If air force fails, the country fails

Given the awful cash crisis facing the government – and the demands from social services on its already stretched budget – there will be many who will not shed a tear at hearing that the South African Air Force (SAAF) is forced to cut back its operations drastically through lack of money.

There’s a common assumption among “peaceniks” and military critics that an air force is merely another “toy for the boys” (and politicians are still, overwhelmingly, male in most of the world) … and that possessing warplanes sends out the wrong message to neighbours.

However, a modern air force and the SAAF particularly, is much more than an instrument for blowing up objects from the sky at high speed.

It can also be – and has been frequently in the past – a vital arm of government when it comes to humanitarian support and to search and rescue.

In 1991, the SAAF’s chopper pilots amazed the world in rescuing all passengers and crew off the cruise liner Oceanos, just before it sank in stormy seas off the Transkei coast. In 2000 and again last year, its helicopters rescued hundreds of Mozambicans from flooded areas.

The SAAF also has the capacity (although limited these days) for transporting food and supplies by air to places crippled by natural disasters. It is also a place where young people from previously disadvantaged communities can build themselves careers and gain experience in technical and scientific lines.

While it may not be comfortable to think about, a capable air force is a strong deterrent to any country which might seek to impose its will on us and deprive us of our freedom.

So, while we agree you cannot eat an air display, the reality is that we need a well-resourced, capable air force if we are not to become just another failed state.