Anyone who has seen a Rooivalk gunship pirouetting, almost vertically, on its nose, its 20mm cannon pointing straight down at the Earth, will know that fire-breathing dragons are real.

The story of the proudly South African attack helicopter is a somewhat bitter saga of lost opportunities and that enough of them were built to equip one South African Air Force (SAAF) squadron is a surprise all of its own. ..

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.