Kampala residents Thursday afternoon looked on in awe as a single Uganda Airforce Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft appeared drifting in the misty sky.
“It did a couple spins after it passed us. I think it was about 50 meters high, maybe lower,” John Twinamatsiko who was at Acacia Mall in Kamwokya during the testing.
After former FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye’s calls to opposition to stage an election protest continue to pose a significant threat to Uganda’s national security. That coupled with the fact Police chief Gen Kayihura saying there were terror threats ahead of President Yoweri Museveni swearing-in slated for May 12, 2016, UPDF has held numerous large-scale military drills checking air force readiness.
Training on the jets is highly expensive because of fuel considering one Sukhoi jet can consume about Shs225 million fuel cost per training day according to an air force source.
During the manoeuvres though, social media went buzz with assertions that the IGP and Army were trying to scare off intended protestors as the timing of the fighter jet conceded with the arrest of eight demonstrators in the city center.
There are also reported military patrols on Entebbe road that leads to State House Entebbe and Uganda’s only international airport. They are guarding places like Petrol Stations which are easy targets for protestors and terrorists.
Uganda has six Su-30s Russian made aircraft, based at Entebbe, can carry air-to-air missiles as well as various general purpose bombs for air-to-surface missions. They are believed to have conducted missions against Al Qaeda targets in Somalia, to provide support for UPDF acting under the Africa Union/UN mission (AMISOM), and have reportedly launched airstrikes against opposition forces in South Sudan in the past.
EagleOnline’s efforts to reach the army spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda for a comment were futile.
Asked about Uganda’s aircraft assertiveness during back in 2014, President Museveni said having a strong infantry without a strong air force is like having food without sauce.
See some of the SU-30’s “super maneuverability” in the video below:
