Fighter Jet News

F-16 Fighting Falcon News

U.S. to offer F-16s to South Africa

March 28, 1998 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Rumors say that the United States will offer South African National Defense Force (SANDF) F-16 fighter jets. These would probably be second-hand U.S. Air Force F-16 B and C variants, which are being phased out as they are replaced by the latest D-series planes.
F-16s retails at about four million U.S. Dollars each, considerably less than the estimated 20 to 30 million Dollars cost of new competitors such as the French Mirage 2000 and Swedish Saab Grippen. The South African Air Force (SAAF) needs about 30 frontline fighters to replace its squadron of Cheetahs by 2005. It also needs light helicopters and training jets to replace its equipment, which will become obsolete shortly after the turn of the century. South African defense industry sources believed that the Americans might offer the F-16s at bargain prices, or give them away as part of a donation of American equipment to an African peacekeeping force.

Pretoria has remained cool towards taking part in such a force because of defense budget cutbacks and because it does not want to be seen to be acting as an American surrogate in Africa. The SAAF was given a number of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft by the Americans last year. However, the planes were so worn out that they required extensive refurbishment, something that, it is understood, has to be carried out by American companies under the donation agreement.

There was speculation that a shipment of F-16s, which had earlier been sold to Pakistan by the Americans, might be resold to South Africa. The U.S. Congress vetoed the export of those planes to Pakistan because of that country's alleged involvement in nuclear proliferation.