Only a fraction of South Africa’s airforce is operational right now
Presentations by state-owned Denel and Armscor to parliament this week show a significant deterioration of South Africa’s military vehicle capacity – and that the country does not have the air or ground capability to protect itself or its borders.
Denel is grappling with decade-old multibillion-rand projects, which were casualties of state capture, and have placed the immediate future of the company in doubt.
This would also have significant knock-on effects for the airforce as Denel is the original manufacturer for some of its key aircraft, and is the only company that can repair and maintain the helicopters such as the Oryx and Rooivalk.
Data provided by Armscor shows how the country’s airforce has significantly diminished in recent years. Some of these aircraft are technically flyable but are grounded as service support contracts have lapsed.
These issues extend to training and flight-time, with limited planes and budget – meaning pilots are not able to maintain combat readiness.
The below table provides an overview of South Africa’s reported fleet vs how many aircraft are actually in service. Only 21% of the total fleet is considered operational.
| Aircraft type | Fleet total | Long term storage | Beyond economic repair | Operational |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooivalk | 11 | – | – | 4 |
| Oryx | 39 | – | – | 17 |
| C130 | 6 | – | 1 | 1 |
| BBJ | 1 | – | – | 0 |
| Falcon | 3 | – | – | 1 |
| A109LUH | 30 | – | 5 | 3 |
| BK117 | 6 | – | 1 | 3 |
| Caravan | 8 | 2 | – | 5 |
| CASA 212 | 3 | – | – | 2 |
| Dakota C47TP | 16 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Gripen | 26 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Hawk | 24 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| King Air | 3 (KA200) | 1 (KA300) | – | 1 |
| Lynx | 4 | – | – | 0 |
| PC-7Mkii | 35 | – | – | 2 |
| Total | 215 | 15 | 34 | 45 |
Cyril Xaba, the chairperson of the standing committee on defence, said the data paints a ‘grim picture’ and that the country was largely unprepared for military action.
“A country maintains its core defence capability because the future is unknown. 10 years ago we did not have the challenges we are experiencing just north of South Africa.
“That requires South Africa to maintain and upgrade its equipment and weaponry. For that to happen, the country needs to invest in it. Denel is facing serious financial challenges and we can now see the impact of that.”
He noted that the group is responsible for significant support and maintenance programmes to keep the country’s fleets at operational capabilities. He added that these financial challenges have hampered everything from personnel to spare parts.
This was echoed by the defence and military veterans minister Thandi Modise who said that there was a serious lack of willpower to keep investing in the country’s military capabilities. “The unity that used to be there amongst politicians in looking out for the defence force is very weak these days,” she said.
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