Denel scoops missile deal with Brazilians

Local arms manufacturer Denel has scooped a R1bn air-to-air missile joint- venture contract with the Brazilian air force. This is seen as the coming to fruition of the south-south co-operation agreement recently initiated by President Thabo Mbeki and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The contract, signed by Armscor on behalf of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on Friday last week, will see the start of the latest generation of the A-Darter air-to-air missile programme. It will be developed by and for both the SANDF and the Brazilian air force.

Sam Basch, defence analyst [sic] at Denel, says the 2m-long missile has been under development in SA for more than two years [sic]. It has been tested using a motor from a smaller antitank missile, in what is called a "boosted launch". It would be manufactured locally, using parts from SA and Brazil, both of which have missile capabilities. The logistics as to which specific parts would be sourced from which country are still being negotiated.

According to Denel spokesman Joe Makhafola, the co-development of the missile between SA and Brazil would facilitate the sharing of much-needed skills, training, and technology between the two countries. "Already, 10 Brazilian air force members are working on the programme at the Denel Dynamics plant and they will be supplemented by a further 20 people from Brazilian defence companies," said Makhafola. He said the A-Darter missile development, which will be conducted by Denel Dynamics, was important to the aerospace cluster in equipping the aircraft of both air forces. "The A-Darter missile will guarantee a credible deterrent for the South African Air Force and will maintain and expand the local capabilities in this field over the next 15 years," said Makhafola.

He said future missile export contracts, flowing from this programme, were expected to add another R2bn over the 15-year period, adding to the sustainability and viability of Denel Dynamics. He said that about 200 engineers would be required over the duration of the contract. "Already there are signs that increasing numbers of young engineers are being attracted to Denel, specifically to be part of leading-edge technological projects such as that offered by the A-Darter development contract," said Makhafola. The market value of the international arms industry is estimated at about $36,9bn, with the US as top supplier.

Business Day