Rooivalk Attack Helo Makes Combat Debut in DRC
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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 .
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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