(Part 1)- SA Air Force claims less than 25% availability
Less than a quarter of the South African Air Force’s (SAAF’s) inventory of aircraft is operable as budget cuts, COVID-19 and Denel’s capabilities are being eroded. Only 46 of the SAAF’s 217 aircraft are now operable, according to an Armscor presentation.
THIS WAS REVEALED DURING a briefing by the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV), which looked into the status of Denel and other service providers’ maintenance of the SAAF fleet.
On 15 February 2022 the breakdown of fleet availability provided to parliament was as follows:
In the helicopter fleet, four out of 11 Rooivalk helicopters, 17 out of 39 Oryx helicopters, and three out of six BK 117 helicopters are operational. (One BK 117 is beyond economical repair). Only three of the 30 A109 Light Utility Helicopters are operational, while five are beyond financial repair. The four Lynx naval helicopters are all out of commission.
In the VIP fleet, the presidential Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is not serviceable as it is still undergoing a major C-check service and repaint. The sole Pilatus PC-12 and one of the three Falcon business aircraft are operational. One out of three King Air 200s is operational, with the single King Air 300 being in storage.
Transport Aircraft: Only one of the six C-130BZ Hercules transports is operational, and one is beyond economic repair. Five of the eight Caravans are operational, while two are in long-term storage. Two out of three C212s and Three C-47TPs are repairable, five are not, four are in long-term storage, and seven are beyond financial fix.
Fighters: None of the 26 Gripens are operational (two are beyond economical repair and 11 are in long-term storage). Only three of the 24 Hawk lead-in fighter-trainers are operational, three are beyond economic repair, and 12 are in long-term storage.
The majority of the trainer fleet is grounded or in storage – only two of the 35 PC-7 Mk IIs in the SAAF’s fleet are operable, with the remaining 16 in long-term storage. 14 are currently undergoing maintenance and are waiting for spare parts. The other three are no longer usable. The SAAF has admitted that its ab-initio cadets will be sent to Cuba for training.
The SAAF’s reduced budget has had a severe impact on aircraft availability. The SAAF’s limited maintenance capacity, aging aircraft that require additional maintenance, and COVID-19-related disruptions are all contributing to the serviceability crisis.
‘The SAAF’s Gripens and Hawks are already being cannibalised for spares.’
Armaments supply parastatal Armscor blamed the shortage of operational aircraft on a number of issues, including a liquidity crisis at Denel, the parastatal which is the Oryx and Rooivalk’s original equipment manufacturer, which also maintains other SAAF types, notably the C-130 Hercules fleet.
The situation within the SAAF “is not where it’s meant to be in terms of combat readiness and required hours of flying,” said Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo, Chief of the SAAF, to the PCDMV. Currently, roughly 5 000 hours are flown each year, which is significantly less than the required amount.
Mbambo claims that the shortage of serviceable aircraft is impacting pilot training since there aren’t enough airworthy trainers. He went on to say that the SAAF needs new patrol planes to help the Navy, and that much unlawful activity is taking place in South African waters because “we don’t have the ability to monitor. We cannot hope to patrol properly and create a deterrent if you have such a weak capability,” he remarked, pointing out that the C-47TP Dakota fleet is more than 60 years old.
‘Only one of the six C-130BZs is operational’
According to Mbambo, the situation “is really dire” for the SAAF, with the decline of Denel being one of the main concerns. “Denel manufactures the original equipment for the majority of our aircraft systems, particularly the rotary capability… Denel is the Rooivalk’s original equipment manufacturer, and they’re also helping us with C-130 maintenance. What we are seeing on the horizon causes us considerable concern. If Denel truly goes out of business, we’ll be left with few options or manoeuvring room to continue conducting business… This adds to the difficulties we’re dealing with right now.”
Shadow defence minister for the Democratic Alliance (DA), Kobus Marais, said the low serviceability is a sad situation that “shows we are so exposed to any onslaught by anyone.” Our capabilities appear to have vanished. That is exactly what we feared in the past, that our Air Force would be reduced to an Air Wing, and the Navy would be reduced to a Water Wing rather than a Navy. It demonstrates that we must act immediately.”
