Alfred Kamara
21st Jul 2004, 07:07
i can not believe what i read in this morning's newspaper : it is like our Air forces back home in West Africa !
this is from news 24 :
" Quote : The South African air force's wings have been clipped even further after two helicopter crashes in less than a week.
The two incidents have again raised the debate about the air force's operational capabilities.
On July 1 and July 6, an Oryx and an Allouette helicopter crashed in Kempton Park and Grahamstown, respectively. According to Lieutenant Ronald Maseko of the air force, no one was injured in either crash.
Although the cause of these two accidents has not been established, experts say it shows the air force's operational abilities have deteriorated.
Retired Major-General Len le Roux, head of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) defence programmes, feels that at least four factors are contributing to the air force's problems.
The question of South Africa's involvement in peace operations on the continent.
According to Le Roux, the defence force's most-important role is with peace operations.
"It costs a lot of money and in some cases - such as Burundi - we probably won't get all our money back."
A spending imbalance between the "sharp" (operational) and "blunt" (support) functions of the air force.
"The ratio of generals to soldiers is still too high, for example."
Sustained support to the police service for internal security.
The defence force was to have cut back on its support to the police in the past few years, but this has not happened.
Scaling down of personnel has taken longer than expected.
"Because of comprehensible political reasons, this process is slow. We can't afford to push large numbers of old soldiers out into the labour market."
In the defence force's latest three-yearly strategic plan, it warns that the SANDF's capabilities with certain services, such as air capabilities, have been put under enormous pressure because of budgetary factors.
But, Le Roux said that more money was not the only solution.
"If there isn't enough money, then we must reprioritise. The country must decide what it wants from its air force and pay for that." UNQUOTE "
this is from news 24 :
" Quote : The South African air force's wings have been clipped even further after two helicopter crashes in less than a week.
The two incidents have again raised the debate about the air force's operational capabilities.
On July 1 and July 6, an Oryx and an Allouette helicopter crashed in Kempton Park and Grahamstown, respectively. According to Lieutenant Ronald Maseko of the air force, no one was injured in either crash.
Although the cause of these two accidents has not been established, experts say it shows the air force's operational abilities have deteriorated.
Retired Major-General Len le Roux, head of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) defence programmes, feels that at least four factors are contributing to the air force's problems.
The question of South Africa's involvement in peace operations on the continent.
According to Le Roux, the defence force's most-important role is with peace operations.
"It costs a lot of money and in some cases - such as Burundi - we probably won't get all our money back."
A spending imbalance between the "sharp" (operational) and "blunt" (support) functions of the air force.
"The ratio of generals to soldiers is still too high, for example."
Sustained support to the police service for internal security.
The defence force was to have cut back on its support to the police in the past few years, but this has not happened.
Scaling down of personnel has taken longer than expected.
"Because of comprehensible political reasons, this process is slow. We can't afford to push large numbers of old soldiers out into the labour market."
In the defence force's latest three-yearly strategic plan, it warns that the SANDF's capabilities with certain services, such as air capabilities, have been put under enormous pressure because of budgetary factors.
But, Le Roux said that more money was not the only solution.
"If there isn't enough money, then we must reprioritise. The country must decide what it wants from its air force and pay for that." UNQUOTE "