Die hoof van die vlootstelsel-afdeling by Krygkor, Rob Vermeulen het Maandag bewerings weerlê dat Suid-Afrika ‘n geleentheid om goedkoper, Brits-vervaardigde Upholder/Victoriaklas-duikbote te koop oor die hoof gesien het.
Vermeulen het voor die Wapenaankope-kommissie in Pretoria gesê dat Suid-Afrika voldoende produkte by die Duitse duikbootkonsortium gekry het, ondanks kritiek.
Vermeulen het sy getuienis gister voltooi, en sy kruisondervraging sal vandag begin. Die kommissie het bevraagteken waarom die kontrak aan die Duitse maatskappy toegeken is om die duikbote te bou terwyl daar ander bevoegde sakevennote was.
Vermeulen het verduidelik dat die duikbote voldoende is vir die werk wat hulle moet doen.
Hy sê dis jammer dat die hele projek besmet is deur die bewerings oor die aankope.
Hy het gereageer op ‘n vraag wat aan hom gestel deur Sammy Lebala SC, wat gevra het of daar enige waarheid steek in kritici se aansprake dat Krygkor die goedkoper duikbote vir ‘n duur Duitse model verruil het as gevolg van korrupsie .
Vermeulen het sy getuienis hervat na Krygkor en die departement van verdediging toegegee het aan die kommissie se eis dat hulle sensitiewe dokumente vrystel. Regter Willie Seriti het uitgestel gegee om die regering tyd te gun om al die dokumente te oorhandig.
Vermeulen het gesê onafhanklike kundiges het gehelp met die Suid-Afrikaanse vloot se stel kriteria om voornemende duikbote te evalueer. Die topprioriteit was om die vermoëns van die duikbote en die ouderdom van die tegnologie aan boord van die skip te meet.
Hy het gesê die nadeel van die Britse Upholderduikboot – wat op ‘n dieselenjin in plaas van ‘n kernreaktor staatmaak – is dat dit stokou tegnologie is wat ontwerp is in die Verenigde Koninkryk in die laat 1970’s. Dit sou moeilik gewees het om hulle te plaaslik te herstel in Simonstad.
Die vier lande op die kortlys (Duitsland, Frankryk, Italië en Swede) het egter die nuutste tegnologie gehad.
Terwyl die Britse duikbote gesien word as goedkoop, is dit reeds bekend dat hulle weens hulle tegniese probleme uiteindelik hul koste laat toeneem.
Die Britse duikbote wat aan die Kanadese vloot verkoop is en gestoor is, was volgens verskillende politieke partye in Kanada só sleg dat hulle nooit in diens was in Kanada nie en uiteindelik onnodige uitgawes was, het mnr Vermeulen gesê.
Vermeulen het ook ontken dat senior vlootpersoneel ingemeng het met die kortlys van die verkrygingsafdeling .
Intussen het Lawyers for Human Rights gister gekla dat nie genoeg inligting oor die Krygkorgetuies beskikbaar is nie.
As confirmed by Janes Defence correspondent, many articles like these are absolute
rot and defies any logic. Simple analysis of facts can establish this
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/08/12/not-one-of-the-r8-billion-arms-deal-submarines-is-operational
a.
‘The submarines can only be used on the surface’ is utterly devoid of
any truth. One is currently in South America where she has been
exercising with three navies and would be pointless on the surface.
During exercises with USS Los Angeles (SSN) in late 2009 (prob the
exercise referred to later) two submarines exercised with them and
except for the group photo, all evolutions (with exchanges amongst
crews) were submerged. I met the US Captain after the exercise and he
expressed surprise at the standard of our crews, pointing out that our
boats were amongst the most proficient he had worked with! This was
confirmed during a visit by a member of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff!
b.
‘The computers and entire circuitry were blown up and unlikely to ever
operate below the sea’ – again utterly ridiculous as a German product
designed to operate in war and below the sea would NEVER be designed
without fuzes and such protection (even brick houses have them!). A
number of fuzes and relays were blown – lighting and internal systems
were restored in a day and other systems tested 10 days later. By the
way NO submariner was involved – a dockyard worker was connecting the
supply and made contact with a 380v terminal in the box ashore – so much
for unskilled sailor! Either this is a very old article or an
indication of very poor research or sources, as even that well-known
‘journal’ the Cape Sun (headlines such as ‘Moffie in Gat Gesteek’)
reported this incident in MAY 2008 – a lot earlier than 9 months ago!
c.
‘Only generators are maintained to ensure hot meals for officer’ –
another unbelievable statement as meals are for all and generators are
only used at sea which requires all other systems to work. Two frigates
carried out all gunnery and other exercises with Indian and Brazilian
forces (and two SAN submarines which DIVED – believe it or not but two
other navies can attest to it!) over three weeks as recently as Sep
2010. During the World cup, three frigates monitored all air and surface
traffic off of the three ‘harbour’ venues.
d. The only planned
exercises with the USN were those referred to above and OBVIOUSLY no
live ammo was used. I should add that the USN CTG of a NATO task force
publicly stated that his force had all been ‘sunk’ by one SA submarine
and that the SAN ships had fitted in extremely well. This was
extensively reported on in national and international media.
e.
‘In order to get to sea, retired reserve officers are called up’ – a
fascinating statement as only ONE sea-going reserve officer has been
called up (a Cdr) and he stood in for one trip as XO and is now with the
patrol craft when required. Your ‘sauce’ (NOT a grammar mistake!)
leaves a bad taste in the mouth! There is NO WAY that the USN will ever
influence the call up of OUR officers – we are a not a colony of the US
and they know it. To suggest they will call-up means you intimate they
will basically ‘hijack’ our ships with our reserve officers!
f.
There are very many white officers left and seldom absent. They in fact
find it difficult to use up their leave. I know of ONE officer who has
had stress and for reasons specific to his case. All the rest serve with
pride and dedication. As for the Chief of the Navy not having a
navigation certificate – so what! He is the ‘CEO’ and works with policy
and finance (just as did V Adm Edwards, CNavy from 1980/82 – and a good
one too!). I doubt whether the CEO of Anglo American ever ran a mine
shift! Fleet Command runs the Fleet and brims with experienced seagoing
officers.
g. As for the website – yes it was neglected (since
improved) but is a minor point. I would suggest you arrange a visit to
the Navy and relook at the logic in your article as it does not make
much sense to the educated person. By the way, SAN members on courses in
the USA and UK have an excellent record and in many cases have exceeded
expectations of foreign students and come top of course.
Should
you require confirmation of these facts, you are welcome to contact me
or Helmoed Romer-Heitman, an internationally aclaimed defence
specialist, for further details.
Yours sincerely
R Adm (JG) A.G. Soderlund (Ret)
Sou dit beteken dat die duikbote operasioneel is? Hoekom sou die media dan sulke onwaarhede kwytraak?
Mens hoor ook gedurig stories dat die vliegtuie van die lugmag in ‘n baie slegte toestand is en dat daar nie brandstof is nie. In PTA is daar die laaste maand heelwat lugverkeer van weermagvliegtuie. Daar is nie ‘n lugskou oppad waarvan ek weet nie en die verkeer is van vragvliegtuie (C130s, CASAs) en ook helikopters (Oryx, Puma en Allouttes). Dit laat my wonder waarmee is die weermag besig. Verwag hulle moeilikheid? Beplan hulle iets?
Ek lees elders (http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/03/28/south-african-military-protects-private-companys-illicit-diamonds-for-arms-trade-in-car-and-is-said-to-break-constitutional-law-and-mercenarys-act-of-rsa/) dat ons weermag help om iemand se diamante op te pas – weet nie of dit waar is nie maar dit laat mens wonder.
WO is hier om die goud wat ons in gevoer het te beskerm.
Die YANKS het ‘n reuse vliegveld op ons grens met Botswana.
Wat is fout met Gupta-port???
Teen wie???
Die ANC ???
Ken se vir hom ek is ook hier vandag, hy moet my kom groet ons is ou vriende.
Jou plasing hier het nie juis enige iets te doen met die artikel hierbo nie. Ek neem dus aan dat jy eintlik wil kla oor die TimesLive artikel in jou skakel.
Hierdie ou dink nog aan die bekwame seemag van die vorige eeu.
Die JG hou nie van die waarheid nie.
As dit so goed gaan in die seemag is dit mos nie nodig om in die seebodem vas te duik nie of was dit maar net vinger probleme?
Are you an EXSPERT?
Parliament defense portfolio committee member David Maynier said: A full board of inquiry will have to be convened to determine what went wrong and recommend ways to prevent a similar incident in the future. There can be absolutely no compromise when it comes to submarine safety. Fire the captain for starters and save money.
“goedkoper duikbote vir ‘n duur Duitse model verruil het as gevolg van korrupsie” Is dit nou nie die waarheid nie! Alles duur en Duits anders is daar fout met ons politici!
Hoe duurder hoe meer steek die gemors in hulle sakke, hulle is nie so onnosel nie.
Kon die regte koningin Modjadji die eerste ooit swem en duik?