SAAF: Ageing aircraft in use until 2020
Date: 30 September 2011
South Africa's ageing fleet of C130B Hercules aircraft will be used by the SA Air Force until at least 2020, the chief of the air force Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano said on Friday.
Upgrades were being carried out in conjunction with Denel Aviation and were expected to cost about R200m.
The cost of replacing the 48-year old aircraft with the new C130J would be in the region of US$140m (about R1.11bn) each.
Brigadier General Piet van Zyl said the SAAF fleet of C130s was bought between 1962 and 1963.
He said that a specialised air-worthiness unit had been set up to continually monitor the aircraft.
- SAPA
Source: News24
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