Maritime flight training for NSRI - Picture Robert Fine, NSRI

10 March 2014 defenceWeb

28 Squadron is widely recognised as one of the hardest working units in the SA Air Force (SAAF) with its more than 50-year-old C-130BZs routinely providing logistic support across the country and the continent.

One of its other missions is search and rescue and training in this aspect of operations with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) recently took place a long way from the squadron’s home base at AFB Waterkloof.

A pair of BZs made AFB Ysterplaat their temporary base for maritime flight operations training. NSRI crew members Robert Fine and Mahboob Ebrahim were invited to join the crew aboard one of the BZs.

The mission the NSRI crew joined started early at Ysterplaat and after a flight briefing the aircraft departed for a location just off Saldanha Bay/Langebaan lagoon. Two specially deployed SANDF “casualty” vessels were on the sea in the area for the aircrew to spot and then deploy life rafts as near as possible.

“On arrival in the area, the C-130 started a search pattern and once the ‘casualties’ were located, the flight pattern was changed so that multiple smoke markers could be dropped in close proximity. The markers would assist with wind direction and enable the pilot to line up the aircraft on final approach. Once in position a life raft is pushed out of the back of the aircraft with a small parachute deploying to break its fall. It automatically inflates on hitting the water,” said Fine.

The C-130BZ has a range of about 2 700 nautical miles and an eight hour endurance. The four-engined aircraft can run search operations up to 1 300 nautical miles offshore with an hour on station depending on weather conditions and other variables. Different size life rafts can be dropped depending on the number of people needing rescue. Additional life rafts are carried aboard in case the initial drop is unsuccessful.

28 Squadron, under the command of Colonel Jurgens Prinsloo, has nine C-130BZs on its inventory to fulfil tasks ranging from logistic support for SANDF continental peacekeeping and peace support operations, humanitarian operations, search and rescue, support to the SA Army and general airlift.

The squadron is the SAAF’s main medium heavy airlift squadron and last June it marked its 70th anniversary at the same time as the 50th in-service anniversary of the C-130BZ.

07 March 2014 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

With approval, in principle at present from the National Treasury, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s unhappiness about “her people” flying in aircraft more than 60 years old seems set to end, if only in a few years.

During his national budget speech last month Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan approved the acquisition of new maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) in the 2015/16 fiscal term for the South African Air Force (SAAF).

The new aircraft, the number of which was not stipulated by Gordhan, will replace 35 Squadron’s C-47TPs, now well over 60 years old and the mainstay of the SAAF’s maritime patrol and surveillance capability.

Mapisa-Nqakula specifically mentioned the age of aircraft in the wake of the C-47TP crash in the Drakensberg in December 2012 which left 11 dead.

With the door now open for MSAs, two of the potential suppliers have both stressed the importance of acquisitions that can fulfil multiple missions rather than be dedicated to the single tasking of maritime surveillance.

Taking an extract from the draft Defence Review, hopefully still to be tabled during the current session of Parliament, Lockheed Martin points to the importance of airborne maritime surveillance. The Review states: “as a trading nation, with over 95% of our trade being reliant on maritime trade routes, the security of South Africa and its people is crucially dependant on the ability to trade, grow the economy, reduce poverty and provide meaningful work for South Africa’s people” and, in reference to the threat of piracy, “protection of the trade routes for merchant shipping is of vital national interest to the nation. No less than 75% of South Africa’s oil imports on which the economy depends arrives by sea from the Middle East.”

The United States aerospace and defence company’s relationship with the SAAF goes back more than 50 years, having delivered C-130 Hercules to the SAAF half a century ago. C-130BZs in service with 28 Squadron are still the SAAF’s major airlift and transport aircraft. However, with these nearing the end of their serviceable lives, Lockheed Martin maintains the new generation C-130J Super Hercules is the right replacement.

Apart from being able to do what the current SAAF BZ fleet does more efficiently, the J models are also multi-mission. This means configurations can be changed to suit specific taskings, ranging from transport of troops and equipment through to medevac, VIP transport, firefighting and maritime surveillance and patrol as well as search and rescue, an important tasking given South Africa’s responsibilities in terms of its massive economic exclusion zone.

In similar vein the C295 from the Airbus Defence and Space stable is also a true multi-mission aircraft. It offers transport in all its variants; maritime surveillance, unarmed with the option of either palletised or permanently installed mission systems; maritime patrol, armed and also with either palletised or permanently fitted mission systems as well as oil spill response and protection.

With no real prospect of growth in the defence budget, the SAAF would be getting “more bang for its buck” if aircraft acquisitions are of the multi-mission type. This would cut down on the number of platforms to be purchased and allow more different mission taskings.

These are only two of the possibilities SAAF acquisitions personnel will be investigating - many other manufacturers have also expressed interest in Project Saucepan, including RUAG, Saab, L-3, ATR and HAL. Another possibility comes from a suggestion made by retired lieutenant general Carlo Gagiano, when he headed up the airborne arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).

He proposed acquiring a number of smaller twin-engined aircraft, in the King Air size, to be fitted with the requisite equipment and operated by SAAF Reserve Force pilots from airports along the country’s coastline. Given that current SAAF chief, Lieutenant General Zakes Msimang, has stated the revitalisation of the SAAF Reserve is one of his priorities, this could well add another arrow to the quiver that is maritime surveillance.

Reserve Force pilots based at say, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town, could utilise these SAAF assets, freeing up whatever other platforms are acquired for other duties.

All told, military aviation watchers maintain there are options aplenty available to the SAAF acquisitions personnel to beef up maritime surveillance and keep the seas off the country safe, essential given that South Africa is very much a maritime trading country.

17/02/2014 Sources : EMA

La 25eédition de la conférence des aumôniers en chefs des pays de l’OTAN a eu lieu à Paris, du 3 au 7 février 2014. A cette occasion, quatre-vingt-quatre aumôniers en chef se sont réunis au sein d’un cercle de réflexion élargi. Ils provenaient de 28 pays européens, des Etats-Unis, du Canada, mais aussi d’Afrique du Sud, de Nouvelle-Zélande et de Corée du Sud.

Depuis 1990, ce congrès annuel rassemble les aumôniers en chef des pays de l’OTAN dans un pays hôte différent. Cette année, le congrès a été placé sous la double autorité du chef d’état-major des armées (CEMA) et du Supreme Allied Commander Europe(SACEUR).

L‘objectif de cette conférence est de faciliter les échanges à partir d’une réflexion sur un thème volontairement général. Le thème, choisi à cette occasion par les aumôniers en chefs français, était : “Souffrance et Espérance”. Dans ce cadre, chacun des quatre aumôniers en chefs français (catholique, protestant, musulman et israélite) a animé une conférence débat d’une demi-journée.

L’aumônier en chef protestant, le pasteur Stéphane Rémy, le général de division Jean-Fred Berger du commandement des forces alliées de l’OTAN à Naples, et monsieur Eric Germain, de la Délégation aux affaires stratégiques du ministère de la Défense, ont animé le premier débat autour de la question : apport des aumôniers aux opérations extérieurs (OPEX).

Pour le culte musulman, le thème abordé fut le “soutien de l’aumônier comme facteur de résilience du soldat”. L’intervention a été assurée par monsieur Abdelkader Arbi, aumônier militaire en chef musulman.

Pour l’aumônerie catholique, monseigneur Luc Ravel, l’historien Xavier Boniface, le père Griffon et le père Fresson ont choisi d’aborder le thème au travers d’une réflexion sur « le centenaire de la guerre de 1914-1918 ».

La dernière conférence débat fut animé par le grand rabbin Haïm Korsia, le professeur Didier Sicard, président de la commission de réflexion sur la fin de vie, Véronique Dubois, aumônier israélite française au Val de Grâce, deux aumôniers protestants allemands et deux aumôniers protestants britanniques sur le thème « blessures invisibles ».

La journée du 4 février a été marquée par l’intervention du Général (US) Breedlove, SACEUR. Elle s’est achevée par la concélébration d’une messe présidée par monseigneur Luc Ravel dans la chapelle de l’Ecole militaire, tandis qu’un culte présidé par le pasteur François Clavairoly, président de la Fédération Protestante de France, s’est déroulé au temple protestant de Passy-Annonciation, rue Cortambert, et qu’une visite de la Grande Mosquée de Paris réunissait aumôniers militaires musulmans et israélites.

C’est sous le signe des commémorations de la Grande guerre que le colonel (US) David Beauchamp, Chaplain-in-chiefde l’US EUCOM et le Colonel Chavanat de l’état-major des armées ont ravivé la flamme sous l’Arc de Triomphe.

L’ensemble des aumôniers participant au congrès ont par ailleurs visité le musée de la Grande guerre, à Meaux, le 6 février, avant de se rendre à la chancellerie de la Légion d’Honneur où le général d’armée Geogelin les a accueilli et leur a présenté les collections abritées dans ce lieu prestigieux.

Le congrès s’est achevé par une réception des aumôniers dans les salons du gouverneur militaire de Paris (GMP) présidé par l’amiral Xavier Magne, inspecteur général des armées marine, représentant le CEMA, en présence du général (US) Owens, European Command Plans and Operations Center (EPOC).

En 2015, ce sont les Pays-Bas qui accueilleront la 26econférence des aumôniers en chefs des pays de l’OTAN.

04 February 2014 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

More proof, if ever it was needed, that the South African defence industry cannot be viable without a strong export market comes from Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM).

Chief executive Norbert Schulze told defenceWeb the company, working from four locations in South Africa, last year exported 70% by value of its products.

“Our current order book shows 90% of production will be exported this year. This is in addition to us being the sole supplier to the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) of 105 and 155 [mm] artillery munitions, aircraft bombs, naval ammunition as well as armour and various mortars.”

Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH of Germany is the 51% majority shareholder in the South African company with State-owned defence industry conglomerate Denel the other shareholder.

Schulze is actively exploring further export opportunities and this saw RDM recently open an office in Russia and work with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, the Dutch defence authorities and NATO.

The decision to establish a presence in Russia follows South Africa becoming one of the four BRICS member countries and he is confident there is a place for South African made munitions in the Russian defence sector.

With the need to keep exports strong, both from the point of view of keeping production facilities going as well as profitability, RDM has been working with the British and Dutch military authorities to obtain approval for a number of its products.

“We are confident of gaining the stamp of approval from the MoD by mid-year and this will open the door to another market,” Schulze said.

These will be in addition to the 30 countries where RDM is already doing business and Schulze also has plans to make the company a player in the central Asian and South American markets.

“We have targeted South America as a priority for 2014,” he said, adding RDM would continue to offer both its products and services to Africa.

“Africa is our continent and we want to keep it that way as well as keeping the SANDF as our number one customer.”

Apart from keeping up its supply to the South African military machine, Schulze plans to add the SA Police Service to RDM’s client list. He is confident this will see locally produced rubber bullets, flash-bangs and teargas being used by police.

Apart from steel forgings cast at its Boksburg facility that are used by Rheinmetall subsidiaries worldwide, RDM also supplies fellow Denel Group company PMP with military grade powder for its range of small calibre ammunition.

“Explosives and propellants are another area RDM is looking to grow and we currently have a staff complement of 80 working in our rocket section.”

As with other defence industry companies in South Africa, RDM has had to invest in people.

“We start identifying the right people while they are still at high school as our scientists and engineers of the future. The RDM Academy has been set up specifically with this in mind and part of its brief is to ‘search for bright youngsters’.”

Schulze is aiming at having 10 of the right young people in the Academy a year because it’s “the only way to go. The type of people we need one doesn’t find on the market”.

In the last financial year RDM employed 1 630 people. Schulze sees this growing and then settling at around the 1 700 mark with the RDM Academy bringing the right people to the company to keep it on the right side of future financial statements.

15 January 2014 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

An indication of the priority rating, or lack of it, attached to the Defence Review comes from Shadow Defence and Military Veterans Minister David Maynier who told defenceWeb that as of today, 11 official Parliamentary questions on the review and associated matters asked by him have not yet been replied to.

The more than 400 page Defence Review is seen as the precursor to a new White Paper on defence that will prescribe the form of South Africa’s military for at least the next 20 years. It will also guide equipment procurement and be a valuable planning tool for the local defence industry.

Former Defence Minister Roelf Meyer was asked by then Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in July 2011 to review the current defence policy and present a document setting out the way forward.

Meyer and his six member committee, supported by a six-strong resource group, embarked on a national tour to obtain input from not only the defence and military sector but also civil society. Hundreds of meetings and engagements later, they produced the draft Defence Review, beating the deadline set by Sisulu, who said she wanted it to be tabled in Parliament by October 2012.

The Parliamentary deadline passed without the Review being seen by the national legislature. This was at the time ascribed to the arrival of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in the Defence and Military Veterans Ministry with the outspoken Sisulu moved to Public Service and Administration.

Since then Meyer and his co-committee members have done more reworking of their document following meetings with the then new Minister as well one with President Jacob Zuma, Commander-in-Chief of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).

That the Defence Review has to make it to Parliament has also been pointed out by Peter Groenewald, FF+ spokesman on defence. He noted that both the Department of Defence’s annual Strategic and Performance Plans make reference to it.

“If it is not approved or at least debated initially there will be no progress in creation of an SANDF capable of doing what government wants it to do down the line.”

In October defence analyst Helmoed Heitman, who is also a member of the Review committee, told defenceWeb the document has gone “about as far as it can”.

The Review’s lack of progress through official channels he said is “a real problem”.

“The strategic situation in Africa is changing quickly – and for the worse – while the SANDF is stuck with the old 1998 Defence Review force design and National Treasury intent on enforcing that, despite the obvious requirement to increase force levels and add certain capabilities, no more funding comes to the military.”

20 December 2013 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

When those in overall command of South Africa’s military, from Commander-in-Chief President Jacob Zuma, his Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Solly Shoke, review the force’s performance over the past 12 months it should result in more than a certain amount of introspection.

There was both good and bad for all four arms of service with the bad, in the form of body bags arriving at AFB Waterkloof, the most extreme.

On the good side, sterling performances by South African air- and ground-based elements deployed in the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) showed the SANDF still has it what it takes.

While the men and women in uniform, as well as the civilian component of the SANDF, by and large acquitted themselves reasonably and in certain cases, exceptionally, well of the tasks assigned them, there are areas for concern.

The sight of body bags being carried off the cargo ramp of a 28 Squadron C-130BZ at the end of March brought home forcibly just what the cost of South African foreign policy could be. The 13 troops from 44 Parachute Regiment members who died in the Battle for Bangui were later joined on the fatality list by two more Regiment members who succumbed to wounds sustained in the Central African Republic.

These 15 deaths served as a timely reminder of the need for proper planning, in terms of logistic support, as well as the importance of good intelligence.

Shoke subsequently indicated the lessons learnt in Bangui would be taken to heart and they were when officers involved there assisted with training of the South African contingent that is now part of the UN’s first ever Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in the DRC.

The plus side of the ledger was be bolstered by two specific performances, again both beyond South Africa’s borders.

In the DRC a SANDF sniper racked up what is considered by experts to be one of the longest successful kill shots and the home-grown Rooivalk combat support helicopter proved to be too much for the M23 rebel group, which has long been a thorn in the side of FARDC (DRC government forces) and the UN Mission in that country.

A single successful sortie by a pair of 16 Squadron Rooivalks is viewed by military observers as the turning point that led to the M23 retreating. It also marked the Rooivalk’s first ever combat since the helicopter entered service with the SA Air Force.

While the SANDF has yet to officially comment on the more than two kilometre shot by the South African sniper deployed as part of the FIB, military watchers said it was the sixth longest confirmed successful sniper shot in military history.

Equipment-wise, the SA Army will be breathing much easier now that all the paperwork is finally completed and Denel Land Systems can start production of its long-awaited replacement for the Ratel infantry fighting vehicle: the Badger.

The first of 238 Badgers will be delivered to the landward arm of service in 2015 with the final vehicle’s delivery date currently set for 2022. Sadly, the delay in finalisation of the production contract has meant a drop of 56 in the number of Badgers to be built.

By all accounts the Navy has coped with its problems of manpower, platforms and a shortage of finance. While it did not take part in the year’s major naval event – the Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review – successful exercises were concluded on both the east and west coast of Africa. The maritime arm of service was also the mainstay of Operation Copper, the Southern African Development Community three nation counter piracy tasking in the Mozambique Channel.

Support in this operation was provided by the SA Air Force via a C-47TP and Oryx helicopter.

The airborne arm of the SANDF dispelled many of the rumours about its ability to put aircraft on the line – and in the sky – when no less than 10 jets (five Gripens and five Hawks) taking part in the Air Capability Demonstration at the Roodewal Bombing Range in September (no Gripens were airborne during the May edition of the Air Capability Demonstration).

This highlight apart, the SAAF saw a large portion of its Agusta A109 light utility helicopter fleet grounded, the cancellation of a maintenance contract with Denel Aviation’s Aero Manpower Group and more latterly a public relations debacle when a long planned aviation and lifestyle show at AFB Ysterplaat was cancelled less than two weeks before the event.

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.

13 December 2013 by defenceWeb

After being exposed to stringent ballistic and blast tests at the CSIR’s Paardefontein test facility outside Pretoria, DCD Protected Mobility’s two-man operated Husky 2G met NATO’s stringent blast protection requirements, something its manufacturer said was a significant achievement.

The Husky 2G surpassed blast requirements defined in STANAG 4569 — a NATO standard covering protection levels for occupants of logistic and light armoured vehicles during strikes from kinetic energy and artillery as well as IED blasts.

Andrew Mears, General Manager at DCD Protected Mobility, explained there is a basic requirement which needs to be met as well as a second higher requirement users of the vehicle would like to see met. “It is significant the Husky 2G surpassed this second requirement,” he said after the tests.

The Husky 2G route clearance vehicle is in service worldwide and has collectively been subjected to more than 6 500 landmine and IED strikes in the field with minimal operator casualties. Its ability to safely execute dangerous route clearance missions and return to base safely has attracted the loyalty and confidence of countless Husky operators.

DCD Protected Mobility invests a significant portion of its revenue into R&D to enhance the safety of vehicle operators and the survivability of the vehicle, the company said. The Husky 2G operators’ cabin successfully withstands Level 3 Kinetic Energy and Level 5 Artillery Threats as defined in the NATO standard. At Paardefontein the Husky 2G was also successfully subjected to Level 4a and Level 4b blast tests, in which 10 kg TNT surrogate mines were placed under the wheel and under the rearmost edge of the V-hull.

An instrumented seated anthropomorphic test device (ATD) was inside the Husky 2G during the tests. The ATD, which simulates the presence of a human operator, was fully clothed and fitted with military boots and socks. Various accelerometers, load cells and pressure sensors were installed on it and high speed cameras were positioned inside the cab to record body movement.

Not only did the Husky 2G vehicle successfully survive the stringent tests but more significantly, the vehicle could be repaired in the field an hour after the test. DCD said one particular Husky 2G vehicle underwent three detonation tests in three weeks and the vehicle has been repaired and will be utilised for further R&D projects.

The Husky vehicle-mounted mine detection system (VMMD), previously known as the Chubby system, was developed in the 1970s for the South African Defence Force to clear roads of mines in Namibia and Angola. The system comprises of two Husky vehicles: the first acts as a Mine Detection Vehicle (MDV) (previously a Meerkat). The second vehicle (a Husky) tows a mine-detonating trailer.

The South African Army uses the Meerkat while the Husky system is being used by Canada, the USA, UK, France, Australia, Angola, Kenya, Uganda, Spain and Turkey.

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.

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.

13 November 2013 defenceWeb

A SA National Defence Force (SANDF) project team is burning the midnight oil on an urgent study to ensure extra airlift capacity for the SA Air Force (SAAF) becomes a reality.

Afrikaans daily Beeld reports Ilyushin 76s (Il-76s) are top of the list to supplement the ageing C-130BZs operated by 28 Squadron.

The acquisition of at least three of the massive Russian transport aircraft, probably second hand, is seen as essential to providing support for South African peacekeeping and peace support deployments on the continent.

The acquisition will be paid for out of the Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan (SCAMP), the paper reported.

Defence analyst Helmoed Heitman told the paper the establishment of the airlift project team could be traced back to the Central African Republic (CAR) deployment and the Battle for Bangui earlier this year. This because no suitable aircraft were available at short notice to fly much-needed Mamba vehicles to South African troops.

Lockheed Martin, manufacturers of the C-130, has made presentations to the SAAF as regards replacing the BZ, which has been in service for 50 years, with the new C-130J. The gap in airlift capacity became more pronounced when government bailed out of the Airbus Military A400M programme in 2009 citing cost escalations and production delays as the reasons for South Africa no longer wanting to be a risk sharing partner in the new generation airlifter. A deposit of R3.5 billion was refunded but indications earlier this year were at least part of that money was allocated to the controversial Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP).

Heitman told Beeld’s specialist defence writer Erika Gibson the SAAF has never before operated Russian aircraft and, if Il-76s were acquired, it would mean an overhaul of the logistic system to keep them operational. There are also currently no SAAF pilots rated on the Il-76.

The SANDF has used chartered Il-76s to transport equipment to places like the Democratic Republic of Congo for peacekeeping missions, as it is difficult to fit aircraft like Oryx helicopters into the SAAF’s C-130s without major dismantling. Chartering aircraft is an expensive undertaking – for example the SANDF spent R108 million chartering aircraft for operations in the Central African Republic between January and April this year.

The Il-76 is a four-engined strategic airlifter that first flew in March 1971. Nearly a thousand of these robust aircraft have been built for military and commercial operators around the world, with hundred still in service. The aircraft can carry between 42 and 52 tonnes of payload, depending on the model.

One of three Rooivalh helicopters painted white for the mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was seen at SAAF AFB Bloemspruit, home to the SA Air Force’s 16 Squadron, which operates 11 Rooivalks. Photo via Defenseweb.

November 7, 2013 defense-update.com

The South African Denel DH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter made its combat debut on Monday 4 November, 2013 while conducting armed overwatch and close air support flights of UN personnel in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South African media has reported. The SAAF deployed three Rooivalk helicopters to the DRC in late October, clearing them to begin operations on the day that this first contact took place. This is the first time Rooivalk helicopters have engaged in combat since the prototype’s first flight 23 years ago. Another South African news outlet, DefenceWeb, reported that the Rooivalks had conducted their offensive operations against M23 positions in partnership with a pair of Mil Mi-24/35 ‘Hind’ helicopters of the FIB. The report was not clear on who was operating these Hinds, but India and Ukraine are known to have contributed such helicopters to MONUSCO – the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo.

Rooivalk firing rockets on firing demonstration.

Two South African Air Force (SAAF) Rooivalks fired multiple 70 mm rocket salvos against M23 rebel bunkers close to the Rwandan border, while operating on behalf of the MONUSCO and its Force Intervention Brigade (FIB). According to the South African website African Defence Review, early reports from sources in the area indicate that the action was successful, with the Rooivalks’ tactical approach through the clouds taking the M23 defenders by surprise and their rocket fire being accurate enough to disperse them and destroy one of the 14.5 mm anti-aircraft guns that had been previously used to fire at the Rooivalks and other helicopters.

The attack was combined with a renewed FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) assault and subsequent claims by the DRC government that the remaining M23 senior commanders have now fled across the border into Rwanda. However this could not be independently verified. Established in November 1999 to monitor and keep the peace in the DRC, MONUSCO currently comprises some 20,688 military and police personnel from 56 countries. According to UN figures, 61 MONUSCO personnel have been killed since the mission began.

11 November 2013 by Guy Martin – defenceWeb

Enhancing the Reserve force, building up the South African Army and strengthening peacekeeping capacity are some of the Department of Defence’s main priorities, according to its annual report.

The report, for the 2012/13 financial year, said the enhancement of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) Landward Defence Capabilities was “essential” in order for it to carry out all the missions required of it.

The report noted that the South African Army received no equipment from the Strategic Defence Procurement Package, like the other arms of service did, and is thus lacking technologically advanced equipment. Enhancement “is considered a priority”, especially if the Army is to operate jointly with the Navy and Air Force.

More money was allocated last year to the landward defence programme, due mainly to extra maintenance requirements for the SA Army’s ageing vehicles and the renewal of some equipment. The SA Army will further be enhanced in the coming years with the delivery of Badger armoured vehicles, which are being built by Denel Land Systems.

Enhancing the SANDF’s peacekeeping capability and deployability was another priority, as “the role of the SANDF in promoting peace and security in the region and on the African continent necessitates the enhancement of the SANDF’s peacekeeping capability that will include the SANDF’s Forward Deployment Capability.”

The Department of Defence report noted that the revitalisation and transformation of the reserves was an important ongoing task, as the Reserves are needed to fulfil various defence tasks in support of the regulars. “The Reserves were transformed to fulfil their primary role of providing the majority of the conventional landward capability of the SANDF, whilst at the same time supplementing the peace support missions conducted by the Regulars,” the report noted. Thousands of reserve forces personnel were used during the 2012/13 financial year to support everything from border safeguarding to peacekeeping deployments.

In its report, the Department of Defence stated that it was important to review the arrangement for the repair and maintenance of defence force facilities, with the aim of establishing an in-house DoD Works Capability. This would allow the SANDF to assume full responsibility in looking after its own facilities, following problems encountered with the National Department of Public Works (NDPW).

“The DOD has steadily progressed with the establishment of the Defence Works Formation which is currently functional and executing identified renovation projects for facilities occupied by the DOD in close co-operation with the NDPW,” the report said. “The creation of the Works capability has enabled the DoD to assume selected custodian responsibilities from NDPW and in the process created job opportunities.”

Other priorities outlined in the annual report included job creation, the National Youth Service, enhancing maritime security (primarily through the South African Maritime Strategy) and restructuring and supporting the defence industry (through the Defence Review Committee).

A number of capacity constraints were identified by the DoD’s accounting officer that impacted on priorities, such as skills losses, which “continued throughout the period under review, resulting in some critical skills needing to be acquired from industry at exorbitant cost. Although new personnel were recruited and trained, it will take time for these members to gain the necessary experience.”

The skills shortage affected peace support missions, leading to the to the non-compliance with minimum standards of serviceability of major equipment. Consequently, the Department of Defence was not fully reimbursed by the United Nations for the use of its equipment.

As previously mentioned, the state of primary equipment, particularly within the Army, “continued to decline to unacceptable levels. Additional funding provided for maintenance and repair of the operational vehicle fleet has had some effect, but is not sufficient to address this concern adequately. The rejuvenation of these capabilities therefore remains one of the DOD’s top priorities.”