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Cape Town - The defence department will be shifting much-needed funds to the cash-strapped SA Air Force (SAAF), National Treasury said on Wednesday.
"The [department] has reprioritised funds, away from computer services and the special defence accounts for weapons procurement, to the operational budget of the SA Air Force... ," it said in the 2013 mini budget, tabled in Parliament.
It has been widely reported that the SAAF's operational budget is too low, and aircraft acquired as part of the controversial arms deal, including Gripen fighter jets and Agusta helicopters, are grounded due to a lack of funds.
A commission of inquiry is currently probing the weapons procurement package, including looking into whether aircraft, bought as part of the deal, are being used effectively.
According to the 2013 Adjusted Estimates of National Expenditure (AENE), also tabled on Wednesday, the defence department has been unable to reach its targets for the year.
The target for the number of air defence "force employment hours" flown during the current (2013/13) financial year is 6 500. But by the end of September, halfway through the year, only 1 710 hours had been flown.
On maritime defence, the AENE says targets are to be revised.
"The department had recorded only 5 105 hours at sea by mid-year, and expects to record 12 000 hours by [financial] year end, not the 22 000 initially projected."
According to the document, this is due to a "decline in operational activities in support of counter piracy operations, which are conducted through the maritime defence programme".
