An Alignment Strategy for SANDF Engineering Programmes

The key mission of a defence force is the ability to execute successful operations. If it is unable to do this, it is only a liability to the nation, and its right to exist ceases.The White Paper on defence requires the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to be an affordable, small and technologically advanced force.The engineering technical family (ETF) is an integral part of this organisation and must contribute to its success. This study investigates how the ETF can enable the SANDF to be both successful and meet the requirements of the White Paper on defence.The success factors of a defence force are assumed to be based on the thirteen principles of war defined for the SANDF. This study proposes the ETF's contributions to the principles of war to increase the success of operations.The profiles of artisans, technicians, technologists and engineers, which are members of the ETF, are defined in terms of their technical and concomitant competences. This determines their roles.The ETF's competences are mapped to the requirements of the weapon systems during their life-cycle phases. This finding determines the mix of the ETF required over a typical weapon system's life.The strategy for aligning the ETF effort with the SANDF's core business is then developed.The ETF is divided into the technical services who ensure the readiness of weapon systems for the war-fighters, and the engineering services that change the baselines of the weapons systems to meet the changing demands of the the environment.