Over the next few years until the imposition of the mandatory United Nations arms embargo against South Africa in 1977, additional pilots were sent to the ETPS and to EPNER in France to gain flight test experience and expertise.
By 1979, the TFDC had grown large enough to merit the allocation of one of the hangar complexes at AFB Waterkloof, and in 1980 it established a satellite unit at Van Ryneveld Airfield in Upington to conduct weapons release tests.
As of July 2011 TFDC's permanent fleet consists of: Other aircraft are operated on temporary detachment from squadrons as well as manufacturers such as Denel.
The TFDC's largest running project was the operational evaluation of the BAe Hawk Mk.120 and certification of its Adour 951 turbofan engine.
In 2001 and 2002 it assisted the German Air Force in the testing of the Taurus stand-off missile, for which two Panavia Tornado aircraft deployed a number of times to AFB Overberg from Germany with the help of a SAAF Boeing 707 aerial tanker.