Thanks, Nice pics!

jblaverick, can I ask for a gentle assistance?

I would like to see any pic of the Bat Hawk light a/c in use by the Wildlife Service of Botswana…

Can you direct me to any link? I´ve tried many times in the net without success…. I got every time the very same pic of the manufacturer´s demonstrator bird…

TIA.-

Here are a couple more pics – https://www.facebook.com/jblaverick.art/posts/1091300124299208 including this one

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Hi,

The best one I have seen was in the October AFM – which I think was sourced from the manufacturers. There are a couple here – https://web.facebook.com/www.bathawk.co.za/photos/?tab=album&album_id=188961837980348

Last news i heard was about used Mirage F-1

The Mirage one is new to me! It would mean a big climb down as the local press in the past couple of months have been very much Gripen/K-50. The Korean deal was favourite and was expected to have been signed in the first half of the year, before the Gripen became a possible option.

If you have any further info on an F-1 deal, please let me know! Thanks.

Thank you. Nice pics. (Though the second link seems broken.)

About F-5 replacement; I thought BDF was considering purchasing used F-16. That would probably turn out far cheaper.

That is what we expected for about the past 5 years. However, it seems to definitely to between an order of 12-18 Gripen E’s or Kai T-50’s. The F-16 has not been discussed for a while. Saab have recently set up their African office in Gaborone, mainly to avoid any political difficulty in South Africa (BEE) but presumably this will not harm their late push for a sale in Bots.

PS Re Pics: Thanks, I hope the link is fixed now – finger trouble!

Thanks for posting, nice to see some of the less publicized air forces. Look to be in good shape.

You are very welcome. The current president, Ian Khama, used to be head of the Air Wing so it (and aviation in general) is well supported. Having said that the F-5’s were grounded for a couple of years but are now back in the skies after instructors underwent refresher training in the US and the first batch of pilots to be trained in Bots since are well into their course. We are expecting a decision on a replace fighter in the next couple of months, with local press favouring the Gripen.

Khama flew the presidential 412 last year, but this year’s display of the CASA by him was much more impressive!