The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920 and has seen action during World War II and the Korean War. From 1966 the SAAF was involved in initially a low intensity conflict, colloquially termed as 'The Border War' in Angola (now Namibia) and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). As the war progressed, the intensity of air operations increased until the late 1980s, when the SAAF was required to fly fighter missions against Angolan aircraft in order to maintain tactical air superiority. When the conflict ended in 1990 the SAAF reduced its aircraft numbers dramatically due to economic pressures, as well as the cessation of hostilities with other neighboring states. Today the SAAF has a limited air combat capability, albeit with fourth generation aircraft, and has been structured towards regional peace-keeping, disaster relief and maritime patrol operations.
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