PA-23 Aztec 250USLiaison1981–19922
Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140USLiaison1981–19921
Rearwin SpeedsterUSLiaison1939-??
Rearwin SportsterUSLiaison1939-?12+
Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c & eUKReconnaissance1915–1921
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5AUKFighter1919–193124
Ryan ST-AUSTrainer1939-?3
Short Sunderland GR.VUKMaritime Patrol1945–195716
Sikorsky S-51USHelicopter1948–19683
Sikorsky WhirlwindUSHelicopter1956–1968
Simmonds SpartanUKTrainer19251
Stinson HW-75USLiaison??
Stinson SR-5A & 10C ReliantUSLiaison?2
Sud Aviation Alouette II & IIIFranceHelicopter1960–2006126
Sud Aviation SA-321L Super FrelonFranceTransport Helicopter1967–199017
Sud Aviation Puma SA330C, H, J, LFranceTransport Helicopter1969–1997109
Supermarine Spitfire V, VIII, IXUKFighter1942–1954205
Supermarine Spitfire PR IXeUKReconnaissance1947–1954?
Swearingen Merlin IVAUSTransport1975–19857
Taylorcraft BC/BL/BL-65USLiaison1939-??
Tipsy S.2 TrainerBelgiumTrainer1939-?1
Vickers Type 264 ValentiaUKTransport1940–194311
Vickers WellesleyUKBomber1940–1941?
Vickers WellingtonUKBomber?-?24
Vickers Warwick Mk.VUKBomber1945–194632
Vickers 781D ViscountUKTransport1958–19911
WACO biplanesUSLiaison??
Westland WapitiUKBomber1931–194331
Westland Wasp HAS 1UKHelicopter1963–1990

See also *[[Denel Dynamics Seeker]]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Embraer . In association with . 2023 World Air Forces directory . 2023-12-12 . Flight Global . en.
  2. Web site: The South African Air Force . 2023-12-12 . www.saairforce.co.za.
  3. Web site: The South African Air Force . 2023-12-12 . www.saairforce.co.za.
  4. Web site: Martin . Guy . 2023-11-24 . KC-390 at Waterkloof for SAAF demonstration . 2023-12-12 . defenceWeb . en-ZA.
  5. Web site: 2023-10-26 . Armscor details SAAF C-130BZ Hercules upgrade progress defenceWeb . 2024-02-29 . en-ZA.
  6. Web site: Engelbrecht . Leon . 2010-02-01 . Fact file: Cessna C208 Caravan . 2023-12-12 . defenceWeb . en-ZA.
  7. Web site: 2024-02-20 . South African troops in the DRC, Mozambique at risk without helicopter maintenance contract defenceWeb . 2024-02-29 . en-ZA.
  8. Web site: 2024-02-20 . South African troops in the DRC, Mozambique at risk without helicopter maintenance contract defenceWeb . 2024-02-29 . en-ZA.
  9. Web site: SAAF .
  10. Web site: Martin . Guy . 2022-11-25 . First Milkor UAVs destined for South African use . 2023-12-12 . defenceWeb . en-ZA.
  11. Web site: South African Air Force. 9 April 2016. Aeroflight.

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