SAAF overcomes restricted budget

Kim Helfrich

WHILE not quite in the "desperate measures" category the SA Air Force (SAAF) is working hard at keeping abreast of demands made on it in the face of a severely curtailed budget and the current poor state of the international economy.

As one example its director: transport and maritime Brigadier General Chris van Zyl said the seven C-130BZ which are the backbone of its major airlift capacity had this year to date logged 878 hours flying to destinations all over Africa in support of government policies on international affairs, humanitarian missions as well as logistic support to SA National Defence Force (SANDF), AU and UN peacekeeping and peace support missions.

"Last year the total number of hours logged on similar taskings was 897."

The aircraft have been in service with the airborne arm of the SANDF since 1963 and current planning is to keep them airborne until at least 2020 via upgrades done by SAAF personnel working in conjunction with Denel Aviation at a cost of R200m.

"The cost of replacing them with the new C-130J model would be around R1,1bn each so it makes good economic sense to do the upgrade and keep the BZs serviceable," he said.

Current aircraft availability of the C-130BZ at 28 Squadron is more than four a day, well up from the previous two a day thanks to the improved maintenance and in-house upgrades as well as the creation of a specialist air-worthiness unit to constantly monitor all seven aircraft.

The ageing turbo-prop transports were slated to be replaced by the A400M, a new airlifter currently under development by Airbus. This was scrapped by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu earlier this year following delays in the manufacturing and testing of the so-called new generation military airlifter.

In another cost saving measure the SAAF is making more use of simulators not only for pilot training but also for musketry.

SAAF Chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano told a briefing at AFB Waterkloof in Centurion on Friday a helicopter pilot simulator costing R800 an hour would soon be used by the new generation of military rotary-wing pilots. "When this amount is compared to R4 000 an hour in an actual helicopter it makes good economic sense."

Similarly the outsourcing of ab-initio flying training in a side-by-side trainer at R1 400 an hour compared to R6 000 an hour on the SAAF's PC-7 trainers at AFB Langebaanweg was already saving the air force a lot of money.

Musketry training using simulators is another area where costs are being cut, particularly on ammunition.

The SAAF Air Deployment wing at Snake Valley, its Swartkop base and the former SAAF Gymnasium in Valhalla will soon be centred under one command again providing a cost saving. This will be further enhanced when all SAAF vehicle maintenance is moved to a single base at Snake Valley.

"We have to do this type of thing as the entire defence budget of 1,2% of Gross National product doesn't leave much room for manoeuvre. At the same time, as is clearly shown by the increased use of our air transport capability, more and more demands are being put on the air force and the SANDF as a whole," Gagiano said.