SA Hopes Brazil Will Join Another Missile Project
A Brazilian report has stated that South Africa's State-owned defence industrial group Denel is proposing that the Brazilian Navy cooperate with it in the development of the radar-guided version of Denel Dynamics' Umkhonto naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), designated Umkhonto-R. If so, this would parallel the current cooperation between Denel Dynamics and the Brazilian Air Force in the development of the A-Darter air-to-air missile. It is known that Denel is seeking to widen its cooperation with Brazil, with Unmanned Air Vehicles likely to be the next area of partnership. The Brazilian and South African Navies will start high-level staff talks late next month (November) and it is believed that this would provide the ideal opportunity for the South African Navy to lobby the Brazilians to join the Umkhonto-R programme. The original, infrared-homing, version of the Umkhonto, designated Umkhonto-IR, is now in service with the South African and Finnish Navies and is being seriously considered by the Swedish Navy. Radar homing would give the missile greater range. While the slant (as distinct from vertical, or horizontal) range of the Umkhonto-IR is believed to be 14 km, that for the Umkhonto-R would, reportedly, be 20 km. (The Denel Dynamics public brochure for the Umkhonto-IR states "Range: 12 000 m", and gives a ceiling of 8 000 m.)
The South African Department of Defence is, it seems, providing funding for the Umkhonto-R project, but this is not likely to be enough to allow a purely national development of the programme within a reasonable time. (If a weapon system takes too long to develop, it becomes obsolete before it even enters service.) Hence Denel's, and South Africa's, reported desire for a partner.
The engagement sequence for the Umkhonto-IR is as follows: the warship detects a target on its acquisition radar and launches the missile against it; the SAM uses its on-board inertial navigation subsystem to fly itself to a "lock-on point" - the location at which its IR seeker can acquire the target and lock on to it - and then guide itself to interception. However, for the Umkhonto-R, it is reported that, after target detection and missile launch, the SAM would be steered towards the target by commands from the warship, activating its radar seeker when within range, locking on to, and then intercepting, the target.
Unlike the South African navy, the Brazilian Navy already operates radar-guided SAMs, namely the Italian Aspide, with a published range of greater than 15 km. Although the Brazilians rate this as a very good missile, they are, however, merely users of it - they have no mastery of radar-homing technology. Cooperation with South Africa in the Umkhonto-R programme would provide an opportunity for the Brazilians to gain this expertise.
However, there is a potential problem. The Umkhonto (both -IR and -R versions) is designed to use vertical launch systems (VLS) and not traditional trainable launchers.
In a VLS each missile is accomodated in its own silo, and this arrangement has many advantages over traditonal systems, with the result that VLS is being adopted nearly universally for new-build warships. But almost all of a VLS is accomodated below deck, not above deck as with traditional launchers. This requires that the ship have significant internal volume to accomodate the VLS. And Brazil's existing frigates and corvettes do not have the necessary internal volume to host VLS, meaning they cannot carry the Umkhonto. On the other hand, the Umkhonto-R could be fitted to Brazil's bigger ships - the aircraft carrier and four or five amphibious ships - which have plenty of internal volume available. So this is not an automatic deal-wrecker.
The Brazilian Navy has its own research and development agency, the Naval Research Institute (IPqM are its initials in Portuguese). The IPqM is based in Rio de Janeiro and is subordinated to the Navy Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat. The Institute has successfully developed weapons and electronic systems that are now in service with the Brazilian Navy, including electronic support measures (ESM), a tactical control system for warships, a monitoring and conmtrol system for ships' engines, a chaff launching system, and sea mines. Projects it is currently working on include an electronic countermeasures (ECM) system, radar absorbing materials, ceramic armour, and an inertial navigation system. The IPqM has close ties with Brazilian industry and would presumably be the lead Brazilian institution in a joint Umkhonto-R programme.
Source: Engineering News
German company takes control of Denel [Optronics]
Germany's Carl Zeiss Optronics, a unit of Carl Zeiss AG, has bought a 70 percent stake in South Africa's state-owned weapons group Denel's optronics unit, the two companies said on Wednesday.
"Carl Zeiss Optronics has agreed to acquire a majority in Denel's optronics unit as part of the South African company's restructuring process," the companies said in a joint statement.
The companies did not give any financial details about how much the German firm paid for the Denel Optronics stake.
Denel and Carl Zeiss Optronics said they envisaged separate investment in the new business - to be renamed Carl Zeiss Optronics Pty Ltd - of R60-million over three years.
"The funds will be chiefly utilised for product development, the extension and modernisation of the production lines, the expansion of international marketing and the setup of international service centres. IT and project management systems will be additionally upgraded," Carl Zeiss said in a separate statement.
Carl Zeiss Optronics board member Armin Breinig said the two firms' product lines were a good match and his firm now has the possibility of increased market access.
"We are targeting our investments at improving the production process and are aiming to achieve a substantial increase in the revenues of Carl Zeiss Optronics Pty Ltd in South Africa. This will contribute to the growth of the entire company and help to safeguard jobs in Germany also," he said.
Read more at: Independent Online
New content: The 2006 South African Defence Related Industries Study
An interesting document, published by the South African Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Industries Association (AMD), has been added: The 2006 South African Defence Related Industries Study.
SA parts fly high in choppers...
(Published: 2005/01/21)
South African designed and manufactured components for AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300 helicopters continue to exceed expectations.
Performance has been so good that AgustaWestland has offered the equipment to the rest of its customers for future new-build aircraft and upgrades of existing aircraft.
These South African components were promoted and incorporated on the Super Lynx 300 as part of AgustaWestland’s defence industrial participation (Dip) programme – the South African National Defence Force has bought four Super Lynx 300s, to be operated from the country’s new ‘Valour’-class (or Meko A200SAN) patrol frigates.
The company has agreed to achieve specific values for both direct Dip (parts and services associated with South Africa’s Super Lynxes) and indirect Dip (all other defence- related business) as a condition of the helicopter sale.
“Indirect Dip has been going very well so far – especially the equipment supplied by Aerosud and Avitronics,” reports AgustaWestland Super Lynx IP manager for South Africa David Frances.
(AgustaWestland, formerly a joint venture between GKN of the UK and Italy’s Finmeccanica, is now entirely owned by the latter; however, the company will retain its design team and manufacturing facility in Yeovil, England; Agusta won the order for the South African Air Force’s new light utility helicopter, based on its A109LUH.) “Avitronics is supplying the electronic warfare countermeasures fit for an export customer of the Super Lynx 300, while Aerosud is providing both the infrared exhaust suppression (IRES) system and the armoured flight-crew seats for the same customer; these equipments will be offered as standard optional equipment for all future Super Lynx 300 customers,” reveals Frances.
“The IRES is a new, innovative, design which pushes the engine exhaust up into the rotor downwash, thereby rapidly dispersing and cooling the hot gases,” he highlights.
“The performance of the system has proven to be excellent and is now in service – in fact, because of the success of the design we are now offering it to other Lynx and Super Lynx customers,” he states.
Such systems are of increasing interest to naval operators of the Lynx and Super Lynx, as they are frequently forced to fly their aircraft in the littoral environment where they could be targets for hostile troops armed with weapons ranging from automatic small-arms to man-port-able IR-homing missiles. “We are marketing elements of the South African Super Lynx in the UK, and there are further opportunities elsewhere in Europe, the Far East, and South America,” he affirms.
Various South African companies will also supply components for the four aircraft for this country, as part of the direct Dip programme.
“The South African Super Lynx has reached the design-freeze stage and most of the components have been ordered,” he reports.
“We’ve concluded negotiations with Denel Optronics for the supply of its electro-optical sighting system (EOSS), and with Tellumat for the identification friend-or-foe system,” he elucidates.
“Sysdel will provide the electronic warfare suite, which is a modification of the system it developed for the South African Navy; this is quite a challenge for Sysdel as it has had to miniaturise the original ship design for integration on the helicopters,” he adds.
“The South African company Thales – not to be confused with the unrelated French group – will supply the data downlink and the ‘video-grabber’,” he continues.
The video-grabber is the system which allows the crew on the heli-copter to ‘grab’ a ‘frame’ from the EOSS video display and send it to the crew of the frigate for further analysis.
“Reutech Defence Industries and Grintek Communications Systems will provide the V/UHF and HF radios,” he says.
Source: Engineering News
Content back: Denel Bateleur UAV
Content back: Denel Bataleur UAV.
Bateleur Mockup at AAD 2004 - Image: Darren Olivier
Denel sinks further into debt
South Africa's arms industry was once a global competitor. Now it faces mounting losses, and the government seems set to sell off the proverbial family silver, piece by piece, to foreign interests - even to controversial ones, such as British and US defence firms.
As the state arms producer, Denel, gets ready to post another huge loss at the end of this month, it is poised to move towards marriages that might be convenient, but are likely to evoke controversy.
The Department of Public Enterprises declined to confirm these negotiations because talks were at a "sensitive stage".
The parastatal recorded losses of R1,6-billion last year, its liabilities exceeding its assets by R769,9-million. This year's are estimated to be somewhere between R750-million and R850-million. Little wonder, then, that restructuring and selling bits of it off are on the table once again for the first time since 2002.
Denel is the principal heir to the state arms industry, but given the sensitivity of the strategic interests at stake, the debate over privatisation, and doubts concerning the necessity of an arms industry at all, the aspirant architects of a new-look, sleek Denel are unlikely to have an entirely smooth ride.
Those who favour a cautious approach argue that the Department of Public Enterprises, the sole shareholder of Denel, needs to act within the government's defence industry strategy. Others say that while it's a good idea to avoid privatisation, foreign expertise and capital are sorely needed.
The government last month gave Denel a helping hand to the tune of R2-billion and this could rise to as much as R5-billion over the next few years.
This is intended to enable Denel to unbundle, focus on core competencies and create separate divisions that could attract international partners and local investment.
Denel's board is to meet early in May to consider the plan to reshape and revive the group, but it has meanwhile been negotiating with a range of players across the globe with a view to finding alliance partners.
First in line is the Swedish giant Saab. Swedish media reported earlier this year that CEO Ake Svensson had confirmed the company was interested in both acquiring parts of Denel, as well as finding "co-operation projects".
Saab supplies the South African Air Force's Gripen fighter planes and has been investing locally.
US-based company General Dynamics is poised to obtain a part of Denel's munitions division. This is a politically controversial because of US involvement in wars in Central Asia and the Middle East.
British BAE Systems stands to gain a share in the artillery engineering division, where the G5 and G6 cannon, and gun turrets are produced.
The Department of Public Enterprises said it intended conducting a study into the sector, but declined to comment on the extent of different kinds of ownership, or on foreign ownership.
Read more: Independent Online
Denel Male UAV on First Overseas Visit
Having shown a mock-up of its 'Bateleur' Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time in late 2004, Denel opted for the Dubai International airshow to display it abroad for the first time. A scale model of the 'Bateleur' is to be seen at the airshow that started on Monday. According to Jan Wessels, Denel Aerospace Systems General Manager, the initial development rationale with the 'Bateleur' was to meet the anticipated South African Navy and South African Air Force's Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) requirement. "Since then several clients, notably also in the Middle East, have shown keen interest in our 'Bateleur' MALE UAV. With around 20 years' experience in operating UAVs, Denel is well-positioned to complement its existing capabilities with a MALE version," Wessels said.
Denel sees the identified roles and missions of the design as:
- Real-time day and night surveillance
- Maritime, coastal and border patrol
- Battlefield surveillance
- Search and rescue operations
- Military and paramilitary multi-sensor reconnaissance
The UAV was designed to cover South Africa's vast search and rescue area of
approximately 5-million square miles. The country's 200 nautical miles
exclusive economic zone lies along approximately 3 000 kilometres of
coastline. Moreover, South Africa's island dependencies, like Marion Island
in the southern Indian Ocean, lies approximately 1775 kilometres away.
For long-range operations, Denel's existing ground control station (used for
the Seeker 2 UAV, which is operational in several countries) plus a tactical
ground station provides line-of-sight deployment of the 'Bateleur' MALE UAV
with an action radius of 750 kilometres and 12 to 18 hours over the target
area. Making use of the Ku-band satellite, the UAV will undertake over the
horizon operations (OTH) to a range of around 3500 kilometres.
Other products on display at the Dubai Airshow are Denel's impressive range
of missiles and precision-guided weapons, as well as optronic systems. These
include the Ingwe and Mokopa anti-armour missiles, the Umkhonto
surface-to-air missile, destined for the South African Navy's new Meko-class
corvettes and Finland's Navy Squadron 2000 project, and the Umbani
precision-guided modular bomb kit. In August 2005 Denel held a client
evaluation of its Ingwe anti-armour missile in the Gulf Region. According to
Wessels, the results once again confirmed the outstanding performance of
Denel's Ingwe missile that won the company the "Best Live Demonstration"
award at the IDEX 2003 exhibition in the United Arab Emirates where it
destroyed targets at ranges of around 5 000m. The Ingwe is in full
production and is being exported. Denel's optronic systems have also found
ready export markets around the world. The latest success was the Belgian
Federal Police (BFP) who awarded Denel a contract earlier this year for the
supply of the widely used and proven LEO II-A3 Airborne Observation System.
The LEO product family has a proud tradition of supporting law enforcement
operations in some twenty countries around the world. It is now
successfully used on five continents - from South America to Europe, the
Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Source: Defence THINK!/SAAF Mailing List
