South African Air Force

From Roach Busters

Revision as of 09:51, 26 July 2008

South African Air Force
Active	1912 -
Country	South Africa
Branch	Air Force
Motto	Per Aspera Ad Astra
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	State President Festus Mogae
Commander	Lieutenant General Abel Mawere

The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air force of the Republic of South Africa. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra (Through adversity to the stars).

The SAAF is tasked with providing close air support, aerial reconnaissance, and transport support for the other services of the armed forces. Commanding the air force is Lieutenant General Abel Mawere. Each province holds at least one major SAAF base, and the SAAF's aircraft inventory is divided fairly evenly among the provinces.

Currently, the SAAF employs over 35,000 regular uniformed personnel, augmented by about 5,000 civilians and 4,500 reserve personnel, and operates over 600 aircraft.

Units

Squadrons

• 1 Squadron (JAS 39 Gripen C)
• 2 Squadron (JAS 39 Gripen D)
• 3 Squadron (JAS 39 Gripen C)
• 4 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 5 Squadron (CASA C-212 Aviocar, CASA CN-235)
• 6 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 7 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk)
• 8 Squadron (JAS 39 Gripen C)
• 11 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 12 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk)
• 15 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 16 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk)
• 17 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 19 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, Agusta A109 LUH)
• 21 Squadron (Boeing 737-7ED BBJ, Cessna 550/551 Citation II, Dassault Falcon 50, Dassault Falcon 900B)
• 22 Squadron (Atlas Oryx, Westland Super Lynx 300)
• 24 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk)
• 25 Squadron (CASA C-212 Aviocar, CASA CN-235, Cessna 185)
• 27 Squadron (Lockheed C-130BZ/F Hercules)
• 28 Squadron (Lockheed C-130BZ/F Hercules)
• 35 Squadron (Douglas C-47TP Turbo Dakota)
• 40 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk)
• 41 Squadron (Cessna 208 Caravan, Pilatus PC-12, Beechcraft 200C Super King Air)
• 42 Squadron (Denel AH-2A Rooivalk, Westland Super Lynx 300)
• 44 Squadron (CASA C-212 Aviocar, CASA CN-235, Cessna 185)
• 60 Squadron (Airbus A400M)
• 80 Air Navigation School (Douglas C-47TP Turbo Dakota, Cessna 208 Caravan, Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Astra)
• 85 Combat Flying School (BAE Hawk Mk.120 LIFT)
• 87 Helicopter Flying School (Atlas Oryx, Agusta A109 LUH, MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A)
• Central Flying School (Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Astra)
• Test Flight and Development Centre (various aircraft on test)
• SAAF Flight Museum (various historical aircraft including Douglas C-47 Dakota, North American Mustang, North American Harvard, Avro Shackleton, Canadair Sabre, de Havilland Vampire, Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mirage F1 and Aérospatiale Alouette II)

Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing

• 18 Deployment Support Unit - provides logistic support to units on deployment (at temporary air bases, etc.)
• Mobile Communications Unit - provides mobile communications to deployed units
• 140 Squadron - provides deployable 3D long range radar services to SAAF units
• 142 Squadron - provides deployable tactical mobile radar services to SAAF units
• 500 Security Squadron - (SAAF Task Force) Mobile security services to deployed forces, etc.

Reserves

Air Force Conventional Reserves

A pool of reserve posts were created to serve the SAAF and augment regular units as and when needed. All trades in the SAAF are represented in the reserves, e.g. pilots, security squadron personnel, etc.

Air Force Territorial Reserve

Currently consists of eighteen squadrons of privately owned aircraft operated by reserve pilots on behalf of the SAAF.

• 101 Squadron
• 102 Squadron
• 103 Squadron
• 104 Squadron
• 105 Squadron
• 106 Squadron
• 107 Squadron
• 108 Squadron
• 109 Squadron
• 110 Squadron
• 111 Squadron
• 112 Squadron
• 113 Squadron
• 114 Squadron
• 115 Squadron
• 116 Squadron
• 117 Squadron
• 118 Squadron

These squadrons fulfill a very valuable role in light transport and observation, especially due to low direct operating costs.

Equipment

Aircraft

• Agusta A109LUH utility helicopter
• Airbus A400M transport aircraft
• Atlas Oryx utility helicopter
• BAE Hawk Mk.120 LIFT trainer
• Beechcraft Super King Air 200 utility aircraft
• Boeing 737-7ED BBJ VIP transport
• CASA C-212 Aviocar transport aircraft
• CASA CN-235 transport aircraft
• Cessna 185A/D/E light utility aircraft
• Cessna 208 Caravan utility aircraft
• Cessna 550/551 Citation II utility aircraft
• Dassault Falcon 50 transport
• Dassault Falcon 900B transport
• Denel AH-2A Rooivalk attack helicopter
• Douglas DC-3/C-47 Skytrain III & IV transport
• Douglas C-47TP Turbo Dakota transport
• Lockheed C-130BZ Hercules transport
• Lockheed C-130F tanker transport
• MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A utility/transport helicopter
• Pilatus PC-7 Mk2 Astra trainer
• Pilatus PC-12 utility aircraft
• Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen multirole fighter
• Westland Super Lynx 300 maritime attack helicopter

Missiles

Surface-to-surface

• BGM-71 TOW
• RBS-15

Surface-to-air

• Crotale
• Mistral
• SA-8 Gecko (9K33 Osa)
• SA-9 Gaskin (9K31 Strela-1)
• SA-13 Gopher (9K35 Strela-10)

Air-to-surface

• AGM-65 Maverick
• Ingwe
• Mokopa
• Sea Skua
• TAURUS KEPD 350

Air-to-air

• A-Darter
• AIM-9 Sidewinder
• AIM-120 AMRAAM
• IRIS-T
• Python-3
• R-Darter

Bombs

• GBU-12 Paveway II
• Mark 82