List of aircraft of the South African Air Force

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

Current aircraft

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Perspective

These aircraft are in service as of 2025

More information Aircraft, Image ...
Aircraft Image Origin Type Variant Introduction In service Notes
Combat aircraft
JAS 39 Gripen Sweden Multirole fighter C/D 2010 26[1] JAS 39C: 17

JAS 39D: 9

BAE Hawk United Kingdom Fighter trainer Mk. 120 2006 24[2]
Tanker
KC-390 Millennium Brazil Aerial refueling Planned SAAF has expressed interest in this aircraft[3]
Transport
C-130 Hercules United States Tactical airlifter BZ 1963 9[4] 9 aircraft in total inventory, only 6 aircraft are operational the other 3 are used for spare parts
C-47 Turbo Dakota United States Transport / electronic warfare Block II 1943 16[5] Modernised in the 1990s, more than half the fleet is in long term storage or used for spares
CASA C-212 Aviocar Spain Transport 200/300 1994 3[6]
Cessna 208 Caravan United States Utility / observation 208B 1988 7[7]
Super King Air United States Transport 1994 4[8]
Pilatus PC-12 United States Transport 1997 1
Boeing 737 United States Presidential transport BBJ 2001 1[9]
Citation II United States VIP transport 1983 2
Falcon 900 France VIP transport 1992 1[10]
Falcon 50 France VIP transport 1982 2[11]
Helicopters
Atlas Oryx South Africa Transport Mk. II 1990 39[12]
AH-2 Rooivalk South Africa Attack Mk. I 1999 11[13] 11 helicopters are currently in service, they have been grounded since August 2022 due to budget cuts.
MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 Japan

Germany

Utility 1994 6[14]
Westland AW109 Italy Utility / SAR 2003 30[15]
Westland Super Lynx United Kingdom ASW Mk. 300 2007 4[16]
Trainer aircraft
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland Basic trainer Mk. I

Mk. II

1994 56[17] 21 Mk. I variants and 35 Mk. II variants, due to limited pilot training the Mk. I has been placed in reserve
UAV
Milkor 380 South Africa MALE UCAV 2024 5+[18] Production currently set at 8 units per year with plans to increase it by up to 16 units per year by 2026. it has an endurance of up to 35 hours of flight time and a payload capacity of 210 kg[19]
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Historic aircraft Aircraft types no longer in service.

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More information Aircraft, Origin ...
Aircraft Origin Role Service period No. operated Notes
Aermacchi AM.3C BosbokItaly/S. AfricaUtility1973–199240[20]
Aeronca KCAUSLiaison??
Aeronca 50C ChiefUSLiaison1940-?1[20]
Aeronca 65C Super ChiefUSLiaison??
Aérospatiale SA365N DauphinFranceHelicopter1994–19981[20]
Aermacchi/Atlas MB.326 ImpalaItaly/S. AfricaTrainer1966–2005251[20]
Aermacchi/Atlas C.4M KuduItaly/S. AfricaUtility1976–199140[20]
Airco DH.4UKBomber1919–192710[20]
de Havilland DH.9UKBomber1919–194211[20]Airco DH.9 until 1920. Some had Bristol Jupiter engines as DH M′pala
Airspeed AS-6J EnvoyUKTransport1936–19407[20]
Airspeed AS-10 Oxford Mk.I & IIUKTrainer1940-1950700[20]
Atlas Cheetah C, D, ESouth AfricaFighter1986–200868[20]
Auster AOP-3, 5, 6 & 9UKLiaison1945-1967
Avro 504K & NUKTrainer1919–?31+[20]
Avro AvianUKTrainer?-193621+[20]
Avro TutorUKTrainer1930–193859[20]
Avro AnsonUKTrainer1940–1947750+[20]
Avro York C.1UKTransport1944–19521[20]
Avro Shackleton MR.3UKMaritime Patrol1957–19848[20]
Beechcraft C-45 ExpeditorUSTransport19452[20]
Beechcraft B-80 Queen AirUSTransport1975–19922[20]
Boeing 707USTransport1986–20075[20]
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I, IV & VUKBomber1939–194310+[20]
Bristol Beaufort I, IA, II, IIAUKBomber1941–194458[20]
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.II, VI, XUKAttack1943–19447+[20]
British Aircraft Double EagleUKLiaison1939–19401[20]
Britten-Norman IslanderUKTransport1994-?2[20]
Bücker Bü 131A/B/D JungmannGermanyTrainer1936–1939?
Bücker Bü 133 JungmeisterGermanyTrainer1939-??
Canadair Sabre Mk.6CanadaFighter1956–198034[20]
CASA CN-235SpainTransport1994-20121[20]
Cessna C-34 AirmasterUSLiaison?1[20]
Cessna 185A, D & E SkywagonUSLiaison?45[20]
Cessna 320USTransport1965–19671[20]
Cessna SkymasterUSTransport??
Cessna 411USTransport??
Consolidated Catalina Mk.IB/IIIUSMaritime Patrol1943–194618[20]
Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VIUSMaritime Patrol1944–194516[20]
Curtiss MohawkUSFighter1941–1942159[20]
Curtiss Tomahawk, Kittyhawk & WarhawkUSFighter1940–1948210+[20]
Dassault Falcon 20FranceTransport19661[20]
Dassault Mirage IIIFranceFighter1963–199057[20]
Dassault Mirage F1AZ & CZFranceFighter1975–199751[20]
de Havilland DH.60 Moth/Gypsy Moth/Moth MajorUKTrainer1939-?28[20]
de Havilland DH.66 HerculesUKTransport1934–19433[20]
de Havilland DH.80A Puss MothUKLiaison1939-?1[20]
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger MothUKTrainer1939–1958675[20]
de Havilland DH.83 Fox MothUKTransport1939-??
de Havilland DH.84 DragonUKTransport1939-?1[20]
de Havilland DH.85 Leopard MothUKLiaison1939–19437[20]
de Havilland DH.87B Hornet MothUKLiaison1939–194019[20]
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide/DominieUKTransport1939-?21[20]
de Havilland DH.90 DragonflyUKTransport1939-?3[20]
de Havilland DH-94 Moth MinorUKTrainer1939-??
de Havilland DH-98 MosquitoUKBomber1943–194522+[20]
de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.5, FB.6UKFighter1950–197856[20]
de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11, T.55UKTrainer1953–197827[20]
de Havilland DH.104 Dove 5UKTransport1949–19659[20]
de Havilland DH.114 Heron 2UKTransport1955–19622[20]
Desoutter Mk.IIUKLiaison?1[20]
Dornier Do 27BGermanyLiaison1958–19752[20]
Douglas Boston Mk.IIIUSBomber1941–194318[20]
Douglas DakotaUSTransport1943–?149[20]
Douglas DC-4-1009, C-54 SkymasterUSTransport1966–19948[20]
English Electric Canberra B(1)12UKBomber1963–19916[20]
English Electric Canberra T.4UKTrainer1964–19913[20]
Fairey Battle B, T, TTUKTrainer1939–1942340[20]
Fairchild F-24G, R Argus IIIUSLiaison1939-?1[20]
Fieseler Fi 156C-7 StorchGermanyLiaison1946-?1[20]
General Aircraft ST-4 II MonosparUKTransport?1[20]
General Aircraft ST-25 UniversalUKTransport?1[20]
Gloster GauntletUKFighter1939–19436[20]
Gloster Gladiator Mk I & IIUKFighter1939–194131[20]
Gloster SurveyUKTransport1933–19421[20]
Gloster Meteor F.3UKFighter1946–19491[20]
Hawker Hartbeest Mk.IUKBomber1935–194069[20]
Hawker HartUKBomber1936–1944320[20]
Hawker AudaxUKFighter1937–194480[20]
Hawker Fury Mk.I & Mk.IIUKFighter1936–194253[20]
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I & IIUKFighter1939–1945193[20]
Hawker-Siddeley HS-125UKTransport1970–19998[20]
Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk.50UKBomber1965–199116[20]
Farman HF.27FranceTrainer1915-?
Junkers A-50 JuniorGermanyTrainer??
Junkers F.13GermanyTransport?-19441[20]
Junkers Ju 52-3mGermanyTransport1939–195323[20]
Junkers Ju 86GermanyTransport1939–194518[20]
Klemm Kl 25GermanyTrainer??
Koolhoven F.K.46NetherlandsTrainer??
Lockheed Super ElectraUSTransport?3[20]
Lockheed LodestarUSTransport1940–194431[20]
Lockheed HudsonUSBomber1940-?1[20]
Lockheed Ventura GR.VUSMaritime Patrol1942–1960395[20]
Lockheed C-130F HerculesUSTransport1997–19987[20]
Martin Maryland Mk.I & IIUSBomber1940-1942148+[20]
Martin BaltimoreUSBomber1941-194526+[20]
Martin Marauder I, II & IIIUSBomber1942-194556+[20]
Miles M.2H HawkUKTrainer1943-?2[20]
Miles SparrowhawkUKTrainer1939–19411[20]
Miles MagisterUKTrainer1940-?7[20]
Miles Master T.IIUKTrainer1941–1945426[20]
Miles FalconUKTrainer?1[20]
Nord C160Z TransallFranceTransport1969–19939[20]
North American Harvard/TexanUSTrainer1942–1995744[20]
North American Mustang IIIB, IV, IVAUSFighter1945, 1951-195295+[20]
Northrop Nomad Mk.IUSTrainer1941–194457[20]
Percival Gull VIUKTrainer1940-?1[20]
Piaggio P166 AlbatrossItalyTransport1969–199327[20]
Pilatus PC-6 PorterSwitzerlandTransport1994–19981[20]from Bophuthatswana Air Force
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerSwitzerlandTrainer1994–19963from Bophuthatswana Air Force, returned to Pilatus
Piper J-3USTrainer??
Piper J-4 Cub CoupeUSTrainer?1[20]
Piper PA-23 Aztec 250USLiaison1981–19922[20]
Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140USLiaison1981–19921[20]
Rearwin SpeedsterUSLiaison1939-??
Rearwin SportsterUSLiaison1939-?12+[20]
Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c & eUKReconnaissance1915–1921
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5AUKFighter1919–193124[20]
Ryan ST-AUSTrainer1939-?3[20]
Short Sunderland GR.VUKMaritime Patrol1945–195716[20]
Sikorsky S-51USHelicopter1948–19683[20]
Sikorsky WhirlwindUSHelicopter1956–1968
Simmonds SpartanUKTrainer19251[20]
Stinson HW-75USLiaison??
Stinson SR-5A & 10C ReliantUSLiaison?2[20]
Sud Aviation Alouette II & IIIFranceHelicopter1960–2006126[20]
Sud Aviation SA-321L Super FrelonFranceTransport Helicopter1967–199017[20]
Sud Aviation Puma SA330C, H, J, LFranceTransport Helicopter1969–1997109[20]
Supermarine Spitfire V, VIII, IXUKFighter1942–1954205[20]
Supermarine Spitfire PR IXeUKReconnaissance1947–1954?
Swearingen Merlin IVAUSTransport1975–19857[20]
Taylorcraft BC/BL/BL-65USLiaison1939-??
Tipsy S.2 TrainerBelgiumTrainer1939-?1[20]
Vickers Type 264 ValentiaUKTransport1940–194311[20]
Vickers WellesleyUKBomber1940–1941?
Vickers WellingtonUKBomber?-?24[20]
Vickers Warwick Mk.VUKBomber1945–194632[20]
Vickers 781D ViscountUKTransport1958–19911[20]
WACO biplanesUSLiaison??
Westland WapitiUKBomber1931–194331[20]
Westland Wasp HAS 1UKHelicopter1963–1990
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See also *[[Denel Dynamics Seeker]]

Notes

    References

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