The Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa (also known as Atlas Aviation) was established in 1965^[1] to manufacture a number of sophisticated military aircraft and avionics equipment for the South African Air Force, as well as for export. It was established primarily to circumvent an international arms embargo commenced in 1963^[2] against the South African government because of its Apartheid policies.

With the establishment in 1968 of the South African government-sponsored conglomerate named Armscor (Armaments Corporation of South Africa), the Atlas Aircraft Corporation was also brought under Armscor's control^[3].

In 1992 Atlas was absorbed into a new entity known as Denel.^[4] Its mission continues through the Denel Aviation division of Denel Aerospace Systems, one of Denel's many subsidiaries.

Atlas built and maintained a variety of aircraft^[1]:

• Impala MkI and MkII (the Aermacchi MB-326 two-seat military jet trainer aircraft designed in Italy.)
• Atlas Cheetah (a fighter aircraft built as an upgrade of the Dassault Mirage III.)
• Oryx (an armed version of the Aérospatiale Puma helicopter.)
• Bosbok (Italian designed light observation aircraft, also used for attack purposes.)

Atlas also assisted the South African Air Force to maintain its fleet of planes that had been purchased (mostly) prior to the onset of sanctions in the 1960s, such as the:

• Aérospatiale Alouette II
• Aérospatiale Alouette III
• Aérospatiale Super Frelon
• Avro Shackleton
• Beechcraft Queen Air
• Blackburn Buccaneer
• British Aerospace BAe 125
• C-54 Skymaster
• Cessna 180
• Cessna 310
• Cessna Skymaster
• Cessna 402
• Dassault Mirage III
• Douglas DC-4
• de Havilland Dove
• English Electric Canberra
• F-86 Sabre
• Pilatus PC-7
• Piper Aztec
• Piper Cherokee

[edit] See also

• Armscor (South Africa)
• List of aircraft of the South African Air Force
• Military history of South Africa
• South African Air Force

[edit] References

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