The South African Air Force (SAAF) has operated a wide variety of aircraft since its establishment in 1920. Its fleet has included fighter, transport, maritime patrol, helicopter, training, and reconnaissance aircraft, reflecting the service's changing operational requirements over more than a century.

Historically, the SAAF maintained one of the largest and most capable air forces in the Southern Hemisphere. During the latter stages of the Cold War and into the post-apartheid era, its combat fleet was centred on the Atlas Cheetah, a South African-developed modernisation of the Mirage III, and the Dassault Mirage F1. Following the end of the South African Border War and subsequent reductions in defence spending, large numbers of aircraft were retired, placed into storage, or withdrawn from service.

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

Current aircraft AircraftOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotal (acquired)Unit operatingCombat AircraftSaab JAS-39 GripenSwedenJetMulti-role200825262 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Makhado)BAE Systems Hawk Mk.120United Kingdom / South AfricaJetLead-in fighter trainer2006222485 Combat Flying School (SAAF Air Force Base Makhado)Trainer AircraftPilatus PC-7SwitzerlandPropellerTrainer19943560Central Flying School (SAAF Air Force Base Langebaanweg)Reconnaissance / Maritime patrolCessna 208 CaravanUnited StatesPropellerISTAR198881241 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Douglas C-47-TP Turbo DakotaUnited StatesPropellerNaval patrol194353935 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Ysterplaat)TransportLockheed C-130 HerculesUnited StatesPropellerTransport196361228 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)CASA C-212 AviocarSpainPropellerTransport19943444 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Pilatus PC-12SwitzerlandPropellerTransport19971141 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Beechcraft Super King AirUnited StatesPropellerTransport19812441 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Boeing 737 (BBJ)United StatesJetVIP20011121 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Cessna Citation IIUnited StatesJetVIP19832221 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Dassault Falcon 50FranceJetVIP19822221 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)Dassault Falcon 900FranceJetVIP19921121 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Waterkloof)HelicopterDenel RooivalkSouth AfricaRotorcraftAttack2011111216 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Bloemspruit)Atlas OryxSouth AfricaRotorcraftTransport1990375115 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Durban)

17 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Swartkop)

19 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Hoedspruit)

22 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Ysterplaat)

87 Helicopter Flying School (SAAF Air Force Base Bloemspruit)AgustaWestland AW109ItalyRotorcraftUtility / SAR2003243015 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Durban) 17 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Swartkop)

19 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Hoedspruit)

87 Helicopter Flying School (SAAF Air Force Base Bloemspruit)MBB/Kawasaki BK 117GermanyRotorcraftUtility1994810+15 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Durban) 87 Helicopter Flying School (SAAF Air Force Base Bloemspruit)Westland Super Lynx 300 Mk.64United KingdomRotorcraftASW20074422 Squadron (SAAF Air Force Base Ysterplaat)Unmanned combat aerial vehicleMilkor 380South AfricaUAVISR / Attack—On order(+5)Currently undergoing testing as a long-planned replacement for the Seeker UAV, which was operated by 10 Squadron prior to the squadron's disbandment in 1991.

Historic aircraft no longer in service AircraftOriginRoleService periodNo. operatedNotesAermacchi AM.3C BosbokItaly/S. AfricaUtility1973–199240Aeronca KCAUSLiaison??Aeronca 50C ChiefUSLiaison1940-?1Aeronca 65C Super ChiefUSLiaison??Aérospatiale SA365N DauphinFranceHelicopter1994–19981Aermacchi/Atlas MB.326 ImpalaItaly/S. AfricaTrainer1966–2005251Aermacchi/Atlas C.4M KuduItaly/S. AfricaUtility1976–199140Airco DH.4UKBomber1919–192710de Havilland DH.9UKBomber1919–194211Airco DH.9 until 1920. Some had Bristol Jupiter engines as DH M′palaAirspeed AS-6J EnvoyUKTransport1936–19407Airspeed AS-10 Oxford Mk.I & IIUKTrainer1940-1950700Atlas Cheetah C, D, ESouth AfricaFighter1986–200868Auster AOP-3, 5, 6 & 9UKLiaison1945-1967Avro 504K & NUKTrainer1919–?31+Avro AvianUKTrainer?-193621+Avro TutorUKTrainer1930–193859Avro AnsonUKTrainer1940–1947750+Avro York C.1UKTransport1944–19521Avro Shackleton MR.3UKMaritime Patrol1957–19848Beechcraft C-45 ExpeditorUSTransport19452Beechcraft B-80 Queen AirUSTransport1975–19922Boeing 707USTransport1986–20075Bristol Blenheim Mk.I, IV & VUKBomber1939–194310+Bristol Beaufort I, IA, II, IIAUKBomber1941–194458Bristol Beaufighter Mk.II, VI, XUKAttack1943–19447+British Aircraft Double EagleUKLiaison1939–19401Britten-Norman IslanderUKTransport1994-?2Bücker Bü 131A/B/D JungmannGermanyTrainer1936–1939?Bücker Bü 133 JungmeisterGermanyTrainer1939-??Canadair Sabre Mk.6CanadaFighter1956–198034CASA CN-235SpainTransport1994-20121Cessna C-34 AirmasterUSLiaison?1Cessna 185A, D & E SkywagonUSLiaison?45Cessna 320USTransport1965–19671Cessna SkymasterUSTransport??Cessna 411USTransport??Consolidated Catalina Mk.IB/IIIUSMaritime Patrol1943–194618Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VIUSMaritime Patrol1944–194516Curtiss MohawkUSFighter1941–1942159Curtiss Tomahawk, Kittyhawk & WarhawkUSFighter1940–1948210+Dassault Falcon 20FranceTransport19661Dassault Mirage IIIFranceFighter1963–199057Dassault Mirage F1AZ & CZFranceFighter1975–199751de Havilland DH.60 Moth/Gypsy Moth/Moth MajorUKTrainer1939-?28de Havilland DH.66 HerculesUKTransport1934–19433de Havilland DH.80A Puss MothUKLiaison1939-?1de Havilland DH.82A Tiger MothUKTrainer1939–1958675de Havilland DH.83 Fox MothUKTransport1939-??de Havilland DH.84 DragonUKTransport1939-?1de Havilland DH.85 Leopard MothUKLiaison1939–19437de Havilland DH.87B Hornet MothUKLiaison1939–194019de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide/DominieUKTransport1939-?21de Havilland DH.90 DragonflyUKTransport1939-?3de Havilland DH-94 Moth MinorUKTrainer1939-??de Havilland DH-98 MosquitoUKBomber1943–194522+de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.5, FB.6UKFighter1950–197856de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11, T.55UKTrainer1953–197827de Havilland DH.104 Dove 5UKTransport1949–19659de Havilland DH.114 Heron 2UKTransport1955–19622Desoutter Mk.IIUKLiaison?1Dornier Do 27BGermanyLiaison1958–19752Douglas Boston Mk.IIIUSBomber1941–194318Douglas DakotaUSTransport1943–?149Douglas DC-4-1009, C-54 SkymasterUSTransport1966–19948English Electric Canberra B(1)12UKBomber1963–19916English Electric Canberra T.4UKTrainer1964–19913Fairey Battle B, T, TTUKTrainer1939–1942340Fairchild F-24G, R Argus IIIUSLiaison1939-?1Fieseler Fi 156C-7 StorchGermanyLiaison1946-?1General Aircraft ST-4 II MonosparUKTransport?1General Aircraft ST-25 UniversalUKTransport?1Gloster GauntletUKFighter1939–19436Gloster Gladiator Mk I & IIUKFighter1939–194131Gloster SurveyUKTransport1933–19421Gloster Meteor F.3UKFighter1946–19491Hawker Hartbees Mk.IUKBomber1935–194069Hawker HartUKBomber1936–1944320Hawker AudaxUKFighter1937–194480Hawker Fury Mk.I & Mk.IIUKFighter1936–194253Hawker Hurricane Mk.I & IIUKFighter1939–1945193Hawker-Siddeley HS-125UKTransport1970–19998Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk.50UKBomber1965–199116Farman HF.27FranceTrainer1915-?Junkers A-50 JuniorGermanyTrainer??Junkers F.13GermanyTransport?-19441Junkers Ju 52-3mGermanyTransport1939–195323Junkers Ju 86GermanyTransport1939–194518Klemm Kl 25GermanyTrainer??Koolhoven F.K.46NetherlandsTrainer??Lockheed Super ElectraUSTransport?3Lockheed LodestarUSTransport1940–194431Lockheed HudsonUSBomber1940-?1Lockheed Ventura GR.VUSMaritime Patrol1942–1960395Lockheed C-130F HerculesUSTransport1997–19987Martin Maryland Mk.I & IIUSBomber1940-1942148+Martin BaltimoreUSBomber1941-194526+Martin Marauder I, II & IIIUSBomber1942-194556+Miles M.2H HawkUKTrainer1943-?2Miles SparrowhawkUKTrainer1939–19411Miles MagisterUKTrainer1940-?7Miles Master T.IIUKTrainer1941–1945426Miles FalconUKTrainer?1Nord C160Z TransallFranceTransport1969–19939North American Harvard/TexanUSTrainer1942–1995744North American Mustang IIIB, IV, IVAUSFighter1945, 1951-195295+Northrop Nomad Mk.IUSTrainer1941–194457Percival Gull VIUKTrainer1940-?1Piaggio P166 AlbatrossItalyTransport1969–199327Pilatus PC-6 PorterSwitzerlandTransport1994–19981from Bophuthatswana Air ForcePilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerSwitzerlandTrainer1994–19963from Bophuthatswana Air Force, returned to PilatusPiper J-3USTrainer??Piper J-4 Cub CoupeUSTrainer?1Piper PA-23 Aztec 250USLiaison1981–19922Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140USLiaison1981–19921Rearwin SpeedsterUSLiaison1939-??Rearwin SportsterUSLiaison1939-?12+Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c & eUKReconnaissance1915–1921Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5AUKFighter1919–193124Ryan ST-AUSTrainer1939-?3Short Sunderland GR.VUKMaritime Patrol1945–195716Sikorsky S-51USHelicopter1948–19683Sikorsky WhirlwindUSHelicopter1956–1968Simmonds SpartanUKTrainer19251Stinson HW-75USLiaison??Stinson SR-5A & 10C ReliantUSLiaison?2Sud Aviation Alouette II & IIIFranceHelicopter1960–2006126Sud Aviation SA-321L Super FrelonFranceTransport Helicopter1967–199017Sud Aviation Puma SA330C, H, J, LFranceTransport Helicopter1969–1997109Supermarine Spitfire V, VIII, IXUKFighter1942–1954205Supermarine Spitfire PR IXeUKReconnaissance1947–1954?Swearingen Merlin IVAUSTransport1975–19857Taylorcraft BC/BL/BL-65USLiaison1939-??Tipsy S.2 TrainerBelgiumTrainer1939-?1Vickers Type 264 ValentiaUKTransport1940–194311Vickers WellesleyUKBomber1940–1941?Vickers WellingtonUKBomber?-?24Vickers Warwick Mk.VUKBomber1945–194632Vickers 781D ViscountUKTransport1958–19911WACO biplanesUSLiaison??Westland WapitiUKBomber1931–194331Westland Wasp HAS 1UKHelicopter1963–1990

References