What The Future May Hold For South Africa's Iconic Rooivalk Combat Helicopter

The Rooivalk combat support helicopter has proved its performance and operational success in the African theatre. The question now is what the future holds for the current fleet, which is in need of a serious upgrade. With futuristic looks that were ahead of its time, the Rooivalk was based on the South African Oryx helicopter, which in turn was modelled on the French Aerospatiale SA 330 Puma. The Rooivalk is the only vertical take-off and landing combat helicopter in South Africa able to operate from diverse terrain, tight spaces, and in a range of weather conditions. Denel Aviation oversees the design and is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Rooivalk. There are 11 Rooivalk currently in the MK1 Block 1F standard, with the 12th having sustained a hard landing.

Written by Sylvia Caravotas (Satovarac Consulting) for OIDA. The full article is available from OIDA.