The Department of Defence has allocated about R205-million to provide spares needed for the first three years of operation of the South African navy’s new corvettes — the first of which arrived in Cape Town last week from Germany.
The remaining three corvettes are expected to arrive in South Africa during 2004. South Africa is also scheduled to procure three submarines.
In reply to a question from Democratic Alliance MP Roy Jankielsohn, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said in a written reply that the spares budget had been allocated under Project Sitron.
“In addition to this, commencing with the financial year 2004/05 in the medium-term expenditure framework cycle, the South African navy has allocated R54-million per year to procure the spares needed to operate the vessels for the
subsequent four years.
“Finally, an amount of R24-million has been allocated within the financial year 2004/05 for maintenance support contracts.”
He said Project Wills had allocated an amount of R269-million to provide for spares and maintenance for the first three years of operation of the submarines, the first of which is due to arrive in mid-2005. From 2007 onwards the navy plans to set aside about R38,7-million a year for the continued operation of the submarines.
“The cost of maintenance contracts post those provided for by the project for the first three years of operation is yet to be determined and will be provided for within the South African navy’s operating budget.”
Referring to Project Sitron, he said initial ammunition outfits would be procured to the tune of R310,6-million for the corvettes. Project Wills would provide the torpedoes but the navy has sufficient in its inventory “to meet its requirements for the next decade”. About R25-million would go towards providing decoys.
The four corvettes were priced at R5,5-billion in 1999 but this price is subject to exchange control fluctuations. Jane’s Defence Weekly Southern African correspondent Helmoed Romer-Heitman said the contract price for the vessels was now just short of R6-billion, and the cost of fitting in South Africa would be about R1,56-billion. — I-Net Bridge