A day ahead of exiting South Africa, a Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS – Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily) delegation spent time at Air Force Base (AFB) Hoedspruit in Limpopo as “part of reconnaissance” ahead of Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) in September.
The Russian military aviation delegation, reported as coming from the ranks of VKS Long Range Aviation (LRA) by AFB Hoedspruit Corporate Communication, was led by Major General Sergei Kuvaldin, Deputy Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
No information on possible VKS aircraft types and positioning at the bushveld base is provided in the AFB Hoedspruit posting which followed a visit to AAD venue AFB Waterkloof. As at the Centurion base, the Russians were met by SAAF Director Helicopter Systems, Brigadier General Alec Kitley. The one-star, along with base Acting Officer Commanding, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen King and Acting Officer Commanding Lowveld Airspace Control Sector, Lieutenant Colonel Liezle Hendricks, hosted the VKS LRA delegation which, among others, operates the Tu-160 long range bomber.
A visit by the Tu-160 to South Africa was on the agenda of the Russian delegation while at AFB Waterkloof. Designed more than 50 years go by the Tupolev Design Bureau, the Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing nuclear-capable heavy strategic bomber and airborne missile platform, two of which touched down at the SAAF transport centre of excellence base in October 2019.
Support for the historic non-stop 11 000 km (9 560 nautical mile) Tu-160 flight to South Africa came from an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-62 passenger jet, which preceded the long range bombers by a few days.
If Russia does indeed bring Tu-160s back to South Africa for AAD 2024, they will again be supported by an An-124 and Il-62.
Elements of the United States Air Force (USAF) in the form of C-130 transport and refuelling variants have been at AFB Hoedspruit previously, on one occasion to tie in with an AAD and the other to provide humanitarian aid following flooding in neighbouring Mozambique.
It is assumed that the Russian visit to Hoedspruit on 25 July could have been to investigate the base as a backup landing site for its Tu-160s, as the Russian visitors were seen inspecting maps and charts of the base.
A Tu-160 visit would bolster the Russian presence at AAD 2024. A number of Russian defence companies will be taking part in the exhibition, with Aeroscan, Katod, Roscosmos Corporation, Rosoboronexport, Technodinamika, and United Aircraft Corporation confirmed as exhibitors.
Apart from Russia, other air forces taking part in AAD this year include the Zimbabwe Air Force and US Air Force. The United States had a large presence at AAD 2022, bringing Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, and Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft.
