More expensive military equipment swells Defence budget
Date: 20 February 2008
The following is a rough translation from an Afrikaans article that appeared in the Beeld newspaper.
Pieter du Toit
The increase in the cost of the weapon purchase program is largely responsible for the growth in the Defence budget this past year.
The total Defence budget, which has risen to R26.3 billion (compared to R20.2 billion in 2004-'05), will increase further by the additional allocation of R1.4 billion over the next two years to finance the purchase of four Airbus A400M cargo aircraft.
Allocations to the airforce account for a third of the deprtments budget. This includes the purchase of the Gripen fighter aircraft and the A400M's.
The annual cost of the weapons program will decrease by about one billion in the coming year. A total of R3.8 billion of costs for the taxpayer includes the last payment for the navy's three new submarines, the air force's 30 Agusta helicopters and 24 Hawk training aircraft.
The total estimated cost of the weapon purchases to 2011 is anticipated to reach R47 billion.
Twenty Hawks have already been delivered and will be fully operational this year.
The airforce will also receive the first of its 26 Gripen fighters this year. The first Gripen commenced test flying in the Overberg during 2006-'07.
The Department of Defence will, over the medium-term budget period, continue with the upgrading of equipment as part of the effort to renew the defence force.
Expenses include the purchase of the A400M's as well as the repair and maintenance of defence infrastructure. This also includes an increase in the intake of young recruits as part of the military skills development program.
The army hopes to recruit 12 590 young people over the next three years.
