A long history of dissatisfaction about the lack of priority given to maintenance of military bases and facilities by the Department of Public Works (DPW) has come to a head as a result of 10 months of self-supplied electricity at AFB Makhado.
This has seen the base’s operational funding diverted to fuel generators to supply power. A large portion of this funding was allocated to maintenance and flying hours for 2 Squadron Gripens and 85 Combat Flying School Hawk Mk120s Afrikaans daily Beeld reports.
The main electricity supply station at the base has been out of order since October. It exploded apparently due to a lack of regular maintenance and the base has since then had to rely on generators for power.
It is estimated it will cost up to R5 million to repair the power supply station but the SA Air Force (SAAF), as the operator of the base, is not allowed to appoint a contractor to do the work. This is because it is the responsibility of DPW.
Senior SAAF officers confirmed to both Beeld and defenceWeb that an urgent funds injection of at least R300 million was needed to restore normality at AFB Makhado. This will see the base’s power supply reconnected and also enable funds currently going to power generation to be put to their original allocation that of maintenance of the high-tech jet aircraft based there.
An additional R500 million is also required to prevent the SAAF having to possibly even lose the ability to keep the Gripens, Hawks and other air assets, including the Agusta A109 helicopters airworthy.
“This money is needed within the next eight months or these aircraft won’t take to the air again,” one officer said on condition of anonymity.
Twelve of 2 Squadron’s 26 Gripens have already been mothballed and the miniscule allocation for A109 flying hours could see 18 pilots lose their currency ratings on the rotorcraft. According to reports the majority of the A109 fleet is basically grounded with engine and system start-ups done from time to time in an attempt to keep them airworthy.
To date in the region of R50 million has been spent on proving generator power for AFB Makhado. This money could have paid for 300 Gripen flying hours.
Unhappiness with the lack of response from DPW as far as maintenance of military bases and facilities goes back at least five years to when current SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Solly Shoke was SA Army Chief. He resuscitated the Works Regiment in an attempt to provide at least some base and facility maintenance within the military establishment. This was later expanded to a Works Formation that would provide much-needed construction and allied services to the entire SANDF.
It is said to be in the finalisation stage of appointments and taskings as well as establishing provincial units ahead of full operations.
Shoke has reportedly taken personal charge of rectifying the AFB Makhado situation and has met with chiefs of all four arms of service and DPW officials to state “for once and all” the SANDF’s case as regards DPW’s obligations to it.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31516:lack-of-public-works-maintenance-costing-the-sandf-millions&catid=55:SANDF&Itemid=108
Crime is Crime Corruption is Corruption Murder is Murder Rape is Rape Facts are Facts
Showing posts with label South African Airforce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South African Airforce. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
SAAF Funds Shortage
The sad financial state of the SA Air Force (SAAF) could impact on future air travel by President Jacob Zuma and other government VIPs due to expiry of the international ratings of 21 Squadron pilots.
There are already three pilots in the squadron who cannot fly internationally because their ratings for intercontinental flights have lapsed.
“If in future pilots without the necessary authorisation have to fly they can be prohibited from entering airspace over any number of countries. If the President is aboard it can become a massive embarrassment.”
A similar situation exists at 28 Squadron, responsible for logistic support to SA National Defence Force (SANDF) deployments on the continent as part of either AU or UN peacekeeping or peace support missions.
The currency ratings and authorisation are done annually in simulators in the United States and the United Kingdom because it is cheaper than doing the re-rating in actual aircraft.
Cost of the currency re-rating course is estimated at between R1,5 and R2 million and this has already been paid. A shortage of funds has seen to it the SAAF has canned attendance because it cannot pay for the air tickets to and from simulator sites and accommodation for pilots on course.
A number of pilots said it was “wasted expenditure”.
Last year six pilots were sent to the United Kingdom for training on the Global Express, a possible addition to the SAAF VIP fleet. This acquisition was subsequently cancelled. Cost of this training is estimated at around the R3 million mark.
The newspaper’s specialist defence writer, Erika Gibson, did not receive any response from either SANDF or SAAF corporate communications to what she called “a detailed list of questions”. The only response was that the SANDF’s operational requirements and abilities are not subjects for public discussion.
Three courses for pilots in possession of the necessary documentation to fly Inkwazi, the Presidential BBJ, have been cancelled as well as two each for other 21 Squadron aircraft - the Falcon 900 and the Falcon 50.
28 Squadron pilots do their refresher courses free of charge in a simulator owned and operated by the US Air Force but again, the lack of funds for air travel and accommodation has seen this cancelled.
Attendance at courses is planned at least a year in advance to allow timeous upgrades for pilots needing them. The cancellations means a backlog of pilots will accrue leaving an even smaller group of current pilots to carry the squadron’s workload,” an unidentified 28 Squadron member told the paper.
Another area where the lack of finance has impacted on SAAF operations is with its A109 light utility helicopter fleet. Insufficient flying hours means around 18 pilots stand to lose their currency rating on the rotary-winged aircraft that replaced the Alouette 111. Additionally, the lack of allocated flying hours means many of the 30-strong fleet are not flown at all and only ground-started from time to time to keep them as close to airworthy as possible.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31438:saaf-funds-shortage-could-impact-on-presidential-flying&catid=55:SANDF&Itemid=108
There are already three pilots in the squadron who cannot fly internationally because their ratings for intercontinental flights have lapsed.
“If in future pilots without the necessary authorisation have to fly they can be prohibited from entering airspace over any number of countries. If the President is aboard it can become a massive embarrassment.”
A similar situation exists at 28 Squadron, responsible for logistic support to SA National Defence Force (SANDF) deployments on the continent as part of either AU or UN peacekeeping or peace support missions.
The currency ratings and authorisation are done annually in simulators in the United States and the United Kingdom because it is cheaper than doing the re-rating in actual aircraft.
Cost of the currency re-rating course is estimated at between R1,5 and R2 million and this has already been paid. A shortage of funds has seen to it the SAAF has canned attendance because it cannot pay for the air tickets to and from simulator sites and accommodation for pilots on course.
A number of pilots said it was “wasted expenditure”.
Last year six pilots were sent to the United Kingdom for training on the Global Express, a possible addition to the SAAF VIP fleet. This acquisition was subsequently cancelled. Cost of this training is estimated at around the R3 million mark.
The newspaper’s specialist defence writer, Erika Gibson, did not receive any response from either SANDF or SAAF corporate communications to what she called “a detailed list of questions”. The only response was that the SANDF’s operational requirements and abilities are not subjects for public discussion.
Three courses for pilots in possession of the necessary documentation to fly Inkwazi, the Presidential BBJ, have been cancelled as well as two each for other 21 Squadron aircraft - the Falcon 900 and the Falcon 50.
28 Squadron pilots do their refresher courses free of charge in a simulator owned and operated by the US Air Force but again, the lack of funds for air travel and accommodation has seen this cancelled.
Attendance at courses is planned at least a year in advance to allow timeous upgrades for pilots needing them. The cancellations means a backlog of pilots will accrue leaving an even smaller group of current pilots to carry the squadron’s workload,” an unidentified 28 Squadron member told the paper.
Another area where the lack of finance has impacted on SAAF operations is with its A109 light utility helicopter fleet. Insufficient flying hours means around 18 pilots stand to lose their currency rating on the rotary-winged aircraft that replaced the Alouette 111. Additionally, the lack of allocated flying hours means many of the 30-strong fleet are not flown at all and only ground-started from time to time to keep them as close to airworthy as possible.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31438:saaf-funds-shortage-could-impact-on-presidential-flying&catid=55:SANDF&Itemid=108
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
ANC Clips South African Air Force’s Wings
19 MARCH 2013
ANC clips South African Air force’s wings and clouts the Navy “deaf in one ear”
19th of March 2013
It is just unbelievable what these Marxist terrorist scum-bags have done with our once proud armed forces…and it is unimaginable what they are still going to do.
A week ago it has emerged that twelve of the 26 Swedish built Gripen fighter jets that we bought for the SAAF at a cost of R19 Billion have been mothballed…retired into “long term storage”.
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage
According to defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the Air Force does not have the funding to fly them.
But they have funding to build a palace for Zuma and his five wives. They have “funding” to piss up against the wall to the tune of R25 Billion as the Auditor General has just discovered. R25 Billion down the drain; wasted on unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful spending
Defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman noted the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) requires fighter pilots to log at least 20 flight hours per month (240 flight hours per year per fighter pilot) to remain qualified.
At present the SAAF can only muster six qualified Gripen pilots who only have 150 flying hours available across the whole Gripen squadron this year.
In the Navy it is not going much better. The SA Navy is “deaf in one ear” after copper thieves made off with more than 5km of cable from the naval command centre at Silvermine in Cape Town. Navy base hit by cable thefts
WTF? Can’t they guard their own equipment? What happened to armed “swerwerwagte” or perimeter guards?
Rhetorical question…I know…no budget, right? What a joke!!
The installation is a radio base for the navy that also serves maritime patrol aircraft and foreign communications services and helps with search-and-rescue operations.
The SA Navy has two communication centres, one at Silvermine in the Cape and a standby station in Durban, KZN.
At Silvermine, the 51 antennas against the mountain are all out of action.
That effectively makes the SA Navy “deaf in one ear”.
I have my own thoughts about these “cable thefts”…Now you tell me if this is simple theft, or deliberate terrorist sabotage?
In my opinion, the ANC scum are just doing what they have always done: Sabotage and terrorise South Africa’s infrastructure and its people.
DA spokesman on defence David Maynier said, “The fact that copper thieves breached the naval command centre at Silvermine is a national - and international - embarrassment that may compromise maritime safety and national security”.
Not only that, mate…lives are at stake here. Thousands of ships pass our dangerous coast every year and many land in distress. These distressed sailors rely on these communications. Do you think the ANC cares? Like phuq they do!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)