10 Squadron SAAF 10 Squadron was formed as a South African Air Force fighter bomber unit on 1 April 1939 and was deployed in a coastal defence role as part of Coastal Command until 1943 . It was disbanded after the threat of Japanese naval actions off the South African coast had waned . It was re - activated as a fighter squadron on 25 May 1944 and deployed to the Middle East where the squadron saw service in Syria , Libya and the Aegean and was disbanded at the end of the war in Italy . The squadron was reinstated as a UAV squadron in January 1986 in Potchefstroom to provide artillery reconnaissance and fire control for the South African Artillery Corps . The unit was operationally deployed to Angola between 1987 and 1991 and was disbanded for the last time on 31 March 1991 when the UAV ' s were transferred to Kentron for operational control and deployment . History . World War 2 . 10 Squadron was established on 1 April 1939 as 10 Bomber Fighter Squadron at East London . It was assigned as an Active Citizen Force squadron and was placed under command Eastern Province Command . It was re - designated as 10 ( F . B . ) Squadron on 1 September 1939 and renamed once again as 16 ( B ) Squadron on 1 December 1939 under command of Witwatersrand Command while the designation of 10 ( F . B . ) Squadron was kept in reserve to allow for possible expansion in this type of Squadron . The squadron role was changed back to that of a fighter squadron in February 1942 and it was designated for home defence purposes in Natal with Hawker Furies under command of Coastal Command . Fearing the possible presence of a Japanese carrier force attempting to disrupt shipping in South African waters , 6 and 10 Fighter Squadrons were re - equipped with Mohawks and later Kittyhawks and organised on a mobile basis , based at Reunion Air Field close to Durban . This structure allowed the squadron to be rapidly deployed forward to airfields along the coast to allow fighter operations in the threat area . By July 1943 the Japanese threat had receded and the squadron was disbanded . The Squadron was re - established on 25 May 1944 and was deployed to Almaza in Syria , initially for training and later as a fighter squadron equipped with Spitfire Mk . Vs . By the end of June 1944 the Squadron was moved to Idku in the Nile Delta where they took over convoy escort and patrol duties from 336 ( Hellenic ) Squadron under command of 219 Group ( RAF ) . The squadron aircraft were upgraded to Spitfire Mk . IXs in August 1944 and was tasked with high altitude interceptions of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft . In September the squadron was moved to Savoia in Libya for operations over Crete and the Aegean as well as anti - submarine patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean . It was disbanded on 31 October 1944 and its aircraft were transferred to 9 Squadron . Later history . The squadron was re - activated in January 1986 at AFB Potchefstroom and equipped with the Kentron Seeker UAV in the role of reconnaissance and artillery weapons delivery guidance support . The squadron first deployed these aircraft operationally during Operation Modular in Angola in 1987 . It was finally disbanded on 31 March 1991 after the Seeker system was transferred to Kentron for operations on behalf of the SADF . The squadron flew two models : the Seeker - P model for training and the Seeker - D for operational deployment .