Funds pinch may ground SA’s R10bn Gripen fleet

SA’s R10bn fleet of Gripen jet fighters may soon be mothballed unless funds can be found to keep them flying, warns the Department of Defence’s annual report.

The move could leave the country without an air defence capability and raises more uncomfortable questions about the legacy of the multibillion-rand arms deal.

The mothballing could also compromise SA’s defence commitments to the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU).

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