Thirty countries at Waterkloof as defence expo enters day four
The 13th biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition is showing what the South African National Defence Force can offer, and opening a career door for young South Africans while it does.
More than 30 countries have sent delegations to Air Force Base Waterkloof for the 13th biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition, now in its fourth day.
The exhibition, held at the base outside Pretoria, has brought local and international aircraft together for a programme built around flight displays and industry exhibitions. Aircraft have rolled through the sky above the base as pilots performed manoeuvres, with smoke trails used to make the stunts visible to spectators watching from the ground.
This year’s theme is advancing defence capabilities together. The gathering is the continent’s largest aerospace and defence showcase, and it puts the South African National Defence Force’s own capabilities on display alongside the products of invited international participants.
What the display is for
The exhibition is not only a show. It gives the South African National Defence Force an opportunity to show what it can offer to visiting delegations, and it gives young South Africans a look at careers in aviation and in the defence force itself.
That career dimension matters for a country that needs more pilots, engineers and technicians. A young person who has never stood on a flight line can walk into the exhibition and see the work up close, which is the first step towards training for it.
The South African consequence
The value of a week like this is not only what happens in the air. Defence exhibitions are trade events. They put South African industry in the same room as foreign buyers and partners, and they let the country’s aviation and defence manufacturers show what they build here.
For the spectators on the ground, the appeal is simpler. They came to watch what the South African Air Force can do, and the display has delivered that.
What happens next
The exhibition continues, with organisers engaging stakeholders on the ground through the remaining days of the programme.
Source: eNCA (YouTube), 13th biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition underway
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