The South African Air Force (SAAF) is currently grappling with an urgent need for spare and replacement parts for four critical aircraft types within its fleet, as evidenced by recent requests for information (RfIs) issued by Armscor.
These aircraft include the CASA 212, Saab Gripen, Oryx, and C-130BZ, with the RfIs designated as ARO-2025-03-01, ARO-2025-03-02, ARO-2025-03-03, and ARO-2025-03-04, respectively. All four RfIs were released on March 28 and are set to close on April 7, reflecting the pressing nature of the situation, says a defenceWeb report.
Apparently, these requests pertain to “standard spare and replacement parts” essential for maintaining these aircraft systems.
The urgency behind these RfIs stems from chronic underfunding that has afflicted the SAAF and the broader SANDF for over a decade. The SANDF has endured severe budget cuts for the past 15 years, resulting in significant maintenance backlogs, depleted stock levels, and an inability to conduct vital maintenance and mid-life upgrades.
This financial strain has left the SAAF, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo, struggling to keep its fleet operational. For the current financial year, the SAAF’s budget increased by 3.9% to R17.7 billion. However, this rise falls below the inflation rate, effectively reducing the SAAF’s purchasing power compared to the previous year.
Consequently, the SAAF is projected to fly only 6,800 hours out of its allocated 12,000 hours, a clear indication of its diminished operational capacity. The timing of the RfIs, issued just before the South African government’s financial year begins on April 1, suggests an effort to leverage newly available funds to address the most immediate spare part shortages and prevent further grounding of aircraft.
The dire state of aircraft availability across the SAAF’s fleet is laid bare in a recent assessment covering September 2024 to March 2025, which highlights the severe impact of underfunding and spare part shortages. The Gripen fleet, originally comprising 26 airframes, now has only 13 available and serviceable under a contract expiring in August 2025, with one aircraft previously written off.
The Hawk fleet, initially consisting of 24 airframes, currently has 12 under a service contract extending to 2029, though two have been damaged in accidents. The Oryx helicopter fleet faces even greater challenges, with availability fluctuating between zero and 44% over the past six months. Of the 37 total airframes—after two were lost in crashes—only four are operational, with many sidelined due to overdue servicing or a lack of spares.
This shortage is particularly acute for externally deployed aircraft, such as the Oryx helicopters supporting peacekeeping efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Only 33% of the deployed fleet is operational, meaning just one of the three helicopters is available.
This limitation has significantly hampered South Africa’s commitments in the region. Two Oryx helicopters were recently flown to Entebbe, Uganda, for servicing, while another two were sent to cover for those undergoing maintenance. A fifth Oryx, bearing the tail number 1247, remains grounded at Goma Airport after sustaining damage from rebel ground fire on February 2, 2024, en route to Goma. The CASA 212 light transport aircraft are also struggling, with two of the three aircraft requiring recovery following incidents, including a runway excursion during Exercise Vuk’uhlome in November 2023.
Although Airbus has been contracted to maintain the fleet from August 2022 to July 2025 and has delivered spares and repairs on time, Armscor disclosed last year that C212 maintenance funding was insufficient, allocating only R43 million of the required R70 million. The smaller Cessna 208 Caravans have also been grounded.
The C-130 Hercules fleet, vital for strategic and tactical airlift as well as humanitarian missions, is in an even more precarious position, with none of its six aircraft currently operational, compounding logistical challenges for the SAAF. Efforts to rectify this include several test flights of C-130 tail number 401—the oldest in the fleet, acquired in 1963—conducted from Waterkloof Air Force Base throughout March, though it is not yet fully operational.
Another C-130 is undergoing upgrades and maintenance with Marshall Aerospace in the UK, signaling ongoing attempts to restore capability to this critical asset. Additionally, the United States has offered a dozen C-130Hs to the SAAF, however, that offer has not been taken up.
In summary, the SAAF’s urgent pursuit of spare parts through these RfIs reflects a broader struggle against persistent underfunding and resource constraints, with the operational readiness of its CASA 212, Saab Gripen, Oryx, and C-130BZ aircraft hanging in the balance as efforts continue to address these pressing deficiencies.
