The fully marinised Super Lynx 300 aircraft for South Africa are equipped with a range of advanced sensors including a 360 degree scan search radar, a nose mounted FLIR and an advanced Electronics Support Measures system. The aircraft also have a comprehensive communications suite comprising HF, V/UHF radios and a data link. The South African Navy Super Lynx 300 aircraft have a high level of South African sourced avionics and mission equipment making it the most advanced version of the Super Lynx 300 helicopter developed and produced so far. Pilot and ground crew conversion training will be conducted by AgustaWestland at its Customer Training Centre in Yeovil starting in early 2007 and will be completed prior to the delivery of the aircraft to the South African Air Force later in 2007. The aircraft will be based at Air Force Base Ysterplaat where they will be flown by South African Air Force pilots for the Navy and will be deployed on the South African Navy Valour class frigates performing anti-surface warfare, maritime patrol and SAR roles.
The contract for the four Super Lynx aircraft was placed in 2003 by the South African Government following a thorough evaluation of the aircraft and its competitors. South Africa is the forth country to select the Super Lynx 300 following Malaysia, Thailand and Oman who operate the aircraft in a range of maritime and land based roles. The Super Lynx 300 is the latest version of the Lynx helicopter family of which over 420 have now been ordered by 17 customers around the world. The Super Lynx 300 is powered by two 1015 kW (1361 shp) LHTEC CTS800-4N engines giving it exceptionally good hot weather and single engine performance. Flight and sensor information is displayed on a fully integrated six screen colour LCD cockpit display system, enabling greater crew effectiveness. AgustaWestland is also in the process of delivering 30 A109LUH helicopters to the South African Air Force, which are being assembled by Denel Aviation in South Africa.
Maynier in a statement charges that while the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu is “personally really satisfied with the state of readiness” of the defence force, a “drastic shortage of pilots in the defence force has effectively wiped out the state of combat readiness of the SAAF”.
Maynier says the reply to his question shows that 48% of posts for combat pilots are vacant (29 of 60 posts). It takes seventeen months to train up a combat pilot.
In addition, 58 of 167 helicopter pilot posts (34%) are currently vacant. He adds that it takes sixteen months to train a helicopter pilot.
Furthermore, 30% of posts for transport pilots are vacant (48 of 156 posts) “and it takes twelve months to train transport pilots.”
The DA MP says this “is why the Air Force is effectively grounded, with planes spending more time in hangers than in the air.”
The answer, published late yesterday, adds combat pilot posts remain vacant, on average, for one year, five months, while transport and helicopter pilot posts are vacant for a year.
The SAAF is also short of navigators. The Helicopter line has been short one navigator (two posts, 50%) for a year while the transport line has only 16 navigators but requires 34 (47%) and the combat fraternity has two but needs six, translating into a staffing level of 33%.
Especially acute is the shortage of air traffic controllers, where only 29 of 77 posts (37%) are filled. The average vacancy period for this vital but scarce skill is three years. The SAAF further has a shortage of engineers with only 70 of 130 posts (54%) filled. The Parliamentary answer avers there “has always been a shortage of graduated [sic] Engineers.”
Maynier called on Sisulu “to urgently implement a plan to recruit and retain pilots that works” and that includes an occupational specific dispensation (OSD) for pilots.
The answer noted however that “all vacancies are planned to be filled by means of specific recruitment drives” as well as the use of the SAAF Reserve and that “unique allowances such as the Military Aviation Career Incentive Pay (MACIP) and the Technical Incentive Payment (TCIP) were introduced some time back to retain members with specific skills.
“It is planned to transfer the remuneration system of members to an OSD,” the defence ministry added in the answer.
“The improvement of working conditions also forms part of the current action plan of the SAAF.
“The SAAF develops an annual HR Support Plan, which includes the number of recruitment targets for that specific financial year, which also supports the Strategic Business Plan of the SAAF. The HR plan for the FY 2009/10 for recruitment is 747 Military Skills Development System members and 40 skilled members.”
Pic: SAAF helicopters drop anti-missile countermeasures during an airpower demonstration at Roodewal earlier this year.
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