PRETORIA - Waterkloof Air Force Base is struggling to keep South Africa’s military operations airborne, with more than 150 vehicles reportedly out of service and some weapon stores left without adequate security.
The base’s operational readiness has been classified as very high risk, raising fresh questions about the South African Air Force’s ability to respond effectively in a crisis.
But according to the South African Institute of Race Relations, the problems at Waterkloof are part of a much wider deterioration in the country’s air-combat capability.
Ricardo Teixeira of the Institute says a lack of funding, fuel, maintenance and flying hours is leaving pilots without the regular training they need to remain operationally current.
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“Flying a plane is not like riding a bicycle,” Teixeira says.
He says pilots need consistent time in the air to maintain their skills, but maintenance contracts are lacking and aircraft are not always available to fly.
The concerns extend beyond training.
Teixeira says some of South Africa’s combat aircraft, including the Rooivalk and Gripen, do not have the necessary munitions to operate at full combat capability.
He describes the situation as particularly serious for fighter aircraft, saying that without air-to-air missiles, they would effectively have to rely on their guns at extremely close range.
Teixeira says the Rooivalk is “not combat capable at the moment.”
For the Institute, the warning goes beyond one troubled airbase.
It says the condition of the Air Force raises broader questions about South Africa’s ability to defend its airspace and respond to a national security threat.