There is still a credit side to the South Africa/United States (US) military co-operation agreement, managed through a bilateral defence committee, in the wake of one of President Donald Trump’s many Executive Orders.
Parliamentary questioner Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) National Assembly (NA) member Sinawo Thambo was told by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga “foreign military sales” are not affected – at this stage – in a reply made public on 5 May.
This bodes well for the continued supply of spares from Lockheed Martin, the original equipment manufacturer of the C-130BZ Hercules transports operated from Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof by 28 Squadron. Seven aircraft were acquired in 1963 ahead of a US arms embargo with five later received as part of the US Excess Defence Articles programme. Time, in the form of attrition and, in one instance an off-runway excursion five years ago, means there are only several of the venerable high-wing four-engined transports still on the SA Air Force (SAAF) inventory with one currently airworthy (with limitations). Another is at Marshall Aerospace in the United Kingdom for a major upgrade with indications it will be back in South Africa around mid-year.
Still on the credit side of the SA/US military ledger Thambo was informed the fifth Exercise Shared Accord, concentrating on humanitarian issues, is still set down for the Free State province in August by Motshekga.
On the debit side, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) withdrew an officer from what the ministerial reply termed was “a US sponsored foreign learning opportunity”. This, Motshekga noted, “also led to the cancellation of the future US sponsored foreign learning opportunity that are part of the international military education and training (IMET) programme” adding the cancellation and withdrawal will not impact SANDF capabilities.
Her response finished on an optimistic note having it “the SANDF will strive to maintain good military relations with the USA with full reliance on the political strategic direction of the country”.
The post SA/US military co-operation steady despite Trump-era executive orders appeared first on defenceWeb.
