kenyannoobie
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Everyone has an opinion-and the rest of the world must all suffer the sound of our expert opinion on boxing,climate change,politics and everything else under the sun. Occasionally however some people make genius decisions that make all competent observers go,"dude,WTF,my son!?"
Case in point Museveni's 2011 choice to buy a half squadron of Su 30s. Laymen were amazed,Ugandan patriots screamed and clapped while knowledgeable analysts screeched with laughter-one in Nairobi made a bet with me swearing they'd all be grounded with max 3 years due to running costs.
"According to Airnews magazine, the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force has acquired six of these modern fighters at a cost of $746 million, the last of which was delivered this year."
https://www.businessdailyafrica.com...r-supremacy/3405664-1738478-cjxsqm/index.html
On top of the FAC,the fly away cost,is the CPFH topping out at 7.5mn$ annually per Su 30 or 42 mn$ for all.
http://nationsdawnofanera.weebly.com/-fighter-aircraft.html
The UPDF budget 2019 is 600 mn$ for 50,000 servicemen training,pay,welfare,maintenance and acquisitions. Keeping the Sues flying would take 8% of that figure! Those earthern houses in the last pic are standard UPDF barrack housing (the big house is where the prez Museveni stays,ofc!)while transport is nonexistent with only 10 Mi 17s. You can only wonder at their TTPs when they lost half their attack gunships after 3 of their Hinds augured into Mt. Kenya 2012 en route to Somalia.
"Sources say it was an unprecedented catalogue of mistakes, inexperience and bad orders from commanders that could have been the most likely causes of the triple helicopter crashes. There are claims that the choppers switched from their original flight plan which would have seen them fly north of the mountain towards their destination in Wajir but instead flew south of the mountain leading them into thick fog.
A Kenyan newspaper also reported that contrary to well established international aviation rules and regulations, the pilots of Uganda’s three ill-fated Mi-24 attack helicopters that crashed in the Mt Kenya ranges were communicating in Luganda.
The newspaper also reported that the Kenyan aviation authority could hear UPDF soldiers as they communicated among themselves in Luganda – just minutes before the crash. They crashed after 30 minutes into their flight before realising there was bad weather ahead."
https://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialRe...oppers-crash/688342-3352880-kqsbnj/index.html
Museveni planned on a full squadron of these heavyweight 4.5++ gen jets to be paid for with oil from the newly discovered L Albert basin on the DRC border but its still in the ground since 2006 discovery. Dictators generally don't consult-if he were so inclined he could've asked the IAF or Malaysians their experience with the Russians getting them to fulfill their after sales maintenance agreements:an Indian insider told me they variously screamed, wept and pleaded with them to no avail.
Anyway another 2 were bought,1 was written off and another badly damaged in a crash and the remaining 6 are grounded on the apron at Entebbe airport. While flyable the flyguys would stampede over the border to cash in on their 500 hours in 4.5++gen jets and quickly convert to airline jets with Kenya airways earning 3x their pay. Imagine the opportunity cost! He could've gone for a similar number of rebuilt Su 25s and/or Tucs but what's done is done and the money is down the hole.
Anyway,while we variously criticise the cost of buying and building subs,carriers, new MBTs,frigates etc etc remember this story.
