US military aircraft lands in Bloemfontein ahead of drill
The South African National Defence Force has confirmed the landing of an American military aircraft at Bram Fisher Airport in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
According to the airport management, the aircraft landed for clearance purposes en route to KwaZulu-Natal for a military exercise alongside the SANDF.
Spokesperson for the SANDF Ricardo Du Preez says the scheduled exercise was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The joint and multinational peace support operation and humanitarian relief exercise were approved in 2010 by Military Command Council following the bilateral Defence Force Committee discussions that started in 2009.
"The joint military exercise will take place for the fourth time - after previously being executed in 2011, 2013, and 2017."
Du Preez says they are also working with the KZN Health Department by providing primary health care, dental and veterinary services in local municipalities.
"The purpose of the exercise is to improve bilateral military inter-probability, conduct maritime force protection operations against conventional and asymmetric threats at sea and in harbours, conduct air support operations to peace support operations for landward forces, and to exercise the provision of medical assistance and humanitarian relief to own forces and the local population.”
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