South African fighter news
Date: 22 July 2006
Official sources have revealed that the sale of MB326KC Impala MkIIs to the Brazilian Government, on behalf of its Air Force, has now resulted in all the Mk IIs having been successfully sold, and there is no prospect of further examples being marketed in the future. A spokesperson described the deal between Armscor (South Africa's official arms acquisition and marketing agency) and the Brazilians as 'a spectacular success'.
Ministerial authority is currently being sought for the possible donation of MB326M Impala Mk I spares by South Africa to the Zambian Government for the Zambian Air Force. The latter operates two-seat MB326GBs and the donation may extend to include complete airframes in due course.
The Chilean Air Force's recent purchase of surplus former Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s is now believed to have sounded the death knell for Armscor ever being able to rid itself of the last seven remaining ex-SAAF Cheetah E strike fighters which are still in store.
The most likely prospect is that they will be stripped of all useable spares and the rest of the airframes sold for scrap. Colombia has expressed some interest in the Cheetah E's radar systems, which are the same as those fitted to its Kfirs.
AirForces Monthly (August)
