Page 23 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition
P. 23

FEATURE



 for liaison tasks, one being shot down by own forces in error, and   When the war wound down after 1988, the SAAF was just bringing

 there was one unsuccessful strike by Canberras.   into service the Cheetah E strike fighter and Cheetah D two-seater


 In 1978, however, the Defence Force went over to pre-emptive   (upgraded Mirage IIIEZs and DZs), Boeing 707 tanker/EW aircraft and

 operations, striking several Swapo bases in Angola in May, including   the Oryx helicopter. In development were the Cheetah C multi-role



 at Cassinga 250 km inside the country. Buccaneers and Canberras   fighter, the Rooivalk attack helicopter and a number of guided weap-


 hit the base before C-130s and C-160s deployed paratroops, with   ons. There was also a project to fit a modified MiG29 engine into

 Mirages on station as protection.   the Mirage F1 and the Cheetah, and one to develop a local fighter,


 project Carver. Most projects were stopped for lack of funding, and

 A ‘helicopter administrative area’ was established to the south,   the SAAF once again scaled down, phasing out most types.
 from where Pumas and Super Frelons launched to lift out the   The Strategic Defence Packages of 1999 then brought good news

 paratroops, refuel and fly back to Namibia. The bases closer to the


 border were also bombed before ground forces attacked them.  with the acquisition of Gripen Cs and Ds to replace the Cheetah,

 Hawk Mk 120s to replace the Impalas, A-109s to replace the Alou-


 A series of pre-emptive operations followed from 1981 onwards,   ette III and four Super Lynx to operate from the Navy’s frigates.

 the SAAF flying reconnaissance and strike missions with Mirages,   Meanwhile the Oryx was brought into service and finally also the



 Buccaneers, Canberras and Impalas, with Alouette III gunships   Rooivalk, albeit without its Mokopa missile.
 providing close support and Pumas carrying troops for air assaults

 and to deploy stopper groups. Improving enemy air defences led   After a few quiet years, the SAAF’s C-130s became busier from


 the SAAF to develop new techniques and weapons.   2001, deploying and supporting SANDF contingents in Burundi,
 Central African Republic, Comoros, Darfur and DRC. Oryx were
 One technique was to fly very low to remain below radar cover-

 age; another was ‘long toss’ bombing, later using boosted bombs   deployed in Lesotho, Burundi and Comoros and more recently in
 the DRC together with the Rooivalk. The SAAF also played a key

 for greater stand-off. Among the weapons were SS-30 missiles   role in supporting elections in the DRC in 2011, deploying C-130s,



 adapted for use as anti-radar weapons, first used in 1981, and   C-47TPs and Oryx and organising chartered aircraft for delivery


 the H2 guided glide bomb, was used against the Cuito Cuanavale   and collection of ballot papers and boxes.

 bridge in 1988.   The SAAF has also participated in several SADC exercises and in


 The SAAF Air Defence Artillery Group (ADAG) also saw em-  exercises with the German Navy and Air Force, the French Navy
 ployment, deploying with Special Forces to conduct successful   and the Brazilian, Uruguayan and Indian navies. There have also
 anti-aircraft ambushes deep inside Angola, using captured SAM-7s   been visits by fighters of the Belgian, Indian, Russian and US Air



 and SAM-9/13s.  Forces, during which the SAAF acquitted itself very well, as it did

 During the last campaign in southern Angola the SAAF faced a   with Gripens during Exercise Lion Effort in Sweden in 2012.


 mix of air defence systems almost identical in its make up to those   After the fighting in Bangui in March 2013, the SAAF quickly



 encountered by allied forces in Iraq in 1991. Those systems however   deployed Rooivalk and Oryx helicopters to Gemena in the DRC,
 were only able to account for one Bosbok, one Mirage F1AZ and   Gripens to Kinshasa and C-130s with a parachute combat team to
 some UAVs.   Entebbe, to be on standby should the fighting continue.





 The greater problem was that the battlefield was so far north of   A good, even outstanding, track record over a century under

 the border that the SAAF Mirage F1s had very little time on station   often difficult circumstances. But today the SAAF is again throttled






 and no effective radar cover.   by the tight fist of the Treasury, with too little money to fly enough






 The opposing MiG-21s and 23s had ample fuel and radar cover,   to keep pilots in top form or to maintain all of its aircraft, let alone

 and the MiG-23s also had the advantage of having a head-on missile   fill gaps such as maritime patrol or to replace obsolete types. That


 capability, which led to one F1CZ being damaged. The ADAG de-  said, the SAAF continues to do the job every time it is called upon


 ployed with Cactus SAMs, SAM-9/13s and 23 mm cannon and seems   and does it well; and it has survived financial strangulation three



 to have damaged at least one aircraft.  times in the past. Q

 Piaggio P166 Albatross  Mirage 111CZ
 SAAF RESCUE OPERATIONS   Channel by C-160s to rescue the crew of a ship aground on the
 SAAF helicopter crews have conducted impressive and danger-  Bassas da India reef; the 1982 rescue of a seaman from the

 ous rescue missions over the years. Best known are the rescue of   Sedco 702 rig off the Cunene mouth, a Super Frelon deploying
 14 700 people during the heavy floods in Mozambique in 2000   2 300 km from Cape Town via Alexander Bay, Walvis Bay and

 and the rescue of passengers and crew of the liner Oceanos   Terrace Bay; and the 1991 2 129 km round trip by two Pumas,
 in 1991. A few others that stand out are the 1966 delivery of   refuelling at Beira, to rescue an injured seaman from a ship in

 emergency supplies to Marion Island by a Shackleton; the 1980   the Mozambique Channel.  They have also flown some very


 deployment of Pumas to Europa Island in the Mozambique   ‘interesting’ missions in Antarctica.
 World Airnews | September  2020                  World Airnews | September 2020
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