Air force, navy 'just for show'

The expensive Gripen fighter jets, frigates and submarines which cost South African taxpayers billions of rands will mainly be on the ground and in port over the next three years, because there's no money to operate them.

The DA has called this a disgrace, while the department of defence's excuse is that its budget is hopelessly inadequate.

According to the department's strategic plan for the next three years, which was submitted to Parliament on Wednesday, their budgeting allows for the following:

• That the Gripens will spend 550 hours in flight in the current financial year, after which this will be scaled down to 250 flight hours per year for the next two years; and
• That the navy's 18 ships will have 10,000 hours at sea in 2011-2012 and 9,000 hours at sea per year in 2012 and 2013.

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