Africa-Press – Botswana. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1UDsVwA1bI
After a stalemate, Botswana’s search for a new fighter jet has now picked up speed. The acquisition plans of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) have been revitalized by the large budget allocated to the armed force by the Ministry of Defense, Justice and Security.
The race to modernize the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) started way back in 2013, but the road has been somewhat tortuous. The service has repeatedly stressed the need to replace the old Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter fighter jet fleet which currently consists of 10 F-5A fighters and 3 F-5D trainers, all purchased second-hand from Canada in 1996.
However, the nation’s budget woes have repeatedly stalled business. In order to save money, BDF Air Arm Commander Gen. Odirile Mashinyana proposed in 2013 to upgrade the F-5 fleet instead of buying new aircraft.
“It has been found that while it is profitable to continue using the BF-5, the change in air power dynamics in the SADC region is making the BF-5 strategically obsolete,” the report says. “The BF-5 can be equipped with modern weapon systems and can continue to defend the nation for the next 10 years, but the cost-benefit analysis so far suggests it would not offer the BDF good value for money. Therefore, we recommend keeping the BF-5 platform, but switching to the BF-5E variant instead.”
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