Federation of Russia delegation visit to Air Force Base Hoedspruit.
The Russian Aerospace Forces Commander and Chief of the long range Aviation, Major General S. Kuvaldin and his delegation visited Air Force Base Hoedspruit on 25 July 2024.
The delegation was hosted by the Director Helicopter Systems, Brigadier General Alec Kitley on behalf of the Chief of the SA Air Force, Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo.
The visit to Air Force Base Hoedspruit was part of the reconnaissance in preparation for the Africa Aerospace and Defence Air Show scheduled for September 2024.
The Acting Officer Commanding, Air Force Base Hoedspruit, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen King and
the Acting Officer Commanding and Lowveld Airspace Control Sector, Lieutenant Colonel Liezle Hendricks, who hosted the visiting group.
The Russian military is exploring the possibility of bringing Tupolev Tu-160 bombers to South Africa for the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition at Air Force Base Waterkloof in September.
Seven Russian military personnel arrived at Waterkloof on 22 July to inspect the base ahead of possible Tu-160 deployment, Captain Tebogo August reported for the SA Air Force’s Ad Astra magazine. They were welcomed by Brigadier General Alec Kitley on behalf of the Chief of the South African Air Force, Lieutenant General Simo Wiseman Mbambo.
According to Captain Tebogo August, “Russia and South Africa have enjoyed diplomatic relations since time immemorial, as BRICS members, together with China, India, and Brazil. They all enjoy economic ties, political relations, and military cooperation agreements; they have both enjoyed training and joint exercises.”
In 1995 Russia and South Africa signed agreements on military technical co-operation and co-operation between their respective defence ministries. More recently, in August 2018 Russia signed a military technical co-operation agreement with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa.
Preparations are in full swing for the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2024 exhibition, which runs from 18-22 September, with the last two days reserved for the air show.
Besides Russia, other air forces taking part in AAD include the Zimbabwe Air Force and US Air Force. The United States had a large presence at AAD 2022, bringing Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, and Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft.
