Dire straits – all that money for nothing? Helicopter operations may stop entirely, as military nears crisis; Gripen jets grounded, as SANDF avoids potential solutions; The state of the SAN’s frigates and submarines.

In 1999, South Africa became the Saab JAS-39 Gripen‘s 1st export customer, ordering 26 fighters. The country is generally considered to be one of Africa’s stronger economies, and a regional security partner. On the defense front, their arms firms have managed to survive, albeit with some adjustment pains and restructuring. They can still produce weapons that are relevant on the world stage.

Unless current trends change, however, outside views of the country’s regional security role may need a rethink.
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SAN: MEKO A200s

South Africa’s 1999 Strategic Defence Procurement Process bought 3 U209 submarines, 4 MEKO A200 light frigates, 30 AW109 light helicopters, and 26 JAS-39C/D Gripen fighters. It has ballooned from original estimates of R30 billion to an estimated R70 billion (currently about $7.6 billion).

Buying shiny toys but not having the maintenance, training, or qualified people to operate them is a regular occurrence in Africa. The end result follows like clockwork: a collection of expensive and not-so expensive weapons that are mostly for boast, show, and 10% or so .

Maintenance and support contracts may seem boring – but you can tell a lot about the readiness and state of a country’s military by watching the contracts that take place after the big buys. Not to mention the professionalism of the military service that has to maintain and operate them.

July 24/13: A109 Helos. South African media report that none of the SAAF’s Agusta AW109 helicopters are being used, because there isn’t enough money to operate them. They’re turned on occasionally, but don’t fly, and reports indicate that just 71 flying hours have been allocated to the operational fleet. Even as government “VIPs” continue to receive rides.

If true, it means that many pilots are in danger of losing their qualification. Which may not matter. The Beeld newspaper quotes a “senior [SANDF] officer” who says a 60% budget cut could end all helicopter operations, as well as grounding the Gripen fleet. Effectively, it would leave South Africa without an air force.

The SAAF originally bought 30 of the helicopters as part of its arms deal. At least 4 have crashed, most recently in March 31/13 , killing a total of at least 8 service members. The March crash followed 3 other crashes from 2009-2010. The helicopter’s performance and future have been an issue since 2011 , and there are criticisms that it’s underpowered in light of South Africa’s needs. Given persistent corruption allegations swirling around South Africa’s 1999 Strategic Defence Procurement Process, analysts in South Africa can be forgiven for wondering why it beat competitors.

SAAF spokesman Save Raynier cites a drop in the SAAF’s ‘helicopter capability’ budget from R915 million in 2012/13 to R769 million in 2013/14. iAfrica | iOL | News 24 | Times Live .

July 18/13: Fighters. DefenceWeb quotes Saab South Africa President Magnus Lewis-Olsson, who tells them that the SAAF’s interim JAS-39C/D Gripen support contracts ended in April 2013. Saab was hoping to get a support contract in place within the next few months, but if it doesn’t, SAAF personnel can only provide front-line maintenance. Over time, their fleet will become unable to fly. defenceWeb .

July 17/13: Fighters. Saab South Africa President Magnus Lewis-Olsson tells defenceWeb that a planned global Gripen Fighter Weapon School in South Africa (q.v. July 10-18/12) represents a missed opportunity for the country. The 1,000 square meter training HQ would have been at AFB Overberg in the Western Cape, which Saab liked for its central location and available flight space. The course would have used a mix of Swedish and South African pilots, keeping those SAAF pilots current, and reimbursing the SAAF for the use of 4-6 Gripens that aren’t flying anyway due to budget cuts. Oddly, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) didn’t move to support the initiative, and in fact seemed to campaign against it.

Meanwhile, Saab has completed its syllabus and is ready to begin construction of the School and start training. Other countries have expressed interest, and Saab will be moving forward. defenceWeb .

March 13/13: Fighters. Opposition Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier recently forced the ANC government to acknowledge that 12 of its 26 delivered JAS-39C/D fighters were in long term storage. In reality, the SAAF’s fighter problem is even worse than that. He sums up the situation this way:

“The sad facts of the Gripen system are as follows: 26 Gripen fighter jets were delivered; 10 or fewer are operational; 12 are in long-term storage; there are six qualified pilots; there are about 150 flying hours available to the entire squadron for 2013.”

See: Business Day .

Nov 29/12: Fighters & Frigates. SANDF strategy director Admiral Alan Green tells parlementarians that the SAAF can’t keep all 26 Gripen fighter planes in the air, and documents show just 2 hours of flying time per plane per month over the 3-month period from July-September. The SAAF’s 9 reserve squadrons have also been grounded.

Meanwhile, naval operations are severely limited, as the navy was sent on operations in the Indian Ocean, but not given the requested budget to deploy. Of the SAN’s 4 MEKO A200 light frigates, 1 is currently operating, 2 are in for maintenance periods of up to 9 months, and the 4th needs a new engine that can only be installed in Germany. Ghana MMA.

Aug 12/12: Submarines. South Africa’s Times Live reports that the SAN’s R8 billion fleet of 3 U209 attack submarines are all in dry dock, after the only operational vessel crashed into the seabed. SAS Queen Modjadji suffered a serious dent in her hull during a safety drill involving the hydraulic system.

SAS Charlotte Maxeke is busy with routine maintenance.

SAS Manthatisi, the country’s 1st submarine, has been in dry dock since 2007. Mishaps have included crashing into a quay and damaging her steering mechanism, incorrectly plugging in a shoreline power cable and damaging her electrical system. The vessel’s propulsion batteries are currently being replaced. Times Live .

July 10-18/12: Fighters. Saab says that they’re moving to establish a new global Fighter Weapons School for Gripen pilots at the SAAF’s Overberg base, in the southern Cape area, along with the Swedish and South African air forces. The first class is said to be targeting an October 2013 opening. Aviation Week:

“A former site for secret South African/Israeli missile tests, Overberg hosts the SAAF’s test squadron and was chosen because it offers access to maritime, desert and high-elevation training areas, live ordnance areas and instrumented ranges with land targets… The SAAF will provide the school with [4-6] JAS 39C/D Gripens, plus aggressors (opposition aircraft) and targets if necessary, and each student will fly 20 day and night sorties. Discussions with other Gripen operators have already started. Airborne early warning and control aircraft or tankers could be added later.”

Even though this would keep SAAF pilots much more current, create a maintenance center of excellence in country, provide spinoff opportunities for Denel re: drone targets, and reimburse the SAAF to keep more Gripens in the air, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) follows with a sharp rebuke:

“We would like to place on record that there has never been any discussion between SAAB and the SANDF. It is with dismay that we read such in the media when no interaction whatsoever with regard to the purported school. The Air Force Base Overberg is a sensitive security establishment of the SANDF and will remain solely in the hands of the SANDF. The suggestion therefore that such a school will be established is devoid of truth.”

Saab tells defenceWeb that it remains 100% committed to the project, and says that the SAAF was onboard and supportive, “but final and formal approval with South African government bodies is still outstanding.” Saab | Aviation Week | defenceWeb .

With acknowledgement to Defense Industry Daily and Staff.

In many respects, our first two SA Navy witnesses were vary sparing with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Plus the DoD and SAN chose witnesses who have never had anything direct to do with the corvette and submarine acquisitions at all.

I know because I have personally been very closely involved with two submarine programmes and three frigate/corvette programmes since 1985 and never seen any one of the four at any project meeting or even seen their names on higher level programme meeting minutes.

Yet I can name at lest three rear admirals who are currently serving and seconded to the DoD DAPD department where they served as Project Director or Director of Naval Acquisition.

Indeed the SAN's first two witnesses testified that for much of the relevant time they were actually out of the country on diplomatic postings and courses.

It's going to come back with a very large dollop of penalty interest.

That's even if I never get called to testify.

For there is a cunning plan that would make Baldwrick's and even Blackadder's eyes water.