Chile acquires ex-SAAF Cheetahs

A South African Air Force (SAAF) spokesperson recently confirmed that five Cheetah E strike fighters were recently sold to the Chilean government. After the type was retired from SAAF service with 5 Squadron in 1992, the 14 surviving Cheetah Es (of 16 orginally manufactured) were flown to AFB Pietersburg for storage to await a decision on their fate.

Of these, 842 was delivered to the SAAF Museum at Swartkop on March 16, 2000, and approval is being sought for a second example, 826, to be donated to the Gauteng Education Department Trust as an educational exhibit in its Science Centre.

According to the SAAF spokesperson, the SAAF had believed from the outset that it would have difficulty selling the Cheetah Es and had advocated scrapping them a long time ago. However, Armscor, the South African Government arms acquisition and marketing agency, was adamant that it could sell the aircraft within five years, though it subsequently found there was no interest whatsoever, even as a spares source.

Finally, the Chilean Government showed interest and began negotiations to buy an intial batch of five (819, 820, 827, 832 and 833) for the Chilean Air Force (FAC) as a source of spares for the FAC's similar Pantera fighters.

South African Government approval for the sale was granted on October 27, 2003, and Chile has requested purchase of the remaining seven Cheetah E's (822, 823, 825, 828, 829, 831 and 834), subject to a suitable price being agreed.

AirForces Monthy (October 2004)