SAAF keeps CASA fleet flying

26 August 2011 by Leon Engelbrecht – defenseWeb

EADS has been awarded a contract of just under R1 million to provide product support services to the South African Air Force for its fleet of four CASA C212 and one CASA C235 transport aircraft, as the flying service mulls their replacement.

The order is an extension of a 2009 contract that was worth R16.5 million. Prior to that, such services were provided by Execujet under a 2003 contract. The total value of work since 2007 stand at R43 487 023.86.

Chief of the SAAF Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano yesterday said the aircraft are “showing their age” and need to be replaced. Plans are afoot to do so under Project Kiepie, which will also see the venerable Douglas C47TP replaced in the light transport role.

The SAAF inherited its C212 Aviocar fleet in 1994 from the air wings of the former Bophuthatswana (one, 1985), Transkei (two, 1986) and Venda (two, 1988). It is a short-take-off and landing aircraft with a rough field capability, high wings and a fixed landing gear. The C212 was designed as a C47 replacement and has been called a scaled-down C130. The C212 can reportedly take off from fields as short as 400m.

The SAAF inherited its C235 from the Bophuthatswana, which acquired it in 1991. The type originated as a joint venture between CASA and IPTN of Indonesia, at the time manufacturing C212 under license. The C235 sports high wings, an unswept rear fuselage with ramp and a retractable tricycle landing gear, with the rear wheels retracting into external fairings to ensure an unrestricted cabin. A maritime patrol version exists that can carry missiles and torpedoes on up to six under-wing hard points. Like the C212, the C235 is a short-take-off and landing aircraft with a rough field capability. It is also said to have excellent low-level flying characteristics for tactical penetration missions.

Provision of product support services for the South African Air Force CASA 212 and 235 aircraft - extension of ELGS/2009/107

LGS/S2011/4822 25 Aug 2011 R977 750,00 EADS CASA (OEM)

LGS/S2010/4674 24 Mar 2011 R475 954,01 EADS

LGS/S2011/4776 23 Jun 2011 R6 266 932,00 EADS

Provision of product support services for the South African Air Force CASA 212 and 235 aircraft

ELGS/2009/107 27 May 2010 R16 573 221,00 EADS SECA

Product support services for the CASA 212 and 235 aircraft - extension of ELGS/2003/617

LGS/S2009/4199 3 Dec 2009 R868 421,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2009/4100 23 Sep 2009 R460 526,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2009/4006 4 Jun 2009 R548 070,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2008/3935 21 May 2009 R4 213 850,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2008/3787 12 Sep 2008 R152 542,78 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2008/3765 24 Jul 2008 R1 197 799,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2008/3740 6 Jun 2008 R1 754 386,00 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2007/3559 12 Oct 2007 R5 860 300,32 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd

LGS/S2007/3432 23 May 2007 R4 137 271,75 Execujet Maintenance (Pty) Ltd