Atlas/Denel AH-2 Rooivalk Helicopter: Made in South Africa?
The Atlas/Denel AH-2 Rooivalk stands of an example of how South Africa successfully built up its own arms industry.
The Atlas (now Denel) AH-2 Rooivalk (Red Kestrel) is in many ways a legacy of South Africa’s effort to develop an indigenous arms industry due to the international arms embargo that was in effect throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, South Africa’s industry grew significantly and today the nation is a major player in arms production.
Development of the AH-2 Rooivalk began at Atlas as the first domestically produced attack helicopter in the early 1970s. The program initially involved the XH-1 Alpha and XTP-2 Beta, which served as system test-beds and concept-proving platforms. This led to the development of the Rooivalk prototype, originally designated the XH-2 (Experimental Helicopter 2), which made its maiden flight in 1990.