By the time this issue is published the South African Air Force (SAAF) will have been without an air combat capability for more than a year. Its fleet of Gripens, the sole fighter aircraft in operation with the service, have been grounded since mid-August 2021 when budget cuts and disagreementsRead More →
Russia’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians, the destruction of entire cities, and the justified imposition of extraordinary sanctions against Russia. ON TOP OF THIS, it’s causing severe and dangerous wider global impacts, ranging from wheat shortages, to inflation and economicRead More →
France’s Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) ‘Hammer’ modular precision-guided bomb kit is an impressive weapon, without any doubt one of the best of its kind in service anywhere in the world. It stands out in a crowded field by virtue of its flexibility, being able to fit on everything from lightweightRead More →
Late last year, the United States Air Force awarded seven separate companies components of a massive multi-year US$ 6.4 billion contract for the provision of ‘Red Air’ adversary air combat training. There are useful lessons to be learned for Africa. While notable for its size, ‘Red Air’ was an expectedRead More →
To the delight of aircraft spotters and the confusion of most neutral observers, two of the Russian Air Force’s (VVS) Tupolev Tu-160 long-range supersonic strategic bombers touched down at Air Force Base Waterkloof on 25 October. TU-160 visits outside of Russia are so extraordinarily rare that South Africa is onlyRead More →
Twenty two thousand flying hours. Think for a moment, of how much in terms of training, exercising, and operational flying it would allow for. Now consider this: That’s how many funded hours have been cut from the South African Air Force’s budget compared to a decade ago. Ten years ago,Read More →
