Question NW2154 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1)Whether her department will lease five specialist maritime surveillance aircraft (details furnished) from a consortium led by Atlantis Aviation as part of the obligations of the SA Air Force (SAAF), as set out in the latest Defence Review, under Project Metsi/Kiepie; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full relevant details of (a) the tender process followed by the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) to procure the specified aircraft, (b) the age of the aircraft in terms of (i) years flown and (ii) hours clocked to date, (c) the yearly (i) leasing and (ii) operating costs, (d) how the specified costs will be funded and (e) the date on which the aircraft will be operational in the SAAF; (2) whether she will make the tender notices published by Armscor available to Mr S J F Marais; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) whether a due diligence investigation was done prior to entering into an agreement with the specified consortium; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the outcome of the specified investigation; (4) whether she intends to procure permanent specialist maritime surveillance aircraft once the lease of the specified aircraft ends; if not, why not; if so, by what date will this take place; (5) whether the procurement of the specified aircraft has any impact on the need to replace some of the SAAF stock (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?