African Activist Archive

This article by Michael Klare and Eric Prokosch about the arms embargo against South Africa says the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on November 4, 1977 ordered an immediate halt to deliveries of arms, ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, para-military gear, and spare parts for previously supplied weaponry. Klare and Prokosch say their research suggests there are several clandestine or quasi-legal channels through which U.S.-produced, -designed, and -equipped weapons are transferred to South Africa. They report that some of these sales involve overseas subsidiaries and partners of U.S. arms firms; others involve deliveries of "civilian" equipment that is modified for military purposes in South Africa. The article says one-third of the aircraft listed in the South African Air Force (SAAF) by the International Institute for Strategic Studies are partly or completely of U.S. origin, including F-86 Sabre fighters. C-130 Hercules transports, Lockheed L-100's, Swearing Merlin-IV Transports, Cessna Model 185 Skywagons, Piaggio P-166S patrol planes, AM-3C Bosbok utility craft, and C-4M Kudu liaison planes. The planes play a key role in counterinsurgency, such as airlifting supplies to South African troops in Angola and supporting combat operations in Namibia. The article says U.S. aircraft are flown by the all-white, civilian "Air Commandos." The article discusses the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Eximbank).

African Activist Archive

How the United States is helping equip South Africa's military

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