SANDF air charter spend totalled R2.3 billion over five years

Publicly elected representatives not part of the Government of National Unity (GNU) use the Parliamentary questions mechanism to let Cabinet Ministers know they – and their actions – are under scrutiny.

Two recent examples saw National Assembly (NA) Members of Parliament (MPs) Mzwanele Manyi of Parliamentary party newcomer and – in number terms – the official opposition MKP (uMkhonto we Sizwe Party) along with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Thapelo Mogale quiz Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga on specific SA Air Force (SAAF) functions.

Manyi was informed his request to know how many 2 Squadron Gripen C and D multi-role fighters were fully operational and combat ready or non-operational due to maintenance and/or budget constraints could not be disclosed in public. “The matter can only be discussed in a closed session,” he was told with the second part of his question – the quantified funding shortfall needed to restore and sustain full air combat capability – receiving a monetary reply.

R4.96 billion, the MKP MP, was told is “required to restore and sustain a full air combat capability”.

The 2026/27 defence budget vote allocates the airborne service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) R7.57 billion, which includes fighter capability maintenance for both the Gripen and Hawk Mk 120 lead-in fighter trainers at 85 Combat Flying School (CFS). This was as per the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) in budget vote number 23 presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on 25 February.

Of the R7.57 billion for the SAAF, the Helicopter Capability will receive R1.1 billion; Transport and maritime R630 million; and Air Combat Capability R825 million. Operational support and intelligence is allocated R426 million while command and control gets R467 million, and base support R2.4 billion. The Training Capability is allocated R535 million, and Technical Support Services R794 million.

Mogale had aircraft charters and their cost in mind when he asked Motshekga for a breakdown over the past five years. A written response, posted by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG), has it the SANDF spent R2.3 billion on charter flights in total over the past five financial years.

The yearly breakdown as supplied in the ministerial reply reads R15 million for 2021/22; R753 million for 2022/23; R622 million for 2023/24; R629 million for 2024/25; and R374 million for 2025/26.

The use of chartered aircraft is by and large necessitated because SAAF platforms, including 28 Squadron’s ageing C-130BZ Hercules medium transports – the lone long distance cargo and troop carrier in the inventory – are with one exception not operational. 21 Squadron, the dedicated SAAF VIP and VVIP transport unit, also has availability and airworthy problems in an ageing inventory that includes the Presidential Boeing 737-ED (Inkwazi) as well as two different Dassault Falcon types. Other transport tasked squadrons are 41 and 44, both based as are 21 and 28 at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof.

Declining defence spending has seen the SA Air Force unable to meet its targeted hours flown per year. Against a target of 12 000 hours, the SAAF flew 6 210 hours in 2024/25 and 6 904 hours in 2023/24.

However, as per the latest budget document, an additional R1.4 billion has been allocated over the three-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period in the Air Defence programme for the maintenance of the South African Air Force’s fighter capability. These funds are expected to ensure that 12 000 hours are flown each year over the medium term, “thereby strengthening the fighter fleet’s readiness for urgent internal and external deployments.” 

Republished with permission of DefenceWeb.