SANDF gives no date for return of Oryx helicopters from DRC

A pair of South African National Defence Force Oryx helicopters. (SANDF)

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has told Janes that it has no date for the return of its five Oryx helicopters currently grounded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“We don't have a date, but we are working on that,” an SANDF spokesperson said.

On 22 August, the SANDF denied that three helicopters that were part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), or two helicopters that were supporting the now-terminated Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission to the country, were stranded there.

The SANDF said in a statement that “none of its Oryx helicopters are abandoned” in the DRC and of the three MONUSCO aircraft, “only one sustained damage during the United Nations peacekeeping military operations last year [2024], and it will undergo repairs. The other helicopters are operational and remain under the strict control of the SANDF”.

Local media had reported in mid-August that budget constraints meant that the five helicopters were at risk of being abandoned for lack of repairs. The SANDF responded that “all its Oryx helicopters are being maintained in accordance with technical and safety requirements”.

While the SANDF refused to say how many operational Oryx helicopters it has, Janes assessed it to be around 38. “The SANDF continues to ensure that sufficient aircraft are available to support both national defence obligations and regional peacekeeping commitments,” the spokesperson said.