Transports line up for South African order

In the wake of the South African government's decision to terminate its eight-aircraft order for the Airbus Military A400M, manufacturers are coming to South Africa eager to fill the void, and to answer the SAAF's transport needs. With the current fleet of C-130BZ Hercules to be retired in about 2015 and other types also reaching the end of their useful lives, the requirement is gaining urgency.

South Africa is committed to expanding its leadership role in the African continent though peace support, disaster relief and humanitarian operations. The need for a long-range transport that can reach throughout the entire continent is clear. Operations in much of the region also demand the ability to fly from austere, short strips and to have an air-drop capability as well as air-land.

In addition to airlift, the SAAF is also in the market for air refuelling and maritime patrol capability. The country has a vast area of ocean to cover - as far as Antarctica - for which a long-range aircraft is essential as a replacement for the elderly Turbo-Dakotas based here at Ysterplaat. Combining the three main requirements into one airframe would have obvious benefits in terms of single-fleet economies.

There has not yet been any formal request for proposals, but an air transport strategy is currently being mapped out and South Africa is in close dialogue with a number of companies regarding how they might best meet the SAAF's requirements and budget: some of the contenders are here at AAD. It is not only the Hercules that are in need of replacement, because the CASA 212 light transports are also ageing, as are the Falcon 50 VIP transports. As they age, these aircraft are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.

With so many fleets requiring recapitalisation from a limited budget, it has been suggested that replacements are procured in small batches to maintain a capability across the roles.

It has also been suggested that the air force could opt for a two or three-type approach to meet the airlift requirement, with a larger aircraft type such as the Boeing C-17 or Lockheed Martin C-130J augmented by smaller transports such as the Airbus Military C295 or Alenia C-27J for shorter-range tactical work.

Source: Janes Defence