Incredible Video Shows SAAF Gripen During Night-Time Flare Launch Over a Cape Town Beach

This is a really rare footage from South Africa.

Ever wondered what is like when you are flying in a Gripen at night and your wingman ignites the afterburner and then start releasing flares? Well, thanks to the South African Air Force now you can have a clear idea.

The following video was brought to the attention of the Twitterverse by the Director at African Defence Review Darren Olivier. 

It shows a SAAF Jas 39 Gripen D aircraft during a the two-ship night-time flare launch over a Cape Town beach last week. The pyrotechnic display was part of the Armed Forces Day 2019, held from Feb. 16 to 21 at Cape Town.

South Africa, Gripen’s first export customer, has ordered a fleet of 26 aircraft (9 two-seat and 17 single seat aircraft) to replace its existing front-line aircraft. Deliveries began in 2008 and was completed during the spring of 2012.

In South Africa Gripen aircraft are stationed at Air Force Base Makhado. In SAAF service, the Gripen C and D jets are used in the following roles: air defence, surface attack, reconnaissance and operational conversation training.

H/T to @africaken1 for the heads-up!

About David Cenciotti

WebsiteFacebookTwitterLinkedIn instagram

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.