10 top fighter pilots in SAAF

The South African Air Force has 10 operational fighter pilots to fly its frontline Cheetah aircraft, MPs heard on Wednesday.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Deputy Defence Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said the SAAF's budget allocation was "not sufficient to provide training for the full operational capability spectrum that is required". She was replying to a question from the Freedom Front's Petrus Groenewald, who asked her whether she thought 10 fighter pilots were sufficient to ward off any threats to South Africa from the air.

"With all due respect, we can't even defend two or three large cities with that," he said. Madlala-Routledge then confirmed the SAAF had "ten operational pilots on Cheetah aircraft, and one under training".

She said five pilots were qualified on Impala jets, with a further 13 in various stages of training. "It must be noted that the Impala does not have any operational role, and is used purely for training," she said.

In addition to the listed pilots, there were two reserve pilots, employed on an ad hoc basis "to enhance the limited level of expertise".

The lack of funding had also affected the availability of certain operational weapons, mission support equipment and spares. "We looked at our budget and how to survive on that, and put in a system to maintain core capabilities, but indeed we are constrained by the budget."

A number of pilots who had left the airforce were available as members of the reserve force.

News24