South African Defence Review 2012

The South African Defense Review of 2012 was a policy review conducted by a panel of experts and chaired by retired politician and former Minister of Defense, Roelf Meyer. The review was commissioned by Lindiwe Sisulu the then Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, in July 2011. The review was motivated by the need to correct errors and shortcomings of the previous review.
The 1998 Defence Review and its consequences.
The South African Defence Review of 1998, performed by management consultants from Deloitte and Touche and which forms the basis of the current defence policy, resulted in a number of serious problems. 
According to defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the old report was no longer relevant to South Africa's current situation.
Mandate and terms of reference.
The committee's first meeting with Minister Sisulu was on 13 July 2011 at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town.
Review organisation.
The review body was organized into two components, the review committee and a resource group. The minister faced criticism due to the inclusion of Tony Yengeni in the committee as Yengeni had been convicted and sentenced for fraud relating to arms acquisition processes.
The following members were included in the review organisation:
First consultative draft.
The first draft document, forming the basis of the public consultation process, was released on 12 April 2012.
Immediate capability enhancements.
Immediate capability enhancements that are required to ensure that the SANDF can adequately perform its missions were identified in the consultative draft of the defence review.
Special forces.
The South African Special Forces require additional weapons and systems, including a small number of dedicated aircraft for insertion/extraction missions. Additional units should be created for specialised missions.
Border security.
The following needs were identified to ensure the SANDF can adequately defend South African borders.
Air Space Surveillance and Protection.
The review found that static, mobile and airborne radar systems to track low-flying aircraft, and aircraft with the capability to intercept low and slow flying target aircraft were required in order for the SANDF to enhance its air surveillance and protection capabilities.
Extended Maritime Security Capability.
Somali-based piracy expanding into the Mozambique channel had been identified as a risk and an urgent reason to expand South Africa's maritime capability. Immediate requirements for maritime patrol aircraft, offshore patrol vessels, additional shipboard helicopters and shoreline patrol equipment were identified.
Crisis Response Capability.
The following requirements were identified to enable the SANDF to fulfill South Africa's regional security responsibilities:
Urgent capability enhancements.
Various areas were identified by the review in which the SANDF lacked adequate capability to perform near/medium term missions. Obsolete equipment that needed to be replaced in order for the SANDF to retain its capabilities were identified.
Infantry Combat Vehicles.
Infantry combat vehicles are suited to peacekeeping missions. The 30-year-old Ratel IFV was identified as being obsolete, making maintenance difficult. It was suggested that they be replaced urgently.
Armoured Personnel Carriers.
The Casspir and Mamba APC vehicles were identified as obsolete and in urgent need of replacement. The Mfezi Ambulance is also in need of replacement. A need for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected patrol vehicles has arisen.
Logistic Vehicles.
The currently used SAMIL Trucks were identified as obsolete and in need of replacement.
Light Artillery.
Recent conflicts in Africa have proven that light artillery that can be deployed quickly if needed. A 105mm long-range gun and ammunition family has been under development by Denel Land Systems since 2012.
Aerial Weapons.
Weapons for the JAS-39 Gripen, BAe Hawk and Denel Rooivalk are needed in order for them to be operated effectively.
Combat Support Ships.
It was identified that future operations of the South African Navy might be extended to the Mozambique Channel. The SAS Drakensberg (A301) was identified for replacement.
Force support requirements.
Requirements for essential supporting equipment were also included in the consultative review. It was identified that there was a lot of obsolete or unsuitable equipment. This included water purification, field kitchen, field accommodation equipment, obsolete field workshop equipment and old field hospital equipment. The need for the re-establishment of a tactical airfield unit capability for the Air Force, in order to operate aircraft away from bases was also identified. The acquisition of munitions and explosives to allow rebuilding of ammunition stocks and effective live-fire and explosives training was also highlighted.
Public consultation process.
The Public Participation Programme (PPP) consisted of a series of public meetings and consultations with stakeholder organisations at various venues around the country:
Written submissions.
The committee received written submissions from various individuals and organisations.
Second draft.
The second draft, based on the first, but with changes as informed by input received through the public consultation process was published on 7 September 2012. Many of the changes were criticized by the pacifist civil society organisation, the Ceasefire Campaign, who said the proposed expansion of the defence force and increased expenditure was unnecessary as South Africa does not face any credible threat of conventional war.
Second edition of the Second Draft.
A second edition of this draft was published on 6 November 2012. This was to make a number of "technical changes" after discussions with the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, the Defence Secretariat Council and the Military Command Council.
Third draft.
This draft was published on 10 April 2013. The draft recognised that South Africa was a significant military force in Southern Africa, however it is not considered as one of the world's major military forces.
Final version.
The final edition, renamed the "2014" review due to the delay in publication, was accepted by Cabinet and submitted to Parliament in May 2014. The main points covered in the over 400-page document are:
The Defence Review identified 4 main goals of the SANDF:
To meet these goals the Review identified a number of Required Defence Capabilities:
Realising that the cost of implementing all of the recommendations was immense, the Review recommended 5 Planning milestones for implementing the Review's recommendations:
Force Design.
The Review proposed a re-organisation of the combat forces. 
Army.
It is proposed that operational forces be grouped under a Land Command, with the combat elements organized into brigades
grouped into three divisions, each of which has a specific operational focus. In addition, some specialized elements will be
under direct command of the Land Command.:
The three divisions are:
As a short term measure it is recommended that the South African Army consolidate its existing force structure into a Land Command comprising one Division and two Brigades:
Response.
The review, having been accepted by cabinet and renamed "The "2014" Review", was submitted to parliament after the general election in May 2014. In September 2014, it was reported that official opposition, the Democratic Alliance shadow minister of defence and military veterans, David Maynier and defence analyst, Helmoed Heitman had expressed concerns with the delays the review was getting and said that dealing with and implementing the defence review was a matter of urgency. By October 2014 the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans had been established with the responsibility to take the review as input to eventually produce a new defence policy.
Research papers.
During the review a number of essays were produced by members of the review structure. These documents were used to inform the process.