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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 20, 2002

South Africa Withdraws 469 Aircraft from Service

The South African Air Force has withdrawn 469 aircraft from service since 1990, of which 297 have been sold, Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Thursday.


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The South African Air Force has withdrawn 469 aircraft from service since 1990, of which 297 have been sold, Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Thursday.

In written reply to a question in the National Assembly held in Cape Town, Lekota said the aircraft were withdrawn from service due to "either obsolescence or a reduction in force design".

Lekota said the aircraft were being stored at Hoedspruit and Bloemspruit air force bases, as well as at Polokwane and Swartkops airfields.

"Only limited maintenance is performed on these aircraft; consequently varying degrees of additional maintenance will have to be carried out in order to restore them to serviceable condition," he said.

Replying to another question, Lekota said a total of 297 withdrawn aircraft had been sold since 1990.

The Peruvian Air Force bought ten Canberra aircraft, while five HS125 transporters went to Australia.

Lekota said the specifications of the sale were determined on an individual basis by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee.

No details of prices were provided, but Lekota said the value of the aircraft depended entirely on the "presiding market value as determined by offers received".

"Only those that are in the best interests of the state are then considered for acceptance," he said.


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