Johannesburg - For a while it appeared we were under attack as strange double-bladed helicopters first appeared over Cape Town and then Johannesburg.
But as the choppers drew near, there was a collective sigh of relief: on the side of the big choppers were the words “The United States Marine Corps”.
This was no clandestine invasion. The Americans had arrived. It was a practice run for US President Barack Obama’s visit.
The helicopters, it is believed, were part of a security detail that included three CH-46 Sea Knights and two SH-60 Seahawks, which landed at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The US authorities, however, were tight-lipped about the exercise.
“For security reasons we obviously won’t be able to confirm any aircraft movements,” said Jack Hillmeyer, spokesman for the US embassy in Pretoria.
While the US would not speak about its aircraft slipping through South African airspace, residents in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria got out of homes and offices to watch them fly past.
“Chinook helicopter spotted flying over Cape Town. Either we’re being invaded, or this must be part of #Obama visit,” said Gavin Silber on Twitter.
“We did observe the aircraft flying north of our airspace,” said Jo Nieman, the chief fire officer at Grand Central Airport.
“Everyone came out to see it, it was quite a sight,” he said.
Also not spoken about is that a US aircraft carrier is believed to be lurking in the South Atlantic, within striking distance of South Africa.
US media reported that fighter jets would be flying overhead, giving Obama 24-hour protection.
It is not clear if the helicopters flew off the aircraft carrier or had arrived in the country on US heavy lift transport planes.
All this hardware doesn’t come cheap: the trip to the three African countries - South Africa, Senegal and Tanzania - is estimated to cost between $60-million (R610-million) and $100m.
But defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman doesn’t believe that fighter jets will be providing cover for Obama during his South African visit.
He said fighter planes flown from an aircraft carrier might have escorted the president’s jet, Air Force One, while he was travelling in West Africa, but they would not be needed in South Africa.
“There is no country in this part of the world that would want to harm him,” said Heitman.
Flying jets from an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, Heitman said, would also require in-flight re-fuelling.
He added that the aircraft carrier was there just in case the president had to be evacuated quickly, and other countries, including South Africa, had similar extraction plans.
“When Mbeki travelled to Haiti, the SAS Drakensberg arrived there a week earlier. On board were special forces and Oryx helicopters that would be used if he had to be evacuated quickly.
“This is routine for a head of state,” he explained.
The Star