Military

Hoedspruit Airbase

AFB Hoedspruit is the cornerstone of fighter training and conducts air operations in the north east of the RSA, which can also be extended to the rest of Southern Africa.

On the 27th of June 1977 the first sod of ground was turned on the site which was later to be AFB Hoedspruit. Less than a year later, on the 8th of March 1978, the first Mirage landed at Hoedspruit. The Base was opened on the 1st of July 1978 during an official ceremony by the then Minister of Defence, Minister P.W. Botha.

The first houses in the domestic area Drakensig were allocated to new members in September 1978 and in December 1978 the Flying Cheetahs of 2 Squadron arrived. They were followed by 1 Squadron which arrived two years later, namely December 1980. Command of 101 Squadron was transferred to the Officer Commanding AFB Hoedspruit in 1985. 85 Combat Flying School, the newest addition to the flying squadrons of AFB Hoedspruit arrived during January 1993.

The Base is situated approximately 14 km from the town Hoedspruit in the former Eastern Transvaal Lowveld, now known as the Northern Province of the RSA, close to the border between the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. It is 440 km from Pretoria, 160 km from Nelspruit and 70 km from Phalaborwa, which is also the nearest large town to AFB Hoedspruit. The domestic area, Drakensig, is about 12 km west of the Base and situated 3 km from the town Hoedspruit.