Pretoria - The acquisition of a R4 billion presidential jet is not a done deal, Armscor head Kevin Wakeford says.
Wakeford explained that at this stage it was only a request for information that would assist Armscor in identifying possible options to meet the SA Air Force requirements.
Wakeford and SAAF deputy chief Zimpande Msimang are briefing the media on the planned acquisition of the jet in Pretoria.
The briefing follows the storm which erupted when reports of the planned acquisition surfaced on Sunday. The reports criticised the budget allocation mooted for the procurement of the jet.
Wakeford said there would be a decision on the capability needed by the end of March and that the decision to acquire the jet would only be made once all expert minds had looked at all information and options available.
“Remember that this (stage) is only a request for information. I don’t know where the R4 billion comes from because quite frankly we cannot afford it. We are looking at a whole variety of options,” Wakeford said.
Options include rental, lease to buy, and instalments.
“We are seeking information so that we can establish the costs. Until we establish the costs … we are not going to do anything irresponsible. That I can guarantee you.
“Once we have all the facts we will liaise with the client (SAAF) and make a decision,” he stated.
Msimang said that there was an increasing requirement for long-range flights to the Far East and other parts of the world for President Jacob Zuma.
Chartering options had proven to be unreliable and introduced risks. Maintenance also affected transportation of government teams, Msimang said.
He said that the current fleet of VVIP aircraft could not sustain transport requests from air force VVIP clients. “SA Air Force therefore needs to increase current capacity to provide intercontinental air transportation to members of the SA government.”
Wakeford said: “People don’t sit in the plane and do nothing. They work so that when they get there, they are prepared. They have wireless communication. They have satellite telecoms – speaking to leaders of other nations. It certainly isn’t a toy.”
IOL and ANA