Some additional news I found on Ghana AF activity. Whoever guessed K-8 was correct!
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Ghana, Russia To Establish Helicopter Training Centre
17 May 2006
Ghana and Russia yesterday discussed modalities for the establishment of a sub-regional aviation training and helicopter servicing centres in Ghana.
The establishment of the regional helicopter training centre is intended to be a joint Ghana-Russian venture to service Russian helicopters in the sub-region, instead of sending them to Russia for servicing.
No such centre has been set up yet in Africa and four of such centres are planned for the continent.
Ghana’s team was led by Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the Minister of Defence, while the Russian delegation was headed by the Deputy Chief Director of the Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise (RFSUE) and Special Advisor to the Russian Minister of Defence, Major-General Anatoly Isaikin.
Dr Addo-Kufuor’s entourage included the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Joseph B. Danquah, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Julius Boateng.
Accompanying Major-General Isaikin were the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Valery Olov, and five officials of the RFSUE, which is also known as the Rosoboronexport.
Also discussed during the meeting was the supply of military products to the Ghana Armed Forces and the strengthening of bilateral co-operation along the lines of an earlier agreement between China and Ghana which resulted in the construction of the new Burma Hall and Library Complex.
Major-General Isaikin acknowledged Ghana’s active participation in peacekeeping efforts in the sub-region and other parts of the world and said his country was willing to help in that endeavour.
He also stressed the importance of the aviation training and the helicopter servicing centres to Ghana.
With regard to the supply of military equipment to Ghana, he said Russian experts were ready to commence negotiations on the issue.
Dr Addo-Kufuor, on his part, expressed gratitude to the Russian government for inviting him to attend an air show in that country last year.
He said he was impressed with the high standard of the Russia Air Force and the efficiency of its aircraft and expressed the hope that the Ghana Air Force could tap into the experience of the Russians..
Dr Addo-Kufuor observed that Russian aircraft were the preferred choice for peacekeeping all over the world and thanked the Russian government for the decision to establish a sub-regional aviation training and helicopter servicing centres in Ghana.
He noted that in the 1960s and 70s, Ghana and Russia were development partners and co-operated on many issues and said the collaboration needed to be revitalised.
After the discussions, the Russian delegation began a day’s visit to inspect facilities at the Takoradi Air Force Station, based upon which they would submit concrete proposals for the start of the project.
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Controversial Prez Jet Sold For Military Aircraft
22 May 2006
The government announced on Sunday that it has finally sold off a controversial presidential jet to a Chinese company, but doubts remain whether that would be the end of the matter.
The government said it had accepted an offer from the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation to
trade-in the Gulf Stream GIII aircraft for four K-8 military aircraft and one K-8 flight simulator for the Ghana Air Force.
An official government statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Kwamena Bartels, said the Gulf Stream aircraft, which had been valued at five million dollars, would be used as down-payment for the four K-8 aircraft and the flight simulator.
It said the current market price for an air worthy Gulf Stream GIII aircraft in service went for about 6.5 million dollars according to Conklin and de Decker, world acclaimed and approved valuers in the aviation industry. It said the Gulf stream jet would fly out on Monday to its new owners.
The acquisition of the plane by former President Jerry Rawlings in 1999 became a major political issue as the current government then in opposition said it suspected underhand deals in the purchase. It became a major election campaign subject matter in 2000 and President John Agyekum Kufuor vowed not to use the plane when elected.
He stuck to his vow and never used the plane, instead flying a F 28 for short flights and commercial flights for long distance trips. Kufuor party described the purchase of the jet as wasteful and frivolous said taking advance payments together with other information supplied showed that the cost of the aircraft to Ghana was 16.45 million dollars plus preliminary expenses of 3.18 million dollars.
Rawlings' opposition National Democratic Congress said there was nothing fishy about the purchase and challenged the government to unearth any deals if it found any. President Kufuor put together a committee made up of ministers - J.H. Mensah, Yaw Osafo-Maafo and Nana Akufo-Addo - to investigate the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the plane. The findings were never made public.
