SAAF C-130 Upgrade back on track
Date: 8 December 2005
The South African Air Force (SAAF) C-130 Hercules upgrade programme is said to be back on track after being plagued by delays and infighting between contractors. The last of nine aircraft (two ex-US Air Force C-130Bs received via the Excess Defence Articles programme and seven SAAF C-130BZs purchased in 1963) is due to return to service in late 2006, three years behind schedule. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the aircraft's wingspar problems was more a miscommunication than a fact. It now appears the problem is confined to the outer wings. The aircraft on average only has 2000 hours on the clock (after 40 years of service) as opposed to the 6000 the US aircraft accumulated before cracks appeared in their wingspars. By easy calculus South Africa's C130BZ fleet needs to fly another 80 years before encountering the problem that has grounded many C130Bs around the world.
Defence THINK!
