SAAF A109LUH Deliveries Continue to Slip
Date: 1 December 2007
Delivery of the 30th and final AgustaWestland A109LUH light utility helicopter to the SAAF continues to slip, as local assembly of the LUHs by Denel continues at a very slow pace. As of October 26, 2007, the SAAF had only taken delivery of a total of 19 of the type into its Operational Support Information System (OSIS). The 20th helicopter is not now expected until mid-November 2007, which will be some four months after the arrival of the 19th example.
The forst two A109s were taken on charge on September1, 2005, and a formal acceptance ceremony for the first four was held on October 19, 2005. However, during 2006 only nine more were accepted by the SAAF, with almost three months elapsing between the 15th and 16th (from December 12, 2006, to March 9, 2007). In the first eleven months of 2007, the SAAF took only four more. At this rate, it will probably be towards the end of 2008 before the order will be completed.
By April 1, 2006, the A109LUH programme was almost two years behind schedule. Although the target had been for 12 to have been in service by then, only seven had made it. Officials put this down to: "...the authorised contract variation order for the configuration change to enable shipborne operations."
As a result, extreme pressure was placed on the outgoing Alouette III which, due to its pending retirement, lacked the capacity to sustain the required operations. This situation was only partially alleviated by the use of a single (sic) BK-117 in SAAF service, but the late delivery of the A109 caused: "...chronic disruptions to the planned training and conversion schedules for the new type," according to officials.
Of the 19 now with the SAAF, 4006 is with the Test Flight and Development Centre at AFB Overberg, four are with 17 Squadron at AFB Swartkop, five with 19 Squadron at AFB Hoedspruit and nine with 87 Helicopter Flying School at AFB Bloemspruit. All are placed on to OSIS at Bloemspruit before distribution to their permanent flight units.
Source: Airforces Monthly
