The Denel Rooivalk attack helicopter made its combat debut on 4 November, while conducting armed overwatch and close air support flights of UN personnel in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South African media has reported.
Two South African Air Force (SAAF) Rooivalks fired multiple 70 mm rocket salvos against M23 rebel bunkers close to the Rwandan border, while operating on behalf of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and its Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), according to African Defence Review .
Another South African news outlet, defenceWeb , reported that the Rooivalks had conducted their offensive operations against M23 positions in partnership with a pair of Mil Mi-24/35 'Hind' helicopters of the FIB. The report was not clear on who was operating these Hinds, but India and Ukraine are known to have contributed such helicopters to MONUSCO.
According to the South African media reports, the Roovivalks destroyed one rebel 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun and dispersed the M23 forces in the area.
The SAAF deployed three Rooivalk helicopters to the DRC in late October, clearing them to begin operations on the day that this first contact took place.
South Africa fields 11 Rooivalk helicopters in all, operated by 16 Squadron based at Air Force Base Bloemspruit near Bloemfontein. It has previously declined to offer them for UN peacekeeping efforts in Africa because they were not fully operational. However, this changed in March when the fleet was brought up to a common Block 1F combat capable standard.
Established in November 1999 to monitor and keep the peace in the DRC, MONUSCO currently comprises some 20,688 military and police personnel from 56 countries. According to UN figures, 61 MONUSCO personnel have been killed since the mission began.
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