Durban – The Department of Defence on Saturday said it would send a 13-member delegation to the US to attend the 19th RSA-USA Defence Committee Meeting in Washington from 7 – 8 June 2023 to engage the US Department of Defence on a range of military-to-military issues.
The South African delegation’s visit comes amid allegations by the US ambassador to South Africa Reuben E Brigety that the country supplied arms to Russia on the Lady R which docked at Simon’s Town.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a three-member panel to investigate these claims.
It also takes place amid significant debate on the impending visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is scheduled to visit the country in August for the 15th BRICS summit.
The Department of Defence in a statement said the delegation will be led by the acting secretary for defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede as the head of department, supported by the chief of staff of the SANDF, Lieutenant-General Michael Ramantswana, senior officials and members of the defence department.
“Among issues to be discussed during the upcoming forum is the optimisation of the work of the Acquisition and Technology Work Group which aims to explore priority areas for possible future co-operation in landward technology, aerospace technology, and maritime technology and support technology.
“The forum will also delve into the work of the Operations Work Group to discuss military events like future military exercises, symposia opportunities for both military establishments, as well as future military and key leadership engagements.”
It said the 19th Defence Committee meeting is the continuation and consolidation of deliberations on a range of issues that were discussed in during the 2019 meeting when the two departments met.
“The bilateral relationship between the RSA and the US was formalised with the signing of an agreement in 1995, which provided for the establishment of an RSA-US Defence Committee and the defence committee was subsequently established on 29 July 1997 with the signing of the Terms of Reference by former Minister Modise and Secretary Cohen to be held every twelve (12) months alternately in the RSA and the US.
“The Defence Committee remains an immense and consistent forum of bilateral co-operation between the RSA the US, and has evolved over the past years to constitute multiple work groups. The RSA-USA military has enjoyed a range of engagements and exchanges at various levels and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.”
In February, the 42nd Chinese naval escort fleet, consisting of the guided missile destroyer Huainan, the missile frigate Rizhao and a supply vessel, arrived in Richards Bay.
The drill, code-named Mosi-2, included the Russian frigate, The Admiral Gorshkov, and a sea tanker, The Kama, while South Africa had a frigate and two support ships. Earlier, it was reported that the Russian frigate had the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic missile on board.
THE MERCURY
