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South Africa Denel Aviation
Denel AH-2 Rooivalk
South Africa's indigenously developed attack helicopter, built by Denel using dynamic components derived from the Aerospatiale Puma and combat lessons from the Border War. It equips the South African Air Force and has seen operational deployment in peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In service since 1998 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
309
km/h
700
km range
6,100
m ceiling
1,800
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to South Africa export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1998. Status: active · ~12 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 309 km/h Stronger than 66% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 278 km/h Top 9% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 700 km Stronger than 50% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 6,100 m Stronger than 86% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 13 m/s Stronger than 86% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm F2 cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 1,800 kg Stronger than 70% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Crashworthy crew seats with armored cockpit protection
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- radar/laser/missile warning receivers, chaff, flares
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 18.73 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 5.19 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 5,910 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 8,750 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshaft, 1845 hp each
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,845 hp Stronger than 49% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- TDATS electro-optical/infrared targeting sight, helmet-mounted display
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 12 Bottom 4% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 18% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Denel Aviation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk has a maximum speed of 309 km/h.
What is the range of the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk has a maximum range of 700 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk can carry up to 1,800 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk weigh? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk has a combat weight of 8,750 kg.
How many crew does the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk require? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk's primary weapon is the 20 mm F2 cannon.
What engine does the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk use? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk is powered by the 2x Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshaft, 1845 hp each.
What is the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk used for? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk is a helicopter typically used for close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk? +
The Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk cost? +
Denel Aviation Denel AH-2 Rooivalk: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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