Air University Review, July-August 1983

The South African Air Force
in the Early Eighties

The Republic of South Africa’s exceptional strategic position between the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean is seen today largely in the context of the Mideast conflict, in which the route around the Cape of Good Hope is used as alternative and an addition to the Suez Canal for the passage of oil and other valuable commodities. The growing economic influence of the Southern Hemisphere and the increasing potential of Antarctica may change that perspective in the future.

The second strategic asset of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is its prodigious endowment of minerals. The world’s largest producer of gold, South Africa also has large reserves of the platinum group of metals, manganese ore, diamonds, and chromium, in addition to coal deposits.¹ Control of the Cape route means control of the mineral resources of all southern Africa (Zimbabwe is another major supplier to the United States), not only of the RSA. Should the Soviets gain that control, as they aim to do, they could emasculate Western industry, opening the way to revolution in the West. At the same time, the RSA’s mines and mining expertise would be of great help to the faltering Soviet economy.²

How might the Soviets attempt to gain control of the Cape route? An Afghanistan type of operation is unlikely, given the long lines of communication involved. However, a campaign of terrorism and subversion in neighboring states or among South African workers—possibly beginning with an intensification of the kind of clashes that occurred in Soweto—or a combination of two such operations is a more likely contingency.

Conflict and confrontation are everywhere in southern Africa: South -West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) is active in Namibia and takes refuge in Angola; the situation in Zimbabwe is still uncertain, though North Korean help seems to have been discontinued; Tanzania relies, to a certain extent, on Chinese aid. In southwest Angola the Soviets and their surrogates have established a comprehensive air umbrella—consisting, at the moment, of air radar and SAM 3s—to restrict the possibility of preemptive strikes from the RSA on concentrations of conventional Soviet weaponry. While the situation remains fluid, the economies of the "front-line states" continue to deteriorate. Rhetoric notwithstanding, the neighboring states rely heavily on the efficient railroad system of the RSA and are further linked by labor migration and the electric power grids.

increasing military threat, deteriorating international
relations, and rising inflation

The South African Air Force (SAAF) plays its part in the overall defense posture of the republic. Faced with the Soviet-backed SWAPO, the South African government is resolved not to wait placidly for strikes instigated by the African National Congress and Pan-Africanist Congress (Communist guerrilla and terrorist groups that operate across the RSA border) to develop. The defensive role is not confined to SWAPO, for the government sees a Soviet wish to develop as many threats as possible against the RSA and to keep the pot boiling in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The 1973/74 defense budget of 470 million rand (RM) was increased to RM 1583 in 1977/78, while a leveling off in real terms occurred from 1978/79 to 1981/82. Although the defense force has received a fairly constant 20 percent of government expenditure since 1979/80, this allocation has represented a diminution from five to four percent of the gross national product. Effective methods of long-term advance planning in an inflationary climate are presently being sought. The last budget provided total defense spending of RM 3057 (approximately U.S. $2751 million). The South African Air Force’s share of this total was 30 percent, as compared to 45 percent for the army.

striving for an efficient, flexible, cost-effective force

The RSA is justly proud of its aviation history, which dates back to 1911 when General Jan Christiaan Smuts and Brigadier General Christiaan Beyers saw a flying demonstration. They realized the potential of aircraft as spotters and planned a modest school for aviators. In both world wars, at the time of the Berlin airlift, and in Korea, South African airmen compiled an enviable record. In World War I some 3000 South Africans served in the Royal Flying Corps, some notable aces among them. At the war’s end, Helperus Adrias van Ryneveld created the nucleus of the South African Air Force, helped by a British donation of 100-surplus military aircraft, with everything for their maintenance. Between the wars, periodic flights to Khartoum and Cairo led to the building of the chain of airfields later used in the North African and Italian campaigns. Altogether 45,000 men of all ranks served in eight different theaters in World War II. In September 1944, the SAAF had 35 operational squadrons, 27 of them in the Italian theater. Over 20 crews, flying Royal Air Force Dakotas, contributed in 1948 to the relief of the Berlin blockade. The famous Flying Cheetah No. 2 Squadron won many American decorations in the course of the Korean War, and in 1952 it received the unusual honor of a U.S. Presidential Unit Citation.

In the past two years, SAAF operations have been the most extensive since World War II. They have included valuable contributions to the Sceptic, Protea, and Daisy operations, which struck effectively against SWAPO’s command and control and logistic systems. Air support is provided to the South African Army, the South African Police—in antidrug, counterinsurgency, and anticrime operations—and to the South African Railway Police. Certain sections of the SAAF are on 24-hour standby to render assistance when and where required.

Since its post-World War II reorganization, the SAAF consists of a strong helicopter force, transport force, a mobile fighter force, and a maritime force. Citizen force members, who make up the reserve, are used in transport and ground attack squadrons.

Aircraft and equipment are constantly updated and are sufficient for present tasks, in spite of the United Nations-imposed arms embargo. However, replacements for current aircraft will have to be chosen.

As the Shackleton (a four-engined, long-range maritime patrol aircraft) reaches the end of its service life, a problem is foreseen in providing aircraft for long-range sea surveillance. Air-sea rescue capability in the South Atlantic has depended on the Shackletons, the Saint Bernards of these stormy seas. Unfortunately, when search missions by Albatross aircraft are combined with rescue missions by French-built Frelon helicopters, only short-range operations are possible.

SAAF training is done entirely at home, with no overseas exchanges, and performance standards for air and ground crews remain high. The effectiveness of aircrews has been honed by increasing operational commitments, ensuring the safety of the Southwest Africa territorial area either in independent operations, in joint operations with the South African Army, or in internal counterinsurgency actions. Modernization takes place continuously in the vital area of air reconnaissance and keeps pace with operational requirements.

In its particular situation, it is especially important for the SAAF to keep the accident rate as low as possible, and careful training of all personnel involved in the operation of aircraft and the planning of flights has succeeded in lowering the accident rate considerably. Airspace Control Command coordinates air traffic, air defense, and air defense artillery. Cooperation between the SAAF and the Directorate of Civil Aviation, already close, is being further developed. An awareness exists within the South African defense forces of the speed with which Soviet air threats have developed in other world areas.

Expansion and modernization plans for the air defense system are being put into effect as the static and mobile air defense radar systems are brought up-to-date. Rapid interception capability to defend vital areas is a high priority for the SAAF.

the aircraft industry

While RSA now has the basic capability to manufacture aircraft, it was only fifteen years ago when the indigenous aircraft industry was started by the Bonuskor* conglomerate of companies. Using imported, disassembled aircraft and foreign technicians, the conglomerate began an assembly operation at its Atlas factory which is near Johannesburg and convenient to SAAF headquarters. Atlas started off with a learn-by-doing program and by 1974 was manufacturing the Impala jet-trainer using some imported components. Impalas are still in production.

*Bonuskor conglomerate started the Atlas Aircraft Corporation.

A major part of the current SAAF inventory consists of French equipment. In fact, the Republic of South Africa has been one of France’s best customers. At present, French Mirages are only being assembled in RSA although spare parts are made in South African factories. The South Africans are currently updating their entire Mirage fleet.

South African research and development is active and highly competent, concentrating primarily on avionics and missiles. The V3 infrared air-to-air missile is 100 percent South African and compares favorably with later models of the Sidewinder missile.

The SAAF is proud of its history and its tradition. Today it is proud of the high standards it has maintained. Obviously, the United Nations embargoes have made further procurement difficult, and this has resulted in particular emphasis being given to planning, safety, and aircraft maintenance. Military history provides a number of examples of the effect that isolation from the mainstream may have on a country’s defense evolution. South African airmen, very much aware of their record on the side of the Allies in two world wars, find themselves cutoff, for political reasons, from their former comrades.

Recently, after a bomb attack by the Communist-based African National Congress (ANC) in Pretoria, South Africa retaliated by attacking ANC bases in Mozambique. (The South African Prime Minister has emphasized that the host country had repeatedly been warned not to provide logistical support, planning, aid, bases, and facilities to terrorist organizations, and warnings of potential retaliation had been conveyed on all levels—by the Prime Minister, through diplomatic channels, and by means of security force liaison).

The retaliatory attack was aimed at pinpoint targets and was carried out by SAAF Impalas armed with rockets and cannon. This very low-intensity attack was the first across-the-border mission by the SAAF directed at South Africa’s neighbors.

1. South Africa has the non-Communist world’s largest currently identified reserve of manganese ore (93 percent), essential for the production of stainless steel and used, inter alia, in the construction of jet engines, gun barrels, ammunition, armor plate, and petroleum refineries; vanadium (90 percent), utilized for the production of nonferrous alloys for jet engines, air frames, automobiles, and oil and gas pipelines; platinum group metals (89 percent), gold (64 percent), fluorspar (46 percent), and andalusite (45 percent). In 1979, the most recent export statistics available, South Africa ranked as the largest non-Communist exporter of manganese ore (42 percent), manganese metal (67 percent), chromium ore (52 percent), ferrochromium (63 percent), vanadium (61 percent), platinum group (92 percent), gold (73 percent), and the andalusite group (49 percent). Although most of South Africa’s mineral exports serve the industrial needs of Western Europe and Japan, the United States acquired 48 percent of its chromite imports and 77 percent of its ferrochromium from South Africa in 1978. Twenty percent of the manganese ore imported and almost 70 percent of the ferromanganese came from South Africa; 96.6 percent of U.S. vanadium needs and 16.6 percent of its imports of beryl (space navigation instrumentation, business machines, nuclear, reactors, and telephones) originated in that country. The United States imported 98 percent of its manganese requirement, 92 percent of its chromium needs, and 91 percent of its platinum from abroad. Interruption of the supply of these minerals would have significant repercussions on key industrial sectors in the United States and would cause an economic crisis in Western Europe. (Brigadier General Philip Schalkwyk, Defense Attaché, South African Embassy.)

2. On 1 April 1981 Senator John Warner of Virginia, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, quoted Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev as saying, "Our aim is to gain control of the two great treasure houses on which the West depends: the energy treasure house of the Persian Gulf and the mineral treasure house of Central and Southern Africa."

Dora Alves (Ph.D., Catholic University) is Research Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. She has previously taught at the American University and the Catholic University. Dr. Alves has published in Naval War College Review, U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings. Pacific Defence Reporter, and Marine Forum.

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.

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