Denel Rooivalk | Does it have a new chance to fulfil its destiny?

[@WeaponDetective]

Please click the link to watch our other Weapon Detective videos kzbin.info/aero/PLEMWqyRZP_LrdqB-XbqY2LocUVEaG_w7D Please click the link to watch our other South African Systems videos kzbin.info/aero/PLEMWqyRZP_LrpqXkSssa-WtAgH3DzItDD Please click the link to watch our other Weapon Detective-Air videos kzbin.info/aero/PLEMWqyRZP_LrGyENf3nqsYKC9ZkWH414k

[@ansonellis443]

Could you do the kozak and novator from ukraine

[@georgedoolittle9015]

Almost identical to the "euro-copter Tiger" 🐅🐅🐅🐅🐆 🐯🐯🐯 so possible sees a return as the system is already in production in Europe so could move some of that production to South Africa. I think only ten of these were ever made but maybe that's an Intel thing. Would be very much in demand against Russia in Ukraine tho, absolutely and after that who knows where else. Just needs to be "stood up."

[@joecruiser]

The defence company is state owned. The ANC govt is too incompetent to achieve Anything. The skills have already fled Denel.

[@tim8938]

think Rheinmetall owns half of Denel

[@joecruiser]

@@tim8938 Only the RDM Business in WC. Munitions only. The rest is still under ANC control...... and obviously went to the dogs.

[@user-jr2ue9nu6y]

@@tim8938 Likely ANC is the BEE majority share holder.

[@m135i.]

My father and many of his colleagues worked on the Rooivalk at 16 squadron and then at Denel. Denel is a shit show now so most of them have left

[@joecruiser]

@@m135i. Indeed. The entire Denel is beyond broken and FUBAR. 🤣

[@domainmojo2162]

Namibian here.. South Africa didn't lose the war. The war ran its course due to geopolitical factors. The SADF was a force to be reckoned with- and I'm saying this as someone from the opposing side. Highly structured, organized and disciplined- to a man, excellent communication and technology- and they were totally goal/objective-oriented. The current government? A total and abject failure! Few governments in human history can claim to be as incompetent as the ANC. A mom-and-pop store is more organized and efficient!

[@mariuscarelse2470]

Thanks dude. As ex SADF we appreciate this. We found in PLAN formidable opponents regardless of their hardships. But I do not know of one ANC's MK who was actively involved in a single battle. The likes of Zuma and Hani were to busy persecuting their own. Read the book Inside Quatro. When the author complained about camp life in Angola he was threatened with death. The ANC was better at mining farm roads to kill women and children or bombing public businesses. Cowardly as they still are today. Yet they call themselves Veterans and get the benefits for that.

[@detdet3871]

yes it was geo political and financial.

[@Jacquobite]

I spoke to one of the SA medics who told of a horror story of the morgue/field-hospital filled to ankle level with blood (an exaggeration I'm sure). Massive PTSD. You can't win anything when murdering people and the opponents murdering your friends.

[@TheSwanepoelmj]

@@mariuscarelse2470 Fok my. Dit maak nou alles sin

[@Homoprimatesapiens]

The reason for not selling Rooivalk choppers is 100% the incompetence of our government to support the marketing of it.

[@Homoprimatesapiens]

@@Richard-tq7xi so the US is the big chief in charge of NATO. It begin to make sense to establish an aliance such as BRICS.

[@ropsyso6940]

And the less well known or admitted fact is the stolen IP from the US by SA during the sanctions against SA for the Rooivalk😢

[@mybru1]

Brucs is economic you ifiot not military. The reason why it was blocked is because several nato countries use the exact same engine​@@Homoprimatesapiens

[@truth-Hurts375]

Nothing to do with the ANC goverment....Rooivalk was developt and buildt under Apartheid and even at that time....they couldt sell it...not even the Israelis are using it which were a very close ally to the Apartheid regime....what does tells you ?????

[@cromagnumveritas4209]

Not true , they sold the Blueprints to Turkey & China. They are producing Homogenised Rooivalks class as Light attack Helicopters

[@bombfog1]

It’s a shame that South Africa became a Third World country because they had a mighty, dynamic and innovative military industrial complex for an otherwise small country (not unlike Israel).

[@zainday7173]

Blame those ANC corrupt assholes

[@wayne975]

We not all dead and gone...

[@InstigatorDJ]

Even had nukes.

[@InstigatorDJ]

@@wayne975 Yeah we are. Our military is a joke. We literally couldn't fight a war currently.

[@michaelmeinel7817]

had is very appropriate - no idea how to market - is the answer i.e. G5/G6 still are excellent weapons and with upgrades would pick up a shedload of orders (only a few middle eastern countries i.e. Iraq) bought it. was killed by politics

[@thenomad47]

Correction: South Africa didn't lose the war. It ended in a draw as no side was able to achieve their strategic objectives.

[@dewetmaartens359]

Yes. We handed our military over fully intact.

[@John.S.Patton]

What was each side's goal?

[@Ghoulza]

@@John.S.Patton SA wanted to stop Soviet expansion and kick Cuba out of Angola. Cuba and the Soviets wanted the minerals of Angola and wanted to have a puppet government they could control. at the start, Cuba's goals were to kick SA out and ddestoy UNITA, SA wanted Cuba out and UNITA intact. in the end both SA and Cuba agreed to leave and UNITA remained intact so SA won

[@jamesflores4439]

You lose men and resources and gain nothing it means you lose😂.

[@thenomad47]

@@jamesflores4439 The Cubans and Soviets lost men and resources and the collapsed and Cuba lost men and resources and just got kicked out back to their island, the South Africans pulled back and out of Angola to deal with ending Apartheid, and Angola just continued their civil war after a brief peace but this time without foreign interference. Neither side won.

[@jeffnic3116]

Once again, I hear South Africa was losing the war @3:18. Really? Look at what happened during that period, the SADF pushed the communist attack back to where they started their invasion with heavy losses. An East German said to me "South African Army, very very good", referring to the last Angolan battle. As for Rooivalk, I love to see it make a comeback and get an export order. Who are the ANC wiling to sell it to, and who will they not sell it to is a good question? Allegiance or money?

[@shadipaul]

ANC has really destroyed your country

[@m135i.]

Not even a handful of them are still operational, we can forget about the rooivalk making a comeback

[@m135i.]

Also i believe the airframe jigs at denel are ruined

[@jeffnic3116]

@@m135i. Not surprised to hear that with what is going on in the SANDF. Forget the incapable government that does not understand business, the only way is with a private adventure, as in how Lockheed, Boeing, Airbus operate, will require a huge investment. First it will require an investor who sees potential to develop the existing system, don't hold your breath.

[@roystewart4386]

Denel and Armskor suffered the same situation as EsKom, SA Airways SA Post Office and other State owned corporations. ANC stands for “Another Naughty Crook” Corruption at its worst.

[@scottrobinson3281]

I have a video of Pik Botha recounting a discussion he had with a Cuban negotiator, who threatened to send another 15 000 troops to Angola. Pik said: "fine, we will send another 1 000 troops". The Cuban became apoplectic. Pik then told him that SA never had more than 3 000 troops in Angola at any one time.

[@danielkemp4860]

Thank you, from a South African, for saying Rooivalk correctly 🙏

[@cccmmm1234]

Pity he can't say Denel correctly though.

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

@@cccmmm1234 or ORYX

[@scottrobinson3281]

As a number of other commenters have stated, South Africa did not "lose" the war. It was rather the tectonic shift that was taking place in geopolitics in the late 1980's that brought the war to an end. If one person could be said to be responsible for the war's end, it was Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev. So much had the world changed, that South Africa cooperated with the USSR in the late 1980's on a project to re-engine the Mirage F.1 with the Klimov RD-33 turbofan. Its new designation was SMR 95. The full story can be found in the 11/94 edition of Military Technology -"The South African Crossing Of The Iron Curtain". The Rooivalk was a remarkable achievement for a small country with very little history of aircraft construction, proof that sanctions do not work. The old SA saying applies - "'n Boer maak "n plan". (Lit. "a farmer makes a plan").

[@truth-Hurts375]

Ha fucking ha !!!!

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

Finally! Someone else who knows about the SMR 95 project. I have held a photograph of 60Sqn's 707 tanker refueling that F1 with Volgograd below. My mate Eddie was there for 8 years in the 80s' at Atlas. I was told that a South African crew flew that F1 at the Moscow Airshow every year (back then).

[@detdet3871]

did not know this about working with USSR on the engines.doesnt make sense,why would commies help to improve the ''enemy''?

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

@@detdet3871 because we weren't "the enemy". It just needed to appear so.

[@armandlubbe4935]

South Africa didn't lose the war, know your history, go look up battle of Cuito Cuanavale, South Africa was winning the war, backroom politics chose to end the fighting with intervention from USA.

[@thepatriotsrage661]

More like lack of support from the USA, but yes; you're spot on.

[@paulD1984]

South Africa didn't lose the war as you suggested! In short, politics won the day although militarily, the Angolans along with the Cubans, Russians etc., were outmatched and outgunned by their own admission...

[@dougerrohmer]

Sorry maat, but we quit at the exact right time. We lost air supremacy, and the next fight would have been bad. And we didn't have a hope of regaining air supremacy, despite what the SAUK told us about the Cheetah and Kukri and helmet mounted sights and all that kak.

[@paulD1984]

@@dougerrohmer I'd have given you a listening chance but your crude language says it all...

[@dougerrohmer]

@@paulD1984 Crude language? Where did you go to school? A convent?

[@Ghoulza]

@@dougerrohmer we didn't quit all our goals had been met, our main goal was for Cuba to leave Angola and they did. Also, we never had air supremacy at any point in the war. to this day West point in the USA studies the bush war to so how a light mobile army without air supremacy can win a conventional war.

[@dougerrohmer]

@@Ghoulza The Cubans said they'd leave when we said we would leave. They didn't, we did. We had air supremacy all the way from Ops Savannah until the Mig 23 with all aspect missiles came along. And I'm not so sure whether the Yanks give a hoot about our little war.

[@mudgie3445]

South Africa wasn't losing the war. We were being pressured politically. It was a political loss. Not a military loss.

[@totenkopf1479]

South Africa wasn't losing the war

[@PoseidonDiver]

They were, not on the front line, but on the home front. The war was incredibly unpopular. With people like my father conscripted as a commando for nearly 10 years in that war!!! A war no one had any say in fighting. RSA was losing politically... plus the interference from Executive Outcomes (EO) and Sandline International screwed us.

[@totenkopf1479]

@@PoseidonDiver losing a war politically and militarily are two different things. My father fought in the war and still says it was one the best time of his life. In general wars fought with conscription armies on foreign soil are unpopular, but the Border war was not not an especially unpopular war. From what I read in Jan Braleytenbach's book it was the politicians who didnt have the stomach for it.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

​@@totenkopf1479I served in the SADF, and hardly anyone WANTED to go to the Border... so that makes it unpopular as far as the troepies were concerned. The beer (when you got some) was warm, the heat was blistering, the sand got into EVERYTHING, your vehicle got hot enough to burn you, and the locals were prone to shoot at you... Then there were the rat packs... the curried fish dissappeared first, normally thrown away, or at someone who pissed you off. (If you lit a fuel tablet under an unopened tin, the can would explode, leaving a seriously bad smell that lingered for days. Bio-warfare at it's most basic!) The rivers had crocs in them, so a relaxing swim meant taking a big chance with your life. On the upside, you got danger pay which made the little they gave us stretch a little further, but there was hardly anything to buy up there until you got back to the states, then it dissappeared on jols very quickly. Yeah, Army life was lekker: Free clothing, accommodations, hiking and shooting for just two years of your life. (Excluding Camps)

[@PoseidonDiver]

@@totenkopf1479 He was clearly Afrikaans and not a Soutie like my dad. No matter how hard I try and picture it, I can't see being forced by conscription to fight a political war in the Commandos for close to a decade. I guess the millage varied drastically depending on ones culture. The stories my father has told me, the friends he lost and the personal sacrifices made, only for all that fighting and loss of life completely futile in the 94 elections, puts that war in a very different light for me. I will agree with you that people did support the war based on fighting communism from spreading into RSA, but there was a strong opposition to what was effectively known as 'South Africa's Vietnam' - a fitting comparison. If you are going to use books written by Jan Breytenbach as a reference, obviously it will cast the war in a positive light... He was the commander of the very same commando unit my father fought in. Try Michael Drewett's paper titled 'Battling over Borders: Narratives of Resistance to the South African Border War Voiced through Popular Music' for a less biased perspective on the social narrative at the time.

[@Leec_1972]

@@PoseidonDiver Woah, EO was active in Angola several years after the war ended Sandline was never involved in Angola and neither screwd us up. I am not sure where you are getting your information from. It was actually not universally unpopular. It was considered necessary and even though we did not really wantto be called-up the vast majority went and did a sterling job.

[@troothhertz6297]

Our new South Africa cannot even keep the lights on ..so manufacturing Rooivalk ?? Lmfao 😂😂😂

[@Jacquobite]

You certainly aren't helping anything. Go look after your own shit before talking kak.

[@pitmarkovic4545]

Political Basta....Always have Money and most of the second class to stupid to check anything,better without thinking🎉

[@premierhoner614]

Correction!!! The South African army did won the 23 year bushwar, the poletitions lost the war. We were sold out by our own government of then...

[@danieferreira9094]

You are partially correct. We won every battle, but out-ran our logistics lines, which makes it impossible to hang on or occupy territory taken. We had to withdraw from certain key positions after winning crucial battles in order to refuel and rearm, giving the enemy the reprieve they needed to think they actually won. In the end, the war had to end as the country was moving into a new direction of inclusive government. In truth, the war bought us time to attain a more equitable political solution. I would not chalk it up as a loss.

[@Militaryheritage]

@WeaponsDetective. Stating that South Africa was losing the war is a gross inaccuracy.

[@bloodgripen2257]

I live in Soweto here in South Africa🇿🇦, and whenever I get the chance to go to an airshow, the Rooivalk is always gonna be there. I absolutely love just how DIFFERENT it sounds from every other helicopter (Oryx, A109, Bk 117, the various helicopters used by the police and medical services, etc), it sounds like an absolute MENACE and I love it 😎 Plus when you look at it from a frontal perspective whule it flies, it genuinely looks like a wasp. Kinda terrifying. Plus its absolutely huge!

[@cosmoray9750]

Aesthetic tourist village kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3bLdqmLapd5e5Y

[@Leec_1972]

It's strange that you notice the different sound even to the Oryx considering it uses the same engine. I must say I have never noticed that myself at airshows. Will def listen out next time.

[@bloodgripen2257]

@@Leec_1972 You do that man. It really is quite noticable 😎

[@kepalie7662]

You should attend AAD 2024 Absolutely amazing airshow. Most of our aircrafts are on display together with a few other countries. The previous show had the American Blackhawks.

[@bloodgripen2257]

@@kepalie7662 AAD2024 is on my radar (along with Museum Air Show 2024). I was also there back in AAD 2022, and it was amazing 🤩 seeing helicopters refueling in KZbin videos is cool, but seeing it with your own eyes (even if it was just a display) was something else entirely. Plus it was my first time seeing a Blackhawk with my own eyes, and that was a treat.

[@abongiledlova477]

The Republic of South Africa did not loose that war my friend. Why do I always hear propaganda about my country on the internet, its very strange.

[@Goblynn-s5l]

U literally lost U were in angola to stop it being used as a base by SWAPO U LOST NAMIBIA THEREFOR BLATANTLY U LOST THEN YOU SURRENDERED YOUR WHOLE COUNTRY IN 1994, HOPING THAT THE EUROPEANS WOULD ACCEPT YOU, BUT THEY KNOW YOUR CREOLES & SO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU Just be sure to keep telling yourself you won when the lights and the electricity don’t work for about 18 hours of the day down there😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@stephaniejooste3879]

My husband and I both worked at Denel and we both worked on the Rooivalk. There are nobody left but a literally hand full of people and can't do anything anymore. The Rooivalk is a wonderful aircraft and we all felt like it was our baby. The SOUTH AFRICANS did BOT LOOSE the war, there was a negotiated peace deal and Namibia was then formed. Don't comment if you don't know about something. The Rooivalk will never be returned to Manufacturing because there is no way it can compete with the high capacity assembly like the Apache.

[@juglansregia1433]

RIP to competence and the good old days, thank you for the service...i wish there were more people like you but 🤷

[@Goblynn-s5l]

u were in angola to stop it from being used as a base by SWAPO THEREFORE LOSING NAMIBIA MEANS U LITERALLY LOST the level if delusion amongst u boers should be expected though U LITERALLY THOUGHT SURRENDERING UR COUNTRY TO THE ANC Would somehow make you accepted by the Europeans, but they know your creoleS and so won’t even let you in their countries😂😂😂😂😂😂 Keep telling yourself you want though all the lights and electricity are off for about 18 hours a day down there😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ebie97]

Was the apache not designed around the rooivalk and just updated?

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

@@ebie97 no. The Apache predates the Rooivalk by at least a decade.

[@habahan4257]

Cool video with an interesting analysis. As a Turkish, the Rooivalk might be a better preference for us. It was better and absolutely more beautiful than the A129. We have already changed the A129's engine, so we could also change the Rooivalk's engine.

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

You dont need to. Those Mikilas are great.

[@habahan4257]

@@maarten_notjustagrip Turkey eliminated the Rooivalk because France declared it would not permit the engine's license production.

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

@@habahan4257 Ah ok. In that sense, an engine change could have been a solution, yes.

[@politicalsheepdog]

Before South Africa can do basic things in the World, the people need to throw out it's current government and install a government that represents all the people.

[@redbaron9029]

Looks better than apache.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Except for the Mil-28 which was specifically designed to beat the Apache in ugliness, every attack helicopter looks better than the Apache😉.

[@chaosXP3RT]

Wrong

[@TailEndCharlie-fi9gd]

Wrong

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

Does everything better than an Apache with a fraction of the radar signature. Apaches are OLD.

[@phelansa23]

At 3:19 in your video “It became clear that South Africa was loosing the war”. That is a massive statement. It certainly wasn’t clear to us on the ground fighting the war. Other than that, I enjoyed your video.

[@markmark3034]

80s infantry veteran here, border and townships. SA lost the final round strategically but not tactically. The SA political leadership forbade the SADF from breaking the Cuito stalemate by attacking from the unmined western flank which would have destroyed the remnants of the FAPLA brigades, led by Cubans and sponsored by the Soviets. It should be noted that the intial investment by the Soviets was in response to CIA meddling in Congo and Northern Angola. Refer to book by John Stockwell ex CIA. After the debacle in Vietnam,, the US Congress refused to authorise the spending for another anti-Commie war in Africa for Kissinger to play with, and SA was spared being sucked into a bigger war, thank god. But the Soviets had their proxies in place and their attention turned to liberating SWA and ultimately SA. UNITA was an obstacle to that and thus the annual campaign toward Jamba culminating in the BIG offensive of 87. The fact that they were turned back and SA was then able to decouple from SWA in a controlled way means that that mission of SA was at least accomplished. Wider history then overtook Southern Africa. The bottom line is that the border war had become too expensive to maintain, weakening SA when they were facing ever-growing civil unrest within SA and international boycotting. Understand that the Russkis don't need to conduct resource war invasions because their country is huge and has just about everything already. The shenanigans in Afghanistan, Angola and now Ukraine were for strategic reasons, under provocation, as part of the global arm wrestling match with the US, going back to the Allied militaries fighting in Russia in1919, supporting Imperial Russia against the Bolshevik revolution. Even the Cuban missile crisis was in response to the provocation of the US first putting nuke missiles in Turkey. Google it. Recommended reading: The War for Africa by Fred England.

[@detdet3871]

it should also be added that SA was also helping Southern Rhodesia, covert ops in Zambia, Mozambique and I think also in Botswana,as well as tuinops within, it wasn't just Angola where we were involved.

[@Lasenggo]

Beautiful aircraft but sadly there's really no reason for any other countries to acquire it unless that country is going to do their own license manufacturing. There is simply not enough Roivalk in service (15?) to even think that South Africa will continue to provide support for this helicopter in the future if one acquires them.

[@thenomad47]

The reason more weren't acquired in the first place was due to a lack of international interest, since it would have brought to cost of manufacturing way down when it would've started mass production for international as well as domestic sales, which was originally the plan, since the plan was for the SANDF to acquire around 40-something Rooivalk instead of just 15.

[@sjsm8578]

Why not market it aggressively to fellow African countries? We have a persistent bandit problem in northern Kenya I'm sure our boys would appreciate this

[@Ghoulza]

@@sjsm8578 it was USA-made threats to anyone who showed interest in buying it.

[@stonewolf7850]

In truth I'm sceptical that the country is still capable of producing these helicopters. DENEL is now controlled and run by the absolutely corrupt "new" government.

[@thenomad47]

@@sjsm8578 Because, quite frankly, even despite it being cheaper than it's Western and Eastern Counterparts, it's still too expensive for other African countries. And, they'd rather buy 2nd hand American, European and Russian equipment before buying South African equipment. Why? Who knows, as them

[@lluvik2450]

and now the saaf can barely keep the thing flying

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

Sadly DENEL is in the shitter, so don't count on ever seeing the Rooivalk in large numbers, let alone production for export.

[@brunocalico]

South Africa was loosing the war? The Berlin wall came down, it changed everything in politics and began the end of the cold war at that time.

[@imerastrojerodiesel9393]

Una belleza... saludos desde Argentina

[@olivierpuyou3621]

I am not enough of a specialist to see why this helicopter is obsolete. Yet it seems to have everything necessary to make it a good machine, well maybe apart from its 20mm gun while almost all the others have 30mm? In any case, my thanks for once again introducing me to a device unknown to me.

[@thepatriotsrage661]

Likely because it's an `1980's design that has had very little changed or upgraded since then. The avionics are waaaay outdated and need a complete replacement. It was cutting edge 40 years ago, but it's long since lost its edge to the Tiger, AH-64, Hind...

[@gideonvanniekerk4252]

Apparently I’ve heard that our 20mm ammunition is so potent it’s effective enough to be equated to a 30mm projectile

[@timmurphy5541]

Electronics date quickly. It's a problem if you cannot get spares.

[@easyganer]

we didnt lose the war

[@Daud76]

This fine piece of military hardware should never have been sold and technology within it shared. My late father worked on the retina guidance system back in the day and I have fond memories of him bringing the helmet home to make some adjustments as well as showing my brother and myself. Having said that, the then SADF never lost any war with anyone. We were proud and we were strong. My respect to all soldiers who served their country.

[@stein5858]

your intro is cool bro.💪

[@mallachsteve]

The gunship boat has sailed. They're a relic, aside from when confronting lightly armed militias and in very specific circumstances. Too many very good MANPADS. Pivot to drones.

[@Leec_1972]

Most wars will in fact still be like that and inerdiction and close support from such a plaform will be indespensable.

[@mybru1]

Lightly armed militias? The first confirmed combat op for the rooivalk was taking out anti aircraft cannons firing at it

[@quakethedoombringer]

Doubt so. If anything, gunships will still be around. They will just be used for escorting carrying loitering munitions or controlling drone wingmen instead of directly participating in the fight

[@chrisdupreez6281]

The USA did not loose the Vietnam war. There was political decisions taken that were in the best interest of the USA country and Vietnam country, economics and future strategies. The USA and Vietnam political leadership met in Paris in 1972 and agreed on a way forward (Vietnam today is actually a successful stable country). After that the US military withdrew from the fight - in their time in Vietnam they were winning 98% of the battles and easy having a KD ratio of 10:1. The US armed forces were the best in the Vietnam war - they did not loose the war - YES the US Armed forces fought a stupid war against the population of Vietnam - that part was politics, that was stupid, but it dont make their armed forces bad or to say they lost the war. The same with the SA Defence Force prior to democracy.

[@erdiakarsu4945]

Usa get rekt so hard in vietnam that it gave usa a long time trauma. They forced themselves to believe they didn't lose with Holywood movies🤣🤣🤣🤣 and to make people forget about warcrimes. It works better than intended it seems 🙄

[@Gulitize]

Lol Vietnam achieved its goals and the US didn't I believe this is called losing the war😂 Cope harder

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... did not lose* (loose ≠ tight)

[@olivierpuyou3621]

I still remember the images of panic and evacuation of the last civilians boarding the helicopters as best they could while the Viets tanks passed the embassy fences. If this is not a defeat, it certainly looks a lot like one.

[@conceretejungle1150]

USA lost😂😂😂

[@fredswanepoel2425]

What the hell do you mean we lost the war,I was there,we had to withdraw due to international pressure!

[@JAG8691]

Well economic pressure primarily due to the USA Sanctions Regime which severely affected the RSA economy . At best the War was in a stalemate but without air superiority and future Soviet fighters being deployed in Angola it more likely would have turned nasty, the Atlas Carver project was still in development and becoming increasingly unaffordable to attain. The change in the USSR happened at the right time.

[@flinfaraday1821]

South Africa could have taken everything up to equator if they did not decide to pull out. Maybe you need to visit the reasons for that before spewing random thoughts.

[@ruddle-tango]

I remember it being advertised in Africa Defence Mag way back in the early 1990s; I assumed it was already operational and being sold to interested armed forces

[@entropy_of_principles]

....why not ? with some avionics and sensors can be a really game changer, Apache use same way of marketing of war, new avionics, new sensors and its armamants.

[@erkanylmaz5564]

Thanks for video. My favorite is Türk Atak T 129.

[@wynandvervaart1]

we were never going to lose the war our forces was around 11km from Angolan capital and was called back as pease talks was to commence.......

[@johanbrittz9054]

Correction! South Africa did not loose the war. The war was settled politically! Get the facts right

[@coxsen999]

It is false to say that the SADF lost the war militarily, in fact FAR from it, the war was lost politically since it was based on bad political policies. The military side was won hands down by the SADF

[@mattaikay925]

absolutely stunning machine - it definitely has the potential - go RZA go

[@BanjoBob337]

RSA

[@mattaikay925]

@@BanjoBob337 agreed

[@flinfaraday1821]

Why don't you do some research first about that war? What about some simple stats to start off with? FFS.

[@mariusbuys5355]

Correction 1988 SADF was not losing the war

[@hakanpolattr]

Comment..Comment From TÜRKİYE...

[@Sir_Godz]

cool chopper

[@davidkruger5590]

South Africa did NOT 'lose the war'.!

[@flipster7285]

The bigger question is whether Denel will be able to deliver..... the company received a R3.4billion bailout from government during 2022 and progress to meet treasury's requirements has not been too great. Hopefully they can sort out their financials and not sink back to the brink of being insolvent...

[@mybru1]

They've already restarted project hoefyster which is the replacement for the ratels. They're exports with regards to the umkhonto SAM systems have increased by nearly 40% over the past 5 years. Apart from rheinmetal denel is the only company allowed to produce the assegai artillery ammunition for NATO artillery systems

[@faampie]

Jy praat mos klomp kak. We did not loose that war .

[@gerhardmeyer8891]

Faulty history....do your research correctly first. To do that a serious researcher will analyse all angles's and use several verifiable sources. You did none of that...

[@tebohofokane1864]

Very sad chatting to pilots from 16 Squadron about lack of firepower during deployments.

[@stevenmoodley4699]

👍🇿🇦 impressive

[@tonybrock5288]

Denel and South Africans in general were super intelligent and innovative and created some amazing machines like the Rooivalk which would match the Apache and created world leading armoured anti-mine vehicles like the Buffel and the Ratel etc. And then the ANC Government took over and corruption and incompetence turned it all to sh1t.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

We need a bunch of systems from the US to make the Rooivalk. They won't sell it to us for exports as they don't want competition for the Apache

[@martinkobimbo8090]

In these modern days I'm pretty sure you can get those systems elsewhere, unless the engine is made in the US? The engines for most western gunships are US made. Currently south African MRAPS sell well across Africa, always wondered why the helicopters don't.

[@SuperChodot]

​@@martinkobimbo8090Probably some 20 years ago, I remember Malaysia very interested with this helicopter back in the 90s or early 2000. The same thing happen to Turkiye attack helicopter, but obviously it's a different era now.

[@Leec_1972]

@@martinkobimbo8090 Engines are French. New avionics will be in collabouration with Turkey

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

Nothing on the Rooivalk project was American.

[@louiebodenstaff6772]

Decades ago South Africa was going to sell loads of Rooivalk helicopters to Australia, as it is better than the US Apache choppers. The USA then forced the Aussies to purchase their Apaches, or else it would impose sanctions on them ... for those of you who didn't know ...

[@zali13]

I've loved the Red Kestrel since the 1990s. Pity Malaysia didn't buy it...

[@DK-wi9zb]

Nice video. Please ignore all the whiney Apartheid commenters crying over getting their asses kicked in the war in Angola. They failed all their objectives while MPLA and SWAPO are still in power today.

[@detdet3871]

you can make comments like this because you live in a western democracy because Suid Afrika failed all there objectives, bitter about apartheid much huh poopy pants?

[@hakanpolattr]

Comment..Comment From Türkiye..

[@erdiakarsu4945]

Didn't know we were so close to choose 🇿🇦Rooivalk instead of 🇮🇹 A129 to produce as our licenced attack helo. But what can you do as a Turk if france is involved in it. Their only unchanging national policy is unconditional anti-turkism. They definitely would hurt our process of licensing, doing anything to stop production after deal has done. It is sad Rooivalk didn't win the tender but I'm quite satisfied with T129 since it helped us quite a lot in counter-terrorism. Two interesting 🇿🇦 weapon system videos in a short time, I like it a lot. Great content 👍🙏😋 thanks Weapon Detective.

[@Solveig.Tissot]

Your nonsense hatred of France makes you more ridiculous and embarrassing in front of everyone than before...

[@ejmproductions8198]

South Africa was not losing the war. It was South Africa that conducted missions in Angola, never did the Cubans /Angolans cross the South African border

[@cjb5003]

Losing the war.Yeah right.Politics came in the way,not losing.Are you Cuban? If not go ask them if SADF lost.

[@TheSwanepoelmj]

And this shit was developed before I was conceived. Holy shit, Engineering at its best

[@muffinatordlux]

It was commissioned and served much sooner than you state...

[@baas3012]

Am sorry you say we lost the war? I think you must go and read up on your history my friend.

[@divinewind6313]

This helicopter was developed by a nation under sanctions and my country developed one in early 2010s and still under testing.

[@maliwanhlanhla9329]

It's still the best machine

[@allandavis8201]

Given that South Africa. 🇿🇦 (S.A) was developing this technology alone due to apartheid sanctions it is impressive that it came into being,and from the narration, appears to be a potent weapons platform, well done S.A. I worked on the original Puma helicopters for a number of years on both the mechanical/hydraulic systems and the Airframe structural repair/modification side of the aircraft, I didn’t care much for the thing in all honesty as everything was back to front, the main rotor assembly going round the wrong way, and the tail rotor on the wrong side, and then having to use a control reversing mechanism just so the controls were intuitive for the crew, crazy. The Caracal looks like a very fine helicopter, but if it is the same flight control and rotor system I will pass.

[@stephenaggett4173]

Do you know why it was originally designed back to front?

[@allandavis8201]

@@stephenaggett4173 I can honestly say I was probably told when I did my type course at Westland Helicopters back in the early 80s, however I can’t remember if I was or was not told, please enlighten me, thank you.

[@stephenaggett4173]

​@allandavis8201 No idea Allan...was just wondering 🤔

[@allandavis8201]

@@stephenaggett4173 if I ever remember I would try and let you know, I wish I still had my course notes, unfortunately, and very weirdly, they were stolen from my car in Nottingham, nothing else just the notes, they were not worth anything to anyone, they were not secret or anything, and there was plenty of other things that were worth something, just broke the window and they were gone. Thanks for taking the time to reply, sorry I couldn’t enlighten you.

[@lucianohelvecioteixeira.9995]

Uma opção viável Forças Armadas Brasileiras devidamente atualizada mas o Brasil não tem tradição de desenvolvimento de armas Não e contínuo temos período e depois não tem continuidade exemplo própria Denel missel DARTEL e Brasil investiu depois abandonou projeto

[@willempretorius6700]

I hate it when content creators make false statements. We never lost the war. We never had more than 3500 troops in the field and still kicked the Angolan and Cuban ass, which were more than 50 000.

[@jacquesheunes6041]

Are there any rooivalk left in Service?

[@1wandol]

South Africa had it all and it's like lost it all but they get it back running if they want

[@JadeRofot]

Well done, accent was a little thick but he was well informed.

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

Aside for stating we lost the war...

[@WillemVanwyk-pt5yh]

South Africa did not loose the War. The international community withdrew their support as the Berlin wall fell and therefore there was a general reduction in all foreign missions by the west.

[@j2b348]

S.A. Once had a formidable army. 😊

[@ChristiaanMinnaar-n4n]

Did u know it's the only helicopter that could turn upside dawn,,,, South African technology

[@maarten_notjustagrip]

It couldn't do anything a Puma couldn't. It has a fully articulating rotor head. Anyone with chopper knowledge knows it can't fly inverted or even do a full loop. Sorry. Ex SAAF Rotary Wing AME here. I was trained on the Rooivalk.

[@ChristiaanMinnaar-n4n]

@@maarten_notjustagrip 👌is it true they sold the blueprints couple years back to a other nation?

[@wiktorberski9272]

Interesting design, but with rathe slim chances of any commercial succes

[@mohd.iftekharulalamemad7148]

Will roovialk be made again by help of Turkey?

[@thewatcher8345]

Didn't the Rooivalk predate modern attack halos.....hmmmm ???

[@riaan6421]

You may know something about the Rooivalk, but you don't know anything about the war in Angola.

[@kabzaify]

South Africa needs to create is own engine, if not this helicopter has no chance, the French won't allow a competitor to grow.

[@alanthom4641]

Was doomed by FW de Klerk. Now just a technology platform demonstrator.

[@markthompson4859]

3 decades old almost...It's literally obsolete

[@trevorputterill]

Certainly didnt loose war

[@MarxAlex]

Read the Battle Cuito Cuanaval by Leopold scholz . Sa fought the cubans to a standstill, they didnt achieve their goals but sa was bankrupt from sanctions. No cuban tanks marched down the grand parade in cape town. As for roooi valk , under the anc sa is becoming a failed state, the project is dead. Most knowledgeable techs in denel are in the uae. The anc could not organise a piss up in a brewery .

[@yuymu555]

I request a Kawasaki OH-1

[@maitejoycemangena7604]

South Africa need to up grade their weapons in order to compiet with super powers ' our standrd were reduced by the enemies of black skin

[@sanelendlovu1893]

You know, reading some of these comments makes me realize how bitter people are about our democracy. What does the Rooivalk being outdated have to do with the incompetence of the ANC?😂 Defense budget was cut becuase people needed water, electricity etc...

[@henkstols9326]

So you saying the ANC isnt a failure after 30 years?

[@sanelendlovu1893]

I’m not a supporter of the ANC, I’m a supporter of common sense. Look at the so called “first world countries”, like UK, USA etc. In the past 30 years unemployment increased, America has a homelessness crisis, education system failing, corruption, mass shootings, insane inflation, food prices soaring and the list goes on. My point is, even if ANC loses the elections, our problems will not stop there. We need radical change, major reforms in the way that the country is run (not talking about communism). Unfortunately, politicians are more interested in power and pageantry rather than solving societal issues.

[@MillerVanDotTV]

@@sanelendlovu1893yeah you need white people back in charge, and when I say white I don’t mean Jews.

[@sefutho]

SA's best 🤔

[@acongmamat3628]

#TUDM

[@1jacquesnel]

Your facts are so far removed from the truth it's laughable. If South Africa lost the war, South West Africa would have been invaded by the combined forces of Swapo, Cuba and Russia. The South Africa Defense forces invaded Angola and occupied the South of Agola and pushed the combined forces back north, shooting out Russian tanks, downing migs and taking Russian highly secret weapons captive. Not even the best American spies could get hold of. By the way, the South African Defense force were only 3000 fighting a combined enemy of more than 100 000 troops. Our artillery G2, 3,4 and 5 were world leading by so far that it only became competitive after 1992 when we sold it to international clients. Castro executed his losing genrals as they embarrassed Cuba. America gave the SADF 1 million dollars a day to stay in the fight, I wonder why? A peace treaty was signed to spare Cuba an Russia from embarrassing themselves. It paved the way for peaceful all inclusive political stability in South Africa. Throughout history, South African troops are from the most resilient and tough mf you will encounter in the battle field. Ask the British army who took many years and heavy losses to defeat the Boers in the Boer War, where they deployed inhuman tactics like women and children concentratian camps without medical support for sick prisoners of war who had to stay in tents in the middle of winter with temperatures goiin under freezing. The intent of British was to get their hands on the gold and diamonds that was just found in South Africa. Go figure.

[@toppie5700]

wrong government running the show

[@Patshes]

What!!!??? Nonsense!!!

[@rustcohle349]

Nope. Denel lost all the talent to the new defense companies forming in UAE & Saudi. South africa's defense industry is done 🥲

[@osamaalafghanee8868]

When it came out the Rooivalk was the most expensive gunship in the world! And it remained the most expensive gunship for the next three decades. The cost of one Rooivalk will get you two Apache helicopters.Even today it is one of the top three most expensive gunships.

[@Leec_1972]

Source please?

[@osamaalafghanee8868]

@@Leec_1972 C'mon...look it up yourself.

[@Leec_1972]

@@osamaalafghanee8868 Why must I look it up? You made a public assertion with zero referral. Frankly you are talking shit with nil evidence

[@osamaalafghanee8868]

@@Leec_1972 The answer you looking for is just a few clicks away on your keyboard. C'mon.

[@gleitsonSalles]

​@@osamaalafghanee8868Ther burden of proof is yours

[@shortMario]

This helicopter is unfortunately underpowered and not suited for sustzined combat operztions. The unique logistics train of the old SADF was a unique machine not easily replicated and this machine can only fintion with this support and the comand and control mantality prevelant at the time. Its pointless in any other context then the one it was desighed for ..

[@mybru1]

Not suited for sustained combat. The rooivalk has been the primary source for CAS I'm the DRC for over 10 years know. There were even instances that they stayed in the fight longer than hinds

[@shortMario]

@mybru1 My understanding is that these helicopters has been deployed operationally only once in the DRC in a direct assault capacity. As for the hinds to my knowlage the factions that the UN has been deployed against has no aircombat capacity so you must mean that the rooivalk was deployed in concert with hinds. I don't remember ever seeing such a deployment.. Perhaps you mean in general. The hind is a extremely heavy airplatform with fuel hungry engines as such the hind has limited flight time. The rooivalk does infact have longer flight time then some hind variants. This however has nothing to do with the logistics train and maintenance schedule that the respective machines require. In my opinion that the rooivalk had been assigned to the mission in the DRC had very little to do with operational needs and had everything to do with political considerations. I do not think your esesment is reflective of the reality or anything that approaches it.

[@Pieter-p7c]

Just a correction, I was there ... South Africa... did not loose the war in Angola.... stop this shit propaganda.

[@vlexonkol8466]

Puma that became Apache rip off but as chonker as Mi-24