Airforce cannot fly high due to lack of funds
Date: 2 February 2008
The following is a rough translation from an article that appeared in the Beeld newspaper:
Erika Gibson
Restrictions on the airforces budget means that the new aircraft in its fleet cannot be utilised to their full potential.
Lt. Genl. Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the SAAF, made the warning yesterday during the airforces annual parade in Pretoria.
According to Gagiano, inflation in the airforces running costs was approximately 15% in real terms, while the airforces budget grew at an avergae of 5%. Higher labours costs, the heavy support of imported high-technology equipment and the increase in price of aircraft fuel are hindering the operational ability of the airforce.
Aircraft fuel represents 10% of the airforces operational budget and the fuel price has risen 95% over the past six years.
Gagiano said that the airforce must look seriously at cutting costs of areas that do not directly contribute to the operational ability in the upcoming year.
The airforce will buckle from the loss of skilled personel who are able to obtain higher offers from the private sector.
Over the past year, 82% of the resignations came from junior officers, of which more than half came from the technical section.
Gagiano said that 'the airforce simply cannot accept the ersion of it's skilled personel on this scale. We will have to undertake positive steps this year to counter it".
Gagiano stated that, over the past year, the airforce was well on track to achieve a target of an accident free year with 34 400 flying hours accomplished.
An Oryx helicopter accident on the Lesotho border, in which a policeman died late last year, and an accident with an Astra training aircraft three weeks ago, in which Lt. Col. Chris Meiring died, meant that the target was not achieved.
AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town was awarded the Prestige Unit of the Year as well as the Base of the Year.
