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South African Air Force faces 'collapse', warns service chief
Helmoed-Römer Heitman JDW Correspondent
Cape Town
The South African Air Force (SAAF) is "collapsing" due to a shortage of aircrew, technicians and funding, service chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano told Jane's on 16 September.
Aircraft operated by the SAAF, sub-Saharan Africa's largest and best-trained air force, are ageing and there are no clear plans for procurement to replace them, Gen Gagiano warned.
The decline of the service has been slow and steady; since 2001, the SAAF has lost 298 pilots and 1,684 technical officers and technicians - many of them lured to the civil sector by higher salaries.
Gen Gagiano is in talks with airlines and others in an attempt to "stabilise the aviation world" to facilitate "an orderly flow between us and the airlines". One of the plans under discussion would release SAAF pilots to airlines but ensure they were ready to serve as reservists. Other plans could include joint pilot training, airline cockpit resource management courses for SAAF personnel and SAAF staff providing assistance with air traffic control training. More cost-effective flight training will also be implemented.
The SAAF is also seeking better collaboration with Denel Aviation teams on its airbases to improve aircraft maintenance.
The rejuvenation of the SAAF remains a critical problem, Gen Gagiano said. Its fleet of C-130BZ transport aircraft is an average of 46 years old, while the SAAF's C-47TPs are now 72 years old.
The delayed Airbus Military A400M medium-lift transport aircraft programme also represents an obstacle to the SAAF's modernisation efforts, as eight of the aircraft had been set to enter service in 2010 to replace the C-130s. With first deliveries now delayed to 2014 at the earliest, the SAAF intends to review the project.
The aged C-47s must also be replaced urgently, with possible options including the Airbus Military CN-235, C-295 and C-212 or the Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan.
Looking forward, the SAAF must also address its lack of an in-flight refuelling capability, which it lost with its last Boeing 707s. The A400M could also be used for air-to-air refuelling.
С уважением, ID
