5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Denel Rooivalk flying 2006: Danie van der Merwe· CC BY 2.0
- 2. Denel XH-2 Rooivalk AN1370262: Anthony Noble· GFDL 1.2
- 3. Rooivalk Ysterplaat: No machine-readable author provided. Ceresnet assumed (based on copyright claims).· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. Rooivalk attack helicopters escorting a UN delegation in the DRC: MONUSCO/Clara Padovan· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 5. South African Rooivalk Attack Helicopter over FIB base in Sake 2014: BoonDock· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Denel Rooivalk (previously designated AH-2 and CSH-2) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Denel Aviation of South Africa. Rooivalk is Afrikaans for "Red Falcon", which refers to the lesser kestrel. Development of the type began in 1984 by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation.
How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 15.6 m main rotor
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 36 years ago, in 1990.
- Rotor of 15.6 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1990-01-15
- introduced
- 1999
- status
- still flying
- number built
- 12
- role
- attack helicopter
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- makers
- Denel
- engines
- 2× Turbomeca Makila 1K2
- crew
- 2
- length
- 18.7 m
- rotor diameter
- 15.6 m
- height
- 5.2 m
- max take-off weight
- 8,750 kg
- top speed
- —
- cruise speed
- 278 km/h
- range
- 740 km
- ceiling
- 6,100 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q770618, Wikipedia: Denel Rooivalk (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.