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29 octobre 2015 4 29 /10 /octobre /2015 08:45
Four more Badger ICVs for the Army

Four more Badger ICVs for the Army

 

28 October 2015 by defenceWeb

 

The SA Army will ultimately have a fleet of 242 Badger infantry combat vehicles in nine variants as opposed to the original five combat variants according to the 2014/15 Armscor annual report.

 

The slight increase in the number of vehicles is “a quid pro quo for increasing the advance payment made to industry on the production contract”.

 

Earlier this year the National Conventional Arms Control committee (NCACC) reported the import of a single armoured personnel carrier (APC) from Finland as part of the Denel Land Systems/Patria Land and Armament partnership to produce the new generation of combat vehicles for the landward arm of the SA National Defence Force. Two APC hulls were also imported.

 

According to the Armscor public document 21 vehicle platforms will be sourced from the Finnish company with the remaining 221 to be “completely manufactured in South Africa”.

 

The report continues: “Significant progress was made during the past year with the final phases of the vehicle development programme and a number of major technical challenges were successfully mitigated. It is expected that development will be completed by the end of the 2016/17 financial year and that industrialisation and production can commence without significant delay.”

 

The 2014/15 financial year saw completion of most of the design, test and evaluation trials of the Badger with the preliminary operational test and evaluation completed in February.

 

“The locally developed 30mm Camgun performed well during trials and all performance life goals were achieved.

 

“Development of the mortar and missile variants of the vehicle are planned to lag behind the section variant, and design and test and evaluation trials for these variants are planned to be completed during the 2015/16 financial year. Development of both these variants will be completed by the end of 2016. The concept designs of the signal and ambulance variants were completed in March 2015, while that of the artillery variant will be completed during the 2015/16 financial year,” according to the report.

 

The year under review also saw three vehicle platform pre-production models manufactured by Patria in Finland with two delivered to South Africa.

 

Denel Land systems will deliver the new infantry combat vehicles to the SA Army over a 10 year period from the signing of the production contract in November 2013 with final delivery expected at the end of 2022.

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18 septembre 2014 4 18 /09 /septembre /2014 11:45
Denel LCT turret

Denel LCT turret

 

 

17 September 2014 by defenceWeb

 

Denel Land Systems launched a new one-man turret, designed for the African market, at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2014 expedition in Pretoria on Wednesday.

 

The Light Combat Turret is a one-man turret for vehicles likely to operate in higher risk areas or roles, Denel said. It provides all-round and top protection against infantry weapons and fragments, with vision blocks for all round view and a top hatch to allow the gunner to ride head out when safe to do so. The turret can traverse 360 degrees and the mounted weapon can depress to minus twelve degrees and elevate to 45 degrees.

 

Weapons options include 7.62 and 12.7 mm machineguns, a 20 mm GA1 cannon or a 40 mm GLI40 automatic grenade launcher. The cradle has been designed to accept any of these weapons without modification.

 

The fire direction system includes a three field of view high definition day camera, a thermal imager for night use and a laser rangefinder, with all ballistic calculations on screen.

 

Denel Land Systems said the turret provides an affordable and low maintenance protected firepower solution for armoured personnel carriers or similar vehicles. Keeping the cost down is the fact that the turret is manually operated but other actuation mechanisms are available. Baseline weight is 650 kg.

 

Stephan Burger, Denel Land Systems (DLS) CEO, said that DLS and its associated companies LMT and Mechem now offer armoured vehicles as complete systems with the armament fully integrated with the vehicle. Burger said there has been interest in the turrets from Far Eastern customers.

 

Also on display at the Denel stand was a fire truck being offered to the South African Air Force to meet its Project Bandsman requirement for a fire/rescue vehicle. The vehicle on display was brought in in partnership with Rosenbauer and MAN.

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15 juillet 2014 2 15 /07 /juillet /2014 07:45
Sagem (Safran) : les caméras thermiques MATIS équiperont les véhicules de combat d’infanterie de l’Afrique du Sud

 

Eurosatory, Paris-Nord Villepinte, le 19 juin 2014 Sagem

 

Sagem (Safran) a signé avec Denel Land Systems, un important contrat de caméras thermiques destinées à équiper les véhicules de combat d’infanterie sud-africains de type Badger.

 

Au titre de ce programme, Sagem produira trois types de caméras infrarouges de la famille MATIS en vue d’équiper les différentes configurations des blindés Badger. Ces véhicules seront dotés de tourelles de 30 mm et de tourelles lance-missiles anti-char.

 

Les caméras thermiques MATIS ont été conçues par Sagem pour répondre aux besoins opérationnels les plus exigeants des plates-formes de combat opérant dans tous les milieux (terrestres, aériens, maritimes). Par leurs caractéristiques tactiques, elles contribuent aux fonctions d’observation, de reconnaissance d’identification et d’engagement sur des distances de plusieurs kilomètres.

 

Les caméras MATIS de Sagem se caractérisent par une intégration aisée dans les systèmes d’armes en tourelles et par leur haut niveau de performance démontré à l’occasion d’essais sur le terrain.

 

La production des caméras thermiques MATIS sera assurée par l’établissement de Sagem à Poitiers.

 

Au plus près du besoin des forces sud-africaines, Sagem travaillera avec un partenaire local, la société Afrimeasure qui assurera pour une partie, l’intégration finale des caméras, les tests, puis leur maintien en condition opérationnelle.

 

Leader européen des équipements et systèmes optroniques, Sagem a produit plus de 6 000 caméras thermiques MATIS qui équipent les systèmes d’armes majeurs en France et à l’international.

 

Sagem, société de haute technologie de Safran, est un leader mondial de solutions et de services en optronique, avionique, électronique et logiciels critiques, pour les marchés civils et de défense. N°1 européen et n°3 mondial des systèmes de navigation inertielle pour les applications aéronautiques, marines et terrestres, Sagem est également n°1 mondial des commandes de vol pour hélicoptères et n°1 européen des systèmes optroniques et des systèmes de drones tactiques. Présents sur tous les continents via le réseau international de Safran, Sagem et ses filiales emploient 7 500 personnes en Europe, en Asie du Sud-est et Amérique du Nord. Sagem est le nom commercial de la société Sagem Défense Sécurité. Pour plus d’informations : www.sagem.com

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19 décembre 2013 4 19 /12 /décembre /2013 08:45
Denel products including the Badger IFV and Umkhonto SAM

Denel products including the Badger IFV and Umkhonto SAM

 

17 December 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

 

South African defence and aerospace conglomerate Denel says it is well on the way to business sustainability and has highlighted a number of important achievements for 2013, such as the awarding of the Badger production contract, the performance of the Rooivalk in African peacekeeping operations and a R5 billion guided munition contract.

 

Riaz Saloojee, Denel Group CEO, said that the company’s performance over the last year “has received widespread recognition. At our recent meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Members of Parliament spoke with great appreciation about the company’s role in meeting its strategic mandates and the success of our financial turnaround.”

 

Over the last year Denel improved revenue by more than 10% and grew profit by R30 million to R71 million. The only remaining loss-making unit in the group, Denel Aerostructures, has improved its position by 35%.

 

Saloojee said some of the year’s greatest highlights include the launch of the Badger, the South African Army’s new infantry combat vehicle, and the first successful deployment of the Rooivalk in active service in support of peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some 2 000 jobs are expected to be created from the Badger vehicle, 238 of which will be delivered to the South African Army over the next decade.

 

Denel Land Systems is also involved in a smaller project (part of Project Warrior), which involves upgrading the SA National Defence Force’s R4 assault rifles with Picatinny rails, sights and other accessories.

 

Another highlight was the move into space science, with Denel creating the Spaceteq division. This was inducted as a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in September. In July 2013, satellite manufacturer SunSpace was incorporated into Denel Dynamics, creating Spaceteq. Denel said that developments are already underway for Spaceteq’s first project, a multispectral, high resolution, earth observation satellite called EO-Sat1 for operation by the SA National Space Agency (SANSA) by 2017.

 

“We made huge progress with our strategic alliances on missile and guided munition developments with international partners. We signed new agreements for work packages in the aerostructure business and launched an international centre of excellence for MRO work during South Africa’s historic hosting of the BRICS Summit,” Saloojee said of 2013.

 

Expanding on the guided munitions developments, Tawazun Dynamics, a joint venture between Denel and Tawazun Holdings, was awarded a R5 billion contract by the UAE armed forces for Al Tariq precision guided bombs for its Mirage 2000-9 fighters in November.

 

Also on the guided munition front, Denel successfully tested its land-based Umkhonto surface-to-air-missile, destroying targets at 20 kilometre ranges during a series of tests in the southern Cape. The Umkhonto SAM system was developed by Denel Dynamics for the SA Navy’s Meko A200 class frigates, and is in service in both Block 1 and Block 2 versions. This ground-based launcher now provides an alternative that can also be used by the SA Army’s for Phase 2 of its Ground-based Air Defence System (GBADS), according to Denel.

 

On the missile front, Denel Dynamics is working towards final development and qualification of the A-Darter fifth generation air-to-air missile, being developed together with Brazil. The company is also working on the future Marlin missile project, aimed at establishing a common platform for long-range all weather air-to-air and surface-to-air defence.

 

On the aviation side, Denel Aviation is working on external fuel tanks for the Rooivalk combat helicopter. Denel said that the project was revived about four years ago when most of the Rooivalk development was completed. The external fuel tanks are needed for the Air Force’s long range escort missions where one or two Rooivalks fly alongside other aircraft such as the Oryx to provide protection. The external tanks of fuel add about two additional hours of flying. The manufacture of production tanks for the Rooivalk squadron is expected to be contracted within this financial year as almost all testing has already been done.

 

Also on the aviation side, Denel this year redelivered two Botswana Defence Force AS350B helicopters after their 12 year inspection and is working on upgrading six SA Air Force C-130 Hercules with auxiliary power units and environmental control systems. Denel Aviation also handed over a Puma helicopter to the Kenyan Air Force after maintenance work.

 

Denel Aviation earlier this year partnered with Russian Helicopters to provide a local maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for Russian Helicopters manufactured rotorcraft. Mi-8/17 aircraft are being catered for, but other models may be serviced at a later date.

 

On the manufacturing side, Denel Aerostructures received a third multi-million rand contract for the manufacturing of critical parts for the Airbus A400M strategic airlifter. The approximate R157 million contract (over eight years) will see Denel Aerostructures manufacture tailplane components.

 

Meanwhile, Denel Dynamics continues to support SANParks in the Kruger National Park by providing a Seeker UAV for anti-poaching operations. Mechem also supports anti-poaching operations by supplying dogs and handlers to track poachers.

 

Denel Pretoria Metal Pressings (PMP) this year commissioned and installed thirteen new CNC machines, worth R13 million, to assist with 30 x 175 mm ammunition production. The new machines will be able to make up to 500 of these rounds a day, meeting the requirements for the Badger vehicle. The requirement is to manufacture a volume of up to 100 000 rounds a year, something that can achieved with the introduction of the new CNC machines.

 

The development of the ammunition took place in tandem with the development of the 30 mm Cam-gun for the Badger, done by Denel Land Systems. The 8X8 Badger infantry combat vehicle will be equipped with a 30 mm cam-operated cannon and a breechloaded 60 mm mortar, both of which are integrated into the turret variants manufactured by DLS.

 

Phaladi Petje, CEO of PMP, said the commissioning of the new machines enhances PMP’s capability to export more medium calibre ammunition and to bring in valued foreign currency.

 

Mechem has also had a busy year, receiving contracts from Kenya and Zambia amongst others for dog training and dogs, which will sniff out explosives.

 

Saloojee said Denel wants to move from being a good company to a great company. “I have no doubt that we can achieve this if we continue on the current trajectory.” Part of this trajectory is Denel’s plan to grow its revenue to more than R7 billion over the next five years and create an order book more than five times its turnover. Denel is modernising its product offerings as a result, especially in the fields of artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition and aviation MRO services.

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20 novembre 2013 3 20 /11 /novembre /2013 18:45
New gallery: Denel Land Systems

20 November 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb


Denel Land Systems on November 19, 2013, hosted an open day to present the Badger infantry combat vehicle to the media. Present was a wide variety of Denel land products, including the G5, G6 and 105 mm artillery systems, Casspir 2000 armoured personnel carriers, mortars, cannons, machineguns, assault rifles and armoured trucks. Mechem sniffer dogs put on a demonstration detecting drugs, explosives and landmines. Click here to view the gallery.

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20 novembre 2013 3 20 /11 /novembre /2013 17:45
The Denel Land Systems G5 155 mm artillery piece

The Denel Land Systems G5 155 mm artillery piece

 

20 November 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

 

Denel Land Systems showed off a wide range of its products at its Lyttelton facilities on Tuesday, showcasing proven technology, like its G6 artillery and R4 assault rifles, and new hardware, such as its Badger armoured vehicle, 60 mm breech loading mortar and 105 mm howitzer.

 

Stephan Burger, CEO of Denel Land Systems (DLS), said recent restructuring and acquisitions have broadened the company’s range of products and services, confirming its role as a strategic land systems partner to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). “We are extremely proud of what we have and who we are,” he told journalists at a briefing yesterday.

 

DLS said the strength of the company lies in its ability to meet South Africa’s entire landward defence needs – from infantry weapons and mortars to armoured vehicles, artillery and logistical support. The fact that Denel is now profitable and not making a loss any more further strengthens its ability to support the SANDF. “Our purpose is not only to make money – it is to support the strategic needs of the SANDF in terms of combat systems. We are fulfilling that role but we can’t do that by relying on South African business.”

 

As a result, some 80% of DLS turnover comes from export orders. Burger said that DLS is now a “mature and confident company which can build on a reputation and experience of more than 60 years. The next step will be to grow our share in the global markets – especially in our niche capabilities in artillery systems.”

 

Burger said that Denel’s G6 and G5 howitzers still set the global standards for long-range artillery. “The G6 was ahead of its time when it was first launched in 1987. Through our continuous research and investment in the gun we have ensured it remains ahead of the pack as the most versatile and reliable artillery system in its class. We are still outgunning all our global competitors by a wide margin.”

 

He told defenceWeb that DLS was in negotiations with a couple of customers for a “substantial number” of these weapons, which are in high demand.

 

On the artillery side, DLS yesterday showcased its 105 mm howitzer, which is still under development and waiting for an order so this can be completed. Burger told defenceWeb that the gun was more of a technology demonstrator and is taking a back seat to the G5 and G6, which are important products for the company. The 105 mm gun has a range of 30 km, versus the average of 18 km for other weapons of that calibre, Denel said. Burger noted that the 105 mm is important to Denel’s long-term planning as a next generation weapon.

 

Two of the main areas that Denel Land Systems is focusing on is artillery for export and the maintenance of the SANDF’s B-vehicle fleet. With upcoming contracts, DLS expects turnover to reach into the billions of rands soon.

 

DLS exhibited the smaller side of its range yesterday, including long range and regular 81 and 60 mm mortars, SS77 and mini-SS machineguns, automatic grenade launchers, 20 mm cannons and R4 assault rifles. Displayed on the Badger armoured vehicle was the 60 mm breech loading mortar. This design is water cooled, allowing a high rate of fire. Burger said it was one of a few such breech loading designs in the world but the only type of its size.

 

Denel has upgraded the R4 with new furniture able to fit a wide variety of attachments, such as laser and infrared sights, red dot sights, Milkor underbarrel 40 mm grenade launchers, shock prodders and other add-ons. The company has received orders for several hundred upgraded R4s for the South African military for evaluation as a subcomponent of its African Warrior programme. Burger said that occasional small orders for items like the SS77 and mortars are received from places like the United Arab Emirates and Columbia, for example.

 

Also on the small arms side, DLS has partnered with Swiss firearm company Brugger & Thomet (B&T), with the two companies sharing technology and product lines. Burger said the partnership was a cheap way of getting new capability.

 

Sales of Denel’s GI-2 20 mm cannon have been progressing well and the company says it has seen a resurgence in demand for this calibre of weapon, particularly for naval applications. Burger said there was a lot of interest in rapid fire cannons from the Far East. Denel recently supplied a number of 20 mm cannons and double SS77 machinegun mounts to Kenya for its Puma helicopters.

 

Also on display was the NTW-20 anti-material weapon, able to destroy high value targets such as bunkers, command and control stations and stationary aircraft with pin-point accuracy over distances of more than 1 200 meters. The 14.5 mm variant was used by a South African soldier to snipe M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year, with one kill taking place at a range of 2 125 metres – one of the longest successful sniper kills in history.

 

On the vehicle side, Denel Land Systems demonstrated its new Badger infantry combat vehicle, which has just been ordered for the South African Army. The first of 238 Badgers will be delivered to the SA Army in the fourth quarter of 2016. Burger said the Badger order was “absolutely needed” for many reasons, one of which was to support the South African defence industry.

 

A number of different Casspir armoured personnel carriers were on display, including old and new variants in different configurations, such as ambulance and mine clearance. Specialist de-mining company Mechem, part of DLS, manufactures the Casspir vehicle, used by the United Nations in various peace missions.

 

Mechem is one of the few demining companies accredited by the United Nations and is currently active in post-conflict zones in 11 African countries. Its specially-trained sniffer dogs are able to detect landmines, drugs and contraband. They were impressively demonstrated yesterday, with the dogs detecting explosives, drugs and landmines and also tackling a ‘bad guy’. Denel said that its dogs are involved in anti-rhino poaching operations in the Kruger Park, as they are used for tracking and detection.

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20 novembre 2013 3 20 /11 /novembre /2013 08:45
Badger mortar carrying version - Denel Land Systems Badger ICV. photo Guy Martin

Badger mortar carrying version - Denel Land Systems Badger ICV. photo Guy Martin

 

19 November 2013 by Guy Martin – defenceWeb

 

The first of 238 Badger infantry combat vehicle will roll off Denel’s production facilities in October 2015, rejuvenating the South African Army’s landward defence capabilities.

 

Denel received the production contract nearly two months ago from Armscor. Due to delays in ordering the vehicles, the number to be acquired has been reduced from 264 vehicles to 238 as delays pushed up the price tag. The timetable has also slipped slightly, with the first example expected off the production line three months later than was announced last month.

 

Stephan Burger, the CEO of Denel Land Systems (DLS), said the industrialisation at its facilities in Lyttelton has already started and the manufacturing will commence in early 2015. The full fleet, which will replace the Ratels that are currently used by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), will be delivered by the end of 2022.

 

“The new Badger ICV is a combination of a locally-designed turret and a Finnish designed vehicle, customised for the unique South African conditions. The system will be produced locally and represents the apex of the South African defence industry,” stated Burger.

 

“It will provide South Africa’s soldiers with unrivalled firepower, mobility and maximum armoured protection. The SANDF will have an adaptable and flexible vehicle that can be used with equal confidence in both high-intensity warfare and peace support operations.”

 

Following an open tender process, Denel Land Systems was awarded the contract for the development of a new generation infantry combat vehicle by Armscor in 2007 to replace the 30 year old Ratel fleet.

 

The first prototype vehicle was delivered to Armscor and the SANDF in 2010. This vehicle is currently being subjected to extensive testing and modifications to meet the changing requirements of the SANDF, Denel said. The R8 billion+ Badger programme will create 2 000 jobs in South Africa, including 200 at Denel Land Systems.

 

With a budget of R1.3 billion, Denel Land Systems and its sub-contractors have, within five-and-a-half years developed and tested five variants of the Badger, improved its armour capability, developed new weapons for the vehicle, developed crew simulators and logistics support systems.

 

Burger told defenceWeb that 16 of the 238 Badger chasses will be built in Finland (as the Badger is based on the Finnish Patria vehicle) and the remainder will be made in South Africa, with the transfer of skills and intellectual property (up to 70% of the vehicle will be produced locally).

 

A notable feature of the Badger is its modular turret system, developed in five variants, namely Section, Command, Mortar, Missile and Fire Support models. A single turret structure, fitted with different weapon modules, will simplify the logistic support and reduce the cost of through-life support, Denel said.

 

The Badger variants are equipped with either a 30mm externally-driven cam-operated cannon, a locally developed 60 mm breech-loading long-range mortar both developed by DLS, a 12.7mm machine gun or the Ingwe anti-tank missile system developed by Denel Dynamics. These weapon systems are integrated into the DLS turrets. The breech loading mortar is water cooled, allowing a high rate of fire. Burger said it was one of a few such designs in the world but the only type of its size.

 

“Although the development phase is still in process, we are confident that the Badger will generate considerable international interest in the vehicle and open a number of prospects for future exports that could result in the injection of foreign direct investment into South Africa,” said Burger.

 

The Badger project has already resulted in Malaysia ordering R3.5 billion worth of turrets and weapons from Denel, developed for the Badger. Burger told defenceWeb that he expects the total Badger system to be exported. He said the vehicle’s uniqueness is a world requirement. Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America are target areas.

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