Air Force Base Ondangwa was initially established at the Ondangwa Airfield on 2 February 1972, under the name “Playboy”. The only military presence at that time in the area was at Oshakati, which fell under 1 Military Area in northern SWA.
It soon became the most important air base in the Operational Area. On 1 March 1976, the base was upgraded and renamed 95 Tactical Airfield Unit. It formed part of the SAAF’s Western Air Command and served in support of the counterinsurgency campaign in SWA and the ground forces operating in the Operational Area and Angola.
On 1 January 1982, after further upgrades, it was given Base status and renamed Air Force Base Ondangwa. 95 Tactical Airfield Unit was stationed at Ondangwa in March 1975, and in November 1975, a Radar station (call signal Dayton) was established. This station was on the north side of the Ondangwa airport and was manned by the Mobile Radar Group, 140 Mobile Control and Reporting Squadron. The station was equipped with Marconi Type 14 `s’ long-distance search radar. The station served until the end of the war in 1989.
Specific units like 1 Squadron SAAF, known for its Mirage F1AZ operations, and 44 Squadron SAAF, involved in various roles including rum-running and medical evacuations, were based there. Additionally, the 95 Tactical Airfield Unit (95 TAU), which later became AFB Ondangwa, was established there in 1972
