Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2009-10-14 Reporter: Christelle Terreblanche

R47bn price tag for aircraft

 

Publication 

Cape Argus
Date

2009-10-14
Reporter Christelle Terreblanche

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za


Armscor has admitted in Parliament today that the price-tag for acquiring eight A400m military heavy-lifting aircrafts has skyrocketed to R47-billion.

Armscor CEO Sipho Thomo told MPs that the initial estimated price was R17-billion, even though it is believed that the amount was as low as R7,5-billion.

Thomo said they had already paid R2,9-billion, and has admitted to withholding R1,1-billion because the aircraft would be delivered in 2016. This is pending the decision of cabinet this month whether to continue with the acquisition.

With acknowledgements to Christelle Terreblanche and Cape Argus.


It's sick beyond belief.

All and sundry have been forewarned about this.

I personally briefed more than one MP on this matter some 3 years ago.

Not only can we not afford these jet airlifters, we don't need them.

The Joint Operations command of the SANDF concluded this themselves by were over-ruled by the government.

What for may one ask?

Because it's another shot at getting taxpayers' funds out out their pockets and into the pockets and offshore bank accounts of others among us.

It's also payback time for Mickey Woerfel and his 33 Mercs.

Yengeni only got 3 of these 33 and there are probably a few others.

Remember Mickey Woerfel worked for Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace (DACA).

Daimler-Chrysler also make Mercedes  Benz and Chrysler motor cars.

DACA is a main shareholder of EADS who make the Airbus A400M aircraft.

EADS were also bidding in the Arms Deal for both the LIFT and ALFA with its dual role AT-2000 jet trainer / light fighter.

But EADS lost out bif time to BAe and Saab as well as at a lower level to Thomson-CSF in respect of the corvette surveillance radar where EADS/DASA product was the baseline option until Mickey Woerfel got outbid by Pierre Moynot and Alain Thetard.

Mickey splogded out on 33 of these beauties and hooked inter alia a few SANDF and SAAF generals, the chairman of Armscor, the CEO of Armscor and couple of members of the parliamentary committees involved with the Arms Deal.

A current cabinet minister was the recipient of two of these car discounts  - can you work out which one? 


But the extra sad thing is that just like the Gripens we don't need these airlifters.

Why?

Because the SAAF has about a dozen C130s which were all radically refurbished in the UK (Marshall Aviation) and in France (Thomson-CSF Sextant) in the middle to late 90s.

The SAAF would only need strategic airlifters which are the A400Ms rather tactical airlifters which are the C130s, if a SANDF primary statutory mission was continental operations - which it is not.

At present the SAAF has had to demobilise its current inventory of 28 operational Cheetah Cs 4 to 7 years early because it cannot afford to concurrently operate them and the incoming single seat Gripens.

But the Gripens don't have any weaponry and won't have for some time to come (and at very considerable cost over and above the main equipment acquisition cost) and so our air force is effectively a puff of flatulence.

What a bunch of farts.