Air Force Base Waterkloof is an airbase of the South African Air Force

South African Air Force

The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...

. It is situated on the outskirts of Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, and is the SAAF's busiest airbase.
The base's name, Waterkloof, is Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

, it means Water Ravine in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

.
Despite the name, this base is not located in Waterkloof

Waterkloof

Waterkloof is a suburb of the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It is named after the original farm that stood there when Pretoria was founded in the 19th Century. Located to the east of the city centre, Waterkloof is a leafy, established area that is home to some of the city's most expensive real...

, Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, but lies to the south of Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, 4.34 nmi (8 km) to the northeast of Centurion, Gauteng

Centurion, Gauteng

Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand . Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality...

, and 3.37 nmi (6.2 km) from AFB Swartkop

AFB Swartkop

AFB Swartkop is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum...

 at 25°49′48"S 28°13′21"E with elevation of 1506 metres (4940 ft).

The base motto is Acquirit Qui Tuetur (He Obtains Who Defends).

Units Hosted

• 21 Squadron
  21 Squadron SAAF
  21 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It is currently a VIP transport squadron.* Motto: Onoorwinklik * First formed: 8 May 1941...
  
   - VIP transport
• 28 Squadron
  28 Squadron SAAF
  28 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It is currently a medium transport squadron flying Lockheed C-130BZ and F Hercules medium transport aircraft....
  
   - Medium transport
• 41 Squadron
  41 Squadron SAAF
  41 Squadron is a light transport squadron of the South African Air Force. It was formed in 1940 and has served since then, It is currently based at AFB Waterkloof.-World War II:...
  
   - Light transport
• 44 Squadron
  44 Squadron SAAF
  44 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It is currently a light transport squadron.* First formed: 12 March 1944 . The squadron flew Dakota DC3's as part of No. 216 Group RAF of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces in May 1945* Historic aircraft flown: Avro Anson, Dakota,...
  
   - Light transport
• 60 Squadron
  60 Squadron SAAF
  60 Squadron SAAF is a squadron of the South African Air Force. It is currently a transport, aerial refuelling and EW/ELINT squadron.* First formed: December 1940...
  
   - In-flight refuelling, transport, EW/ELINT/AEW
• 111 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
• 140 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
• 504 Squadron - Security
• 5 Air Servicing Unit - Maintenance support
• Central Photographic Institute - Photographic services
• JARIC, (Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre) The SANDF National Imagery Exploitation Centre - Strategic Imagery Intelligence (IMINT
  IMINT
  Imagery Intelligence , is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. As a means of collecting intelligence, IMINT is a subset of intelligence collection management, which, in turn, is a subset of intelligence cycle management...
  
  ) support
• Mobile Deployment Wing - Emergency response
• SAAF Telecommunications Centre - Communications

History

The base was officially opened on 1 August 1938 as Waterkloof Air Station.
Since that time it has always been in the service of the SAAF. It was upgraded to Air Force Base during WWII.

Aviation

• Non-directional beacon
  Non-directional beacon
  A non-directional beacon is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF...
  
   - WL315.0
• VHF omnidirectional range
  VHF omnidirectional range
  VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
  
  - WKV116.9
• Tower - 124.1