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3 Squadron SAAF

  • Public Group
  • 5 days, 10 hours ago
  • squadron
  • 4

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by XO BBHQ

Somali, US Forces Kill Al-Shabaab Commander

22:03inSITREP, Somaliaby XO BBHQ

Somali troops and US forces this week killed a senior commander of the Al-Shabaab militant group with a $10 million American bounty on his head, the African nation’s information minister said. The Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists have led a 16-year insurgency against the fragile central government and control swathes of rural Somalia. Maalim Ayman, leader of the […]

by XO BBHQ

Nigeria takes delivery of T-129 ATAK helicopters from Turkey

13:50inNigeria, SITREPby XO BBHQ

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is set to elevate its capabilities with the recent delivery of the first batch of two TAI T-129 ATAK attack helicopters from Turkey. This significant development marks a substantial enhancement in Nigeria’s defence capabilities and is part of the country’s ongoing efforts to modernize its military and respond effectively to […]

by XO BBHQ

UN Peacekeepers Wounded in Mali Blast

12:46inMali, SITREPby XO BBHQ

Several peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali, currently in the process of withdrawing from the country, were “seriously injured” on Wednesday when their convoy fell victim to an improvised explosive device, a UN spokesman said. On Tuesday, peacekeepers from the mission, known as Minusma, left their camp in Kidal in a long convoy of […]

by XO BBHQ

UN Peacekeepers Evacuate Strategic Camp in Northern Mali

13:26inMali, SITREPby XO BBHQ

UN soldiers Tuesday evacuated a camp in the strategic town of Kidal in Mali’s volatile north, which has been wracked by jihadist and separatist violence, several sources in the peacekeeping mission told AFP. “We left Kidal this morning,” a source in the UN peacekeeping mission based in the town said, adding that the convoy of […]

by XO BBHQ

South Africa secures Gripen engine maintenance contract with GKN Aerospace

20:31inSITREP, South Africaby XO BBHQ

This support contract is particularly essential as the South African Air Force has had to manage its tight budget carefully. South Africa has recently signed a contract with GKN Aerospace, a global engineering company, for the maintenance of the engines of its Gripen fighter jets. This contract ensures that both engines and airframes are now […]

by XO BBHQ

Fighting Intensifies in East DR Congo

12:31inCongo, SITREPby XO BBHQ

Clashes have intensified in DR Congo’s east where the national army has deployed in areas it was chased out of at the start of the year, the United Nations and local sources said Monday. After a six-month lull, fighting resumed this month between local armed groups and the M23 rebel movement in North Kivu province, […]

by XO BBHQ

Mali Army New Fighting With Separatist Rebels in North

12:39inMali, SITREPby XO BBHQ

The Malian army said on Sunday that new fighting had broken out in the north between the military and armed rebel groups, the latest in a series of attacks on the army in the troubled West African country. The army reported on social media “intense fighting” against “terrorists” in the early hours of the morning […]

by XO BBHQ

Aselsan to Modernize Avionics of Rooivalk Helicopter

01:19inSITREP, South Africaby XO BBHQ

South African Denel Rooivalk attack helicopters will be modernized with Aselsan’s avionics under a deal signed during the recently-concluded IDEF-2023 exhibition. Aselsan and Denel Aeronautics signed a memorandum of understanding for the Rooivalk modernization during the African Aerospace and Defense (AAD) exhibition in 2022. The two companies signed a Certificate of Milestone Achievement during IDEF, SavunmaSanayiST.com reported. The South […]

by XO BBHQ

Nine Killed in Attack on Eastern DR Congo Village

13:36inCongo, SITREPby XO BBHQ

At least nine people have been killed in an attack on a village in DR Congo that is controlled by military forces sent in by the East African Community (EAC) to curb violence in the country’s east, local sources said Sunday. The Marangara village in North Kivu province’s Rutshuru territory was attacked by armed men […]

by XO BBHQ

Angola receives first tank landing craft from CMN

21:26inAngola, SITREPby XO BBHQ

The Angolan Navy has taken delivery of the first of two new tank landing craft built by France’s CMN, five months after launch in Cherbourg. CMN (Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie) launched the vessel RA 4 de Abril (ND15) at the end of February, after construction began in January 2022. It departed France on 22 June […]

by XO BBHQ

West Africa prepares for war in Niger

13:34inNiger, SITREPby XO BBHQ

An ECOWAS deadline for the junta in Niger to relinquish power and restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum expired yesterday. Now, West Africa waits. The threat of war still looms and neither side has indicated it will back down. Over the weekend, Niger and ECOWAS both took important steps to prepare for war. Niger closed its […]

by XO BBHQ

Angola to send forces to conflict-torn DR Congo

15:28inAngola, Congo, SITREPby XO BBHQ

Luanda said the decision was taken after consultations with Kinshasa, adding other regional leaders as well as the United Nations had been informed. LUANDA – Angola said on Saturday it will send a military unit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ceasefire it brokered between rebel militiamen and government troops collapsed… DR Congo’s restive […]

Description

One of the SAAFs front-line squadrons for many years, 3 Squadron was formed in January 1939 at AFB Waterkloof equipped with the Hawker Hartbees and Hurricane Mk II. In September 1939 the squadron moved to Port Elizabeth before being disbanded, only to be reformed at Waterkloof once again on 9 September 1940 with Hurricane Mk 1s. By October the squadron was involved in fighting in East Africa. Flying both Hurricanes and Gladiator Mk IIs, the squadron fought all the way through Somaliland and Abasynia and by the end of 1941 had destroyed over 100 Italian aircraft (24 in air combat). After moving to Asmara, the squadron was disbanded. The squadron was reformed in December 1942 and sent to the Middle East. Flying fighter defence over the port of Aden with Hurricane 11c and Spitfire V aircraft, coastal patrols were also flown from North Africa. Re-equipped with Spitfire IXs in August 1944, 3 Squadron was sent to Italy. Most of its operations involved strafing sorties. Disbanding followed at the end of the Second War War.

Three Squadron was reformed at Baragwanath Airport on 6 September 1952 as a part-time citizen force unit flying Harvards, but disbanded once again in 1957.

In August 1966 the squadron was reformed at AFB Waterkloof as a unit under the control of 2 Squadron, equipped with some Mirage IIIEZs. In February 1970 the unit received squadron colours and in the same year, hardware in the form of the Mirage IIIDZ. The squadron was reactivated as an autonomous squadron in February 1975, receiving the Mirage F1CZ in April 1975 when its Mirage IIIEZ, DZ and D2Z aircraft were transferred to 85 Advanced Flying School. The squadron continued to operate the Mirage F1CZ from Waterkloof AFB with frequent deployments to Namibia during the Border War. Three Squadron was disbanded when the Mirage F1CZs were retired on 30 September 1992.


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