It’s time for another episode of /k/ Planes! This time, we’re looking at the South African Border War.

For over two decades, South Africa fought a war in Southwest Africa (Namibia) and Angola, Starting out as just another bush war against anti-colonial terrorist groups, the Border War would expand over the years, ultimately culminating in conventional warfare. During this time, South Africa found itself on the wrong side of history. Its allies fell apart over the years, leaving them alone and surrounded by hostile nations, all while international sanctions took their toll. Their primary enemy - Communist forces in Angola - had their own interesting distinctions, maintaining perhaps the best military in post-colonial Sub-Saharan Africa thanks to extensive foreign support. Ultimately, events at home and abroad would conspire to turn a minor bush war in a corner of Africa into the most intense aerial operations the continent had ever seen.