SANDF and Russian Aerospace Forces strengthen ties

South Africa is hosting Russia’s Aerospace Forces to strengthen ties between the two nations.

“The South African National Defence Force through the South African Air Force welcomes the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation on their goodwill visit to the Republic of South Africa,” the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Russian air arsenal arrived at the Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria on Tuesday and will remain in the country until Friday, 01 November 2024.

This visit is part of a demonstration of defence cooperation aimed at strengthening military-to-military relations, particularly with the South African Air Force (SAAF).

The two countries are also expected to host bilateral seminars of both technical staff where officials deliberate on combat planning and the planning philosophy as well as search and rescue matters.

The SANDF stated that the visit aims to reaffirm the diplomatic ties between the two countries’ military organisations and is founded on strong historical connections that date back to 1992.

This led to the Ministries of Defence of both countries penning an agreement in 1995 that the joint unit of Russia’s Aerospace Forces will from time-to-time visit South Africa.

“The SANDF will emerge as big heirs of this visit which sets a platform for the SAAF to gain knowledge and exposure to the large military air assets including the IL-62, AN-124, and Tupolev Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’ bombers which are the first to ever land on the African continent.

“This is part of the South African National Defence Force’s broader military-to-military partnership framework with several other defence forces across the globe,” the SANDF explained. – SAnews.gov.za