Rooivalk renaissance

Wednesday, 22 September, 2010

Next Monday, Denel Aviation redelivers the first upgraded Block 1F Rooivalk back to the SAAF, marking a major turning point in the helicopter’s fortunes as the fleet returns to service.

The aircraft is being taken over by the Test Flight and Development Centre, which will conduct about 20 hours of flight tests leading to type certification. The Block 1F will then become the Rooivalk Mk 1 in SAAF service.

Squadron flying at Bloemspruit was stopped last November when Denel was asked to suspend all atcompanyrisk work, which included engineering support.

However, development work continued to be funded to allow the company to complete the certificate of design process for the latest Block 1F standard.

This is a retrofit programme that encompasses 140 modifications. Chief areas of improvement are a new navigation/communications system, improved weapons accuracy for the 20mm cannon and 70mm rockets, humanmachine interface enhancements, better environmental control system and changes in the driveshaft arrangement to significantly increase mean time between failure.

Denel has completed two Rooivalks to the full Block 1F standard, the first of which flew again in February, and three more are to be similarly converted by 1 April 2011, at which point 16 Squadron will have five aircraft to restart operations.

In the meantime, Denel has an interim support package to maintain the unit’s six other aircraft as crews regain currency in preparation for the resumption of operations.

Those six helicopters – two of which are here at AAD – were redelivered to the unit last November in a ‘Block 1F minus’ standard, having had the hardware modifications performed, but lacking the final software iteration. They will be returned to Denel after next April to complete their upgrade, and thereby bring 16 Squadron back up to its full complement of 11 aircraft.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that the Rooivalk fleet will be flown for at least five years. Beyond that is open to question, but Denel is already working on ‘post 1F’ developments.

Chief among them is the integration of the Mokopa antitank missile, with a test firing campaign expected within a few months. Other areas being worked on are the development of external ferry tanks and improved hardening against electromagnetic pulse.