These are some of the picture

now who tha furk wanna test mighty S.A. 

Henry120:

@akwasi, the nigerian army carries a made in nigeria AKM, a mordernised version of the AKM. The nigerian secret service user tarvor-21 and it is by far the best intelligence service in africa. What do you guys have in ghana?

yet boko haram still be taking 'em to school and playing soccer wit 'em (Nigerian SS) abi

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Upgraded Rooivalk Handed Over to South African Air Force

The upgraded Rooivalk combat support helicopter has been handed over to the South African Air Force for operational duties. The helicopter, designed and manufactured in South Africa, was received by the Chief of the SA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano.

The Chief Executive Officer of Denel, Talib Sadik, says the handover is the culmination of 25 years of research, development and high-technology manufacturing. “This is a product that the South African public can be proud of – locally designed, locally manufactured and, now, ready for deployment by our local Air Force,” says Sadik.

Lt Gen Gagiano says the Rooivalk will contribute significantly to the ability of the SAAF to fulfil its mandate in peacekeeping operations and to support the future deployment of South African soldiers.

The handover at the Denel Aviation campus in Kempton Park follows on a rigorous testing and evaluation programme by the SAAF. The first five helicopters will be operational at 16 Squadron, which is based in Bloemfontein. The remaining six will be completed and ready for deployment later this year.

Sadik says the upgraded Rooivalk Mark 1 has been tested at the Air Force’s Test Flight and Development Centre (TFDC) since the beginning of November 2010. The evaluation included day and night flight operations, target identification and tracking, cannon firing, and evaluation of the secure communications modes and self-protection features.

“We received very positive reports from both the flying and ground support crews,” says Kgobe. “Our upgrade programme for the Rooivalk was completed on track and on schedule.”

The Rooivalk project started its design phase in 1984 and had its first flight in April 1990. It attracted world-wide attention for its unique design and capabilities and have been displayed at major international air shows in England, Dubai, Malaysia and Cape Town.

Denel Aviation was responsible for the final modifications to the helicopter to improve its safety and reliability and accuracy of its weapons systems and to complete all outstanding certification flight testing to enable application for a full military type certificate at the Cabinet-agreed deployment baseline.

During the retrofit programme all 11 SAAF production Rooivalk aircraft will be brought up to the Mark 1 standard. The programme includes the significant remanufacturing of certain gearbox mounting components that were found to be out of specification on a number of aircraft.

Kgobe says the recent evaluation included the testing on Rooivalk of the upgraded Mokopa anti-armour guided missile developed by Denel Dynamics. Live firing of the upgraded missile from Rooivalk was done in January this year at the Denel Overberg Test Range. The missile scored direct hits on targets, both at the long- and short range limits of the missile, demonstrating successful weapons carriage and release from the aircraft, missile target lock-on and missile flight characteristics.

New external fuel tanks now increase the Rooivalk’s self-deployment range by 50%. Denel Saab Aerostructures assisted with detailed design of the tanks and is also responsible for manufacturing.

The original Rooivalk was designed as “an attack helicopter and tank killer” to meet the needs of SA Defence Force as it existed in the 1980s, explains Sadik. The changing role of the SANDF, which is now primarily engaged in mandated peacekeeping missions, meant that aircraft systems had to be adapted to meet the new requirements effectively.

“Rooivalk is now a modern, sophisticated, combat support helicopter, ready to be used by the SANDF in any of its potential deployed operations,” he says.

Denel Aviation will be responsible for the deeper-level support capabilities to sustain flying operations. This includes all maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work done on the Rooivalk fleet.

“As design authority and original equipment manufacturer we will ensure that the Rooivalk remains fully operational throughout its assigned life,” says Kgobe.

http://www.defencetalk.com/upgraded-rooivalk-for-south-african-air-force-33229/

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Latest Gripens arrive at last
Date: 10 October 2011

The South African Air Force (SAAF) had to wait an additional two weeks before receiving its newest Gripen fighter jets.

The ship bringing the four aircraft from Sweden to Cape Town has a mechanical problem, delaying her arrival in port by two weeks. The four Gripen C single-seat fighters were loaded aboard the cargo vessel Atlasgracht (registered in Amsterdam) at the port of Norrkoping in Sweden on 1 September.

Although due in Cape Town on 23 September, the Achtergracht blew a turbo charger and had to sail at reduced speed. The ship then anchored off Walvis Bay for a week before eventually arriving in Table Bay Harbour, Cape Town, in the early hours of Saturday 8 October.

Two seat aircraft, reported as serials 3920 to 3923, were towed the 8km from the harbour to AFB Ysterplaat on Saturday afternoon, while the second batch of two aircraft (possibly 3916 and 3922) were towed to the airforce base on Sunday morning. These times were selected as to cause the least amount of inconvenience to motorists.

They will be made ready for flight at the airforce base prior to departure.

The original Gripen order, placed in 2008 as part of the new defence equipment package, was for nine Gripen D dual-seat and 19 Gripen C single-seat aircraft. However, the order was revised in 2005 to nine dual-seat and seventeen single-seat aircraft.

Armscor, the South African arms procurement agency, is responsible for the delivery of the aircraft to South Africa once they have been handed over by the aircraft manufacturer, SAAB, in Sweden. All nine dual-seat Gripen D aircraft have already been delivered, while 13 of the Gripen C have now been delivered.
The last four Gripen single-seaters will be retained in Sweden to take part in Exercise Lion Effort next year. Lion Effort, scheduled for April/May, is a major Swedish Air Force exercise held every two years. Next year's edition should see several Gripen operators taking part. Other than SA and Sweden, Gripen operators include Thailand, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Thereafter, the last four South African aircraft to be ordered will also be shipped to South Africa, completing delivery of all the airplanes, helicopters, ships and submarines ordered under the 2008 ‘arms deal'.

http://www.saairforce.co.za/news-and-events/1033/latest-gripens-arrive-at-last



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SANDF played huge roll in DRC polls
Date: 7 December 2011

The recent elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) provided a huge logistical challenge not only for the government in Kinshasa, but also for members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Outlining the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) role in the run-up to the November 28 elections, Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant-General Derrick Mgwebi said it was primarily one of providing support and logistics and was done in co-ordination with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).and the UN Peacekeeping Mission, (MONUSCO).

The ballot papers were printed in South Africa and had to be flown from O.R Tambo International Airport to various centres in the DRC. The South African Air Force (SAAF) participated in a massive airlift operation, flying 1 863 tonnes of election material to 13 transit points on 39 flights. The airlifts were completed by 22 November and had to keep to a tight time schedule. The SANDF chartered various aircraft including a Boeing 747, an Ilyushin 76 transport aircraft and a DC-9 which enabled large numbers of officials to be moved across the vast country. All consignments were escorted by members of the SANDF and were controlled from a joint SA-INEC-MONUSCO centre in Kinshasa.

Lt-Gen Mgwebi said SA had later also been requested by the DRC government to help collect the ballot papers from the south of the country after voting had taken place. This needed additional SAAF support and included six Oryx helicopters, two Dakotas, one CASA, and two medium transport C-130 Hercules aircraft.

To help the DRC cover the large distances involved in getting ballot papers to and from polling stations in a country with very limited infrastructure, the United Nations and countries in the region were also called upon to assist. The UN contributed more than 40 helicopters, Angola 5, the DRC four and neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville offered 2, but these were not used as they were not suitable.

He said the command team had regular feedback sessions during the operations and the different air forces had a good relationship and that inter-operability had been good. Joint exercises such as the SADC air exercise Blue Cluster earlier in 2011 had contributed to this.

Mgwebi said SA operated in the west and south of the country and its forces had been given difficult areas and tasks to perform, but acquitted themselves well. He also praised the electoral commission, saying they had done a good job under difficult circumstances.

General Mgwebi stressed that the SANDF contribution to the elections had nothing to do with its existing peacekeeping efforts in the DRC and the two operations were kept quite separate.

When the results were released after several delays on 9 December incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared the winner. Both the defeated opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi and the Carter Centre, which observed the process, have questioned the results. The Carter Centre pointed to systematic problems with the voting and tabulation period which lasted for nearly two weeks.

DRC is a vast, mineral rich country, but has been beset by political instability which has eroded economic development. It remains among the least-developed, with about two-thirds of its 70 million people earning less than $1, 25 per day, according to the UN.

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/53d245004968ff1eb277b21c69973196/SANDF-played-huge-roll-in-DRC-polls--20111212

Recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria has left me with a thought provoking idea. I mean not to undermine Nigerian military but as a proposal to look at this South African produce aircraft especially to patrol borders here below I base my views:

AHRLAC is a compact twin-boom single-engine surveillance and light strike aircraft with a tandem-seated crew of two.
It is lightweight, fast and manoeuvrable with an extended mission loiter time and flexible payloads.
It has been specifically designed for both civilian and military tasking including reconnaissance patrol,
electronic intelligence gathering, anti-terror operations, disaster relief and emergency supply, border control, resource monitoring and anti-poaching with fighter capability

Ok I am probably the last one any of you want to hear from right now, but I am a white South African (though I don't think that should matter), and this debate as to who is better than who is kinda pointless as we tend to compare ones strengths to another weakness. South Africa may be stronger in terms of hardware and technology making it better at conventional warfare, but when did we last have conventional war in African, On the other side, Nigeria has a lot more experience than we do dealing with rebel armies in the African situation however if it came time to invade another country a knowledge as to how to defeat a rebel army wouldn't be as useful as knowledge in conventional warfare, so each country has its strengths where it out does the other, it doesn't matter how many submarines or fighter jets South Africa cause they wont be able to remove a rebel army, you need experienced soldiers, and yet in conventional warfare it doesn't matter how many troops Nigeria has because he who controls the skies and navel trade routes runs the game.

Looking at Military strength is a very poor way of determine a countries ability to make war, a countries army is only as good as its logistical arm will allow it, even the most up to date tank is useless when it runs out of full and ammunition, and at the same time you need a economy to support the logistics. An example of that is Zimbabwe launching a large military campaign into Congo, sure they drove the rebels back, but at the cost of their economy (sure other factors made the situation worse, but the fact remains, war bankrupts countries)

This whole dispute as to who can defeat who is kinda pointless, South Africa cant conquer Nigeria even in our wildest dreams, and Nigeria can't touch us, its a simple logistical problem, the South African army just doesn't have the man power to control a country the size of Nigeria if they don't want us there, and Nigeria who may (and that is a very small chance) have the numbers to hold South Africa have no way of getting their troops to South Africa and then sustaining them once they are there. The closest either side could come to a victory in such a situation would be if South Africa used its submarines and more advanced navel ships to blockade the Nigerian ports, stopping oil exports and there by crippling the Nigerian economy and then hold a siege on the economy till the Nigerian government surrender, but other than that, any attempt by us to land boots on the ground would be as suicidal and any attempt for Nigeria to invade south Africa either via a long distance land run through a number of other African countries or via a amphibious landing assault would be equally suicidal

As for the general question as to which country in Africa has the strongest army, I wont hazard a guess, I think the other options laid forward thus far are good enough indications. Hope my post hasn't offended anyone.

Sir,
I have read a few posts on this subject and feel it necessary to point out a few things. There are three old-hand subscribers here, who stands out as people who insist on making fools of themselves in public.

Read your history on South Africa from a reputable source before you make comments like "SA has never before taken part in any major modern war" or "Where did you get this ridicule idea that SA army was battle tested ? Which battle did they fight ? Which battle did they win ?", Hey Mr. patriot2 ?? (notice I spell your name with a small letter ), There are thousands of White and Black soldiers in the SA military, with years of bush-fighting experience behind them my little comrade, Experience they picked up and made good use of in the SWA/Angola bush war.
South Africa has got some of the best - home manufactured - weapons and military vehicle's on this continent. No other country on this continent can compete with what the Boers manufactured comrade, They are GOOD ! And then there's the Recce's, and the disbanded 32Battalion, SA's Special Forces. You have here, a force that stands shoulder to shoulder with the British SAS, US Navy Seals, US Rangers and French Foreign Legion. Go and Google them,

And last but not the least, Executive Outcomes, They are a mercenary group of roughfly 3000 personnel. ( They consist of ex Recce's; 32 Battalion and ex SAS soldiers who fought in the Rhodesian war against the monkey called, well, you know.
And Mr. patriot, where did you get this figure from that there are only 60 000 people in the SA army ? You must listen to the doctor when he tells you to drink your tablets, you know you are not well, South Africa has thousands of well-trained; well equipped and extremely disciplined soldiers. She has the resources and she can draw in many thousands of ex Boers, (all with bushwar experience) which will kick your arse.

I know you all want your country to be the strongest, just like every boy wants his Tata to be the strong es, but it can't be, okay, We all have to acknowledge the fact that the US is the big man in the Americas. Make peace with the fact that your country ain't the best. After all, you'll sleep better tonight !!
Ooh, and when it comes to the number game, don't go there. History is FULL of cases where - say - 1000 well trained and disciplined soldiers slaughtered 20 000 untrained and ill-disciplined riff-raff,

@ Mr. anybaba, you mustn't go on forums like this because you are advertising yourself to every-one as being a child and frankly, the village fool, Shame, I do feel sad for you, I really do.
And that's that Comrades, Have a super week-end, !!!!

Ooh yes, @ Thiza and GuluvaGG, Great photos of the SA military fist. You did well. Can I copy them ??

Hi i am a member of the SANDF and will point out one think that has been forgotten C4I2R no it is not spam, it is something the SANDF has that makes it so good even though we are a small force to Nigeria that and our training and gear is world class.

all so the Americans rated our submarine service 3rd best conventional force in the WORLD.


We all so have the strongest economy.

^
In the near future, you will not, cos 9ja is about to overtake you like a behemoth.
It will be like China and the UK, one protested the others Olympics extremely bitterly and has ended up courting those they despiced for money when it is their turn to hold the Olympics. That is largely the way it is between SA and Nigeria today, one with a mature, but declining economy, the other with a burgeoning economy that is expanding at frightening pace.

beaf, brilliant as always when he wants to be, but with all that you write how will corruption allow that be?

How is south africa in a economic decline. We have a robust economy that is not depended on one resource. We all so have greater manufacturing abilities. Case in point there are boats in use by Nigeria that are built in south africa at our navel base. I am watching it get launched has I type this.


We have all so joined bric to now form BRICS. What dose Nigeria produce other than oil do you build any of your own cars radars air craft components or any thing that gets sold out side of africa. And if your economy is growing why are there people from Nigeria migrating to South Africa and not South Africans migrating to Nigeria. You more like Saudi Arabia than china. Strong economy depended on oil.

Recently some American army rangers came to south africa to go on a survival course presented by the SA special forces. Last year we all so trained with the American marines. We may not be in any wars and our toat number of troops on peace keeping may be less than yours. But when we train we benchmark against the nations like Germany and America. It is for this reason we feel our navy it not where it should be. We have no doubt in our minds we the best in africa. But we not best in the world but we still able to punch above our weight level. Our army is world class though. We still not the best in the world we now that but we are at first world european level.

Some how that ewu or goat no dey fear even the SA army!!!See how the animal get time to piss on the Lilly liver unit standing!!!Goat no fear them sef!!

Military and security equipment manufacturer Mekahog has proposed setting up a facility to build the Springbuck series of armoured personnel carriers in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade commended Mekahog’s management for offering to establish an armoured personnel carrier (APC) production facility in Nigeria. He promised to facilitate the steps necessary to set up the plant.

Mekahog, an agent of South African company Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers, has supplied its products to the Nigerian Police Force and may refurbish and upgrade some items. Since 2008, more than 30 Springbuck APCs have been delivered to Nigeria and more are on the way as part of an ongoing contract.

Mekahog Group president Ikedi Ohakim earlier told the minister than many of the company’s products were being satisfactorily used by the Nigerian police and other security agencies.

The good experience with Nigeria’s security agencies was an incentive to establish a manufacturing plant in Nigeria, Ohakim said. The factory would provide work for around 2 000 people. However, discussions with the Nigerian government are ongoing.

Ohakim said that Mekahog was prepared to train officers in the Nigerian police in the repair and maintenance of its equipment and invited officials from the ministry of police to inspect its factory in South Africa.

According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Information, the Nigerian government will soon stop doing businesses with foreign firms that have no production facilities in Nigeria with the aim of stopping the country from being a dumping ground for low quality foreign products.

The Springbuck vehicles is roughly based on the dimensions of the original South African Mamba vehicle and weighing from 8 tons up. Carrying capacity is ten troops, plus a driver. Ballistic protection is able to stop bullets up to 7.62 mm calibre. A V-shaped hull provides protection against a single TM57 mine under the vehicle while the Springbuck has sufficient armour to defeat a double TM57 mine under any wheel. The vehicle has a top speed of 115 km/h.

Excellent outward visibility and easy handling makes the vehicle specifically suitable for urban patrols, which is something of a necessity in Nigeria as it combats Boko Haram militia.

The first aircraft with simple HMD devices appeared for experimental purpose in the mid seventies to aid in targeting heat seeking missiles. These rudimentary devices were better described as Helmet Mounted Sights. Mirage F1AZ of the SAAF [South African Air Force] used a locally developed helmet mounted sight. This enables the pilot to make bore attacks, without having to maneuver to the optimum firing position. South Africa subsequently emerged as one of the pioneers and leaders in helmet mounted sight technology. The SAAF was also the first Air Force to fly the helmet sight operationally. The US Navy's Visual Target Acquisition System (VTAS), made by Honeywell Corporation was a simple mechanical "ring and bead" style sight fitted to the front of the pilot's helmet that was flown in the 1974-78 ACEVAL/AIMVAL on U.S. F-14 and F-15 fighters

VTAS received praise for its effectiveness in targeting off-boresight missiles, but the U.S. did not pursue fielding it except for integration into late model Navy F-4 Phantoms equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder.[1] HMDs were also introduced in helicopters during this time.

The first operational jet fighters with HMD (Mirage F1AZ) were fielded by the South African Air Force. After the South African system had been proven in combat, playing a role in downing Soviet aircraft over Angola, the Soviets embarked on a crash program to counter the technology. As a result, the MiG-29 was fielded in 1985 with an HMD and a high off-boresight weapon (AA-11 Archer/R-73), giving them an advantage in close in maneuvering engagements.

Several nations responded with programs to counter the MiG-29/HMD/AA-11 (and later Su-27) combination once its effectiveness was known, principally through access to former East German MiG-29s that were operated by the unified German Air Force.

The first successful HMD outside South Africa and the Soviet Union was the Israeli Air Force Elbit DASH series, fielded in conjunction with the Python 4, in the early 1990s. American and European fighter HMDs lagged behind, not becoming widely used until the late 1990s and early 2000s (decade). The US-UK-Germany responded initially with a combined ASRAAM effort. Technical difficulties led to the US abandoning ASRAAM, instead funding development of the AIM-9X and the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System in 1990.

A new generation of periscopes for conventional attack submarines is now being designed and manufactured at Carl Zeiss Optronics in Centurion, south of Pretoria, establishing South Africa as one of the few countries worldwide with such an advanced manufacturing capacity.

The 12-metre tall periscope is being manufactured in a specially designed building, which was officially opened last week by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Robert Higgs.

The new periscope is designed to offer a price-competitive solution for clients who require upgrades to their existing fleet of submarines.

The fully assembled periscope weighs more than 850 kilograms and has a superb direct-view optical channel. More than 70 different components of lenses, mirrors and prisms are used in a periscope optical channel.

In addition, the periscope is fitted with an advance gyro stabilising system that enables it to perform optimally in the roughest sea conditions.

Advanced manufacturing capacity
Speaking at the unveiling of the periscope, Carl Zeiss Optronics CEO Kobus Viljoen said South Africa was one of the few countries in the world with the know-how and advanced manufacturing capacity to produce high-quality periscopes for modern submarines.

He said the production of the periscope demonstrated the company's ability to design, develop, manufacture and deliver world-class optronics that could be used by navies across the world.

More than 15 South African companies are involved as suppliers of parts and services in the production process, creating more than 100 jobs.

Carl Zeiss Optronics has a long history in the development and manufacturing of periscopes.

Fast surveillance and observation
Rear Admiral Higgs said Carl Zeiss Optronics' ability to maintain and upgrade the local submarine periscopes ensured that the most advanced technology for fast surveillance and observation remained readily available.

"This will strengthen the capacity of the South African Navy to protect the country's coastline against intruders," he said.

Carl Zeiss Optronics is able to manufacture four to six periscopes per year.

South Africa recently acquired three new submarines. The first, the SAS Manthatisi, arrived at Simon's Town naval dockyard in 2006. The SAS Charlotte Maxeke arrived in South African waters in April 2007, and the SAS Queen Modjadji in May 2008.

The G6 is a 155mm long-range gun developed and produced by the LIW division of Denel, mounted on a chassis made by Alvis OMC (now part of BAE Systems Land Systems). The G6 is in service with the South African Army (43 systems - GV6 Rhino) and has also been exported to the United Arab Emirates (78 systems - G6 M1A3) and Oman (24 systems).

The G6 155mm self-propelled howitzer is a highly autonomous system with 700km vehicle fuel range, 50km weapon range using velocity enhanced long range projectiles and the ability to fire the first round within 60 seconds of the vehicle stopping.

In September 2001, the G6 achieved a range of 53.6km using the new velocity-enhanced long-range projectile (V-LAP) and the new M64 bi-modular charge system. V-LAP combines base bleed and rocket motor technology, while the M64 charge system increases muzzle velocity to 910m/s VLAP is part of Denel's new Assegai range of 155mm ammunition.

The G6 is operated by a crew of six - driver, commander, gun layer, breech operator, ammunition loader and ammunition handler.

G6 155mm howitzer armament
The 155mm main gun is equipped with a 45-calibre auto-frettaged barrel, a semi-automatic screw-type breech and an electrical trigger mechanism. The gun is fitted with a single-baffle open-type muzzle brake and a reinforced epoxy resin fume extractor.

"The G6 is a 155mm long-range gun."The howitzer has on-board storage for 45 projectiles and 50 charges. Semi-automatic projectile loading is carried out using an electronically controlled hydraulic flick-rammer. Two loading chutes are installed at the rear of gun for direct loading from a ground ammunition pile.

Firing ports are provided for the crews' personal weapons and a machine-gun mounting is fitted on the left turret cupola with an optional machine-gun.

Extended-range full-bore ammunition (ERFB)
The gun is compatible with all Nato 155mm ammunition, including extended-range full-bore (ERFB) projectiles of explosive, cargo and practice types, which are all ballistically matched and with field-fittable base bleed units. The ERFB projectiles provide the G6 with increased range and terminal effectiveness. Using base-bleed projectiles, the G6 has a nominal range of 39km at sea level. As an example of the gun's accuracy, at 75% of the maximum range the probable error specification is 0.48% of the range value and 1mil in deflection.

A five-zone combustible case modular propelling charge system is based on cool-burning propellants which ensure a barrel life of more than 6,000 standard charges. The system is compatible with direct action, electronic timing or proximity type fuses.

Fire control systems
Target data is transmitted from a command and control centre to the commander's station in the crew compartment via a VHF/UHF communications link. The crew activates the gun by pressing an autolay button and the bearing, elevation and engagement data are downloaded to the automatic gun laying system.

The gun laying and navigation equipment comprises a ring laser gyroscope system equipped with a touchscreen control developed by the Kentron division of Denel. The gun has fully autonomous laying and navigation capability with no need for survey and alignment at the gun position. The system can be interfaced to an optional global positioning system (GPS). The system also has a back-up laying system. The gun is fitted with a trunnion mounted telescopic sight for direct firing up to 3,000m.

G6 self-protection systems
The G6 is fitted with eight launchers that fire 81mm smoke grenades. The high strength armour-plate hull protects the crew against small arms fire and shell splinters. The crew are protected against TM46 (or equivalent) landmine blast, 20mm gunfire from the front, and all around counter bombardment fragment and impact by 7.62mm ammunition.

"The G6 155mm self-propelled howitzer is a highly autonomous system with 700km vehicle fuel range."The driving compartment is fitted with large bullet proof windows with an armoured shutter for the front window. When the armoured shutter is in place the driver uses a periscopic sight.

G6 propulsion system
The air-cooled diesel engine provides a 386kW power output. The six-speed automatic / manual gearbox is fitted with a torque converter. The permanent six-wheel drive has longitudinal and transverse differential locks. The suspension system consists of fully independent torsion bars with shock absorbers and hydro-pneumatic bump stops.

The wheeled mine-protected chassis supplied by BAE Systems Land Systems is capable of a road speed of 85km/h and a cross country / desert speed of 30km/h. The maximum gradient is 40%, trench crossing 1m and the fording depth is 1m. The cruising range on one full tank is 700km.

G6-52 artillery system
Denel completed development of a new artillery system, the G6-52 in March 2003. The system is offered with the Somchem modular charge system (MCS) which can fire the Naschem M2000 Assegai system which includes the V-LAP projectile. With the V-LAP projectile, the system has a range of 67km and a rate of fire of eight rounds a minute. Multiple rounds (up to six) can be fired to simultaneously hit the same target using the ADS (Thales) AS2000 artillery target engagement system. Automated ammunition handling, fuse handling and ammunition inventory reduce crew workload. The G6-52 provides protection against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) attacks apart from small and medium-calibre weapons.

The G6-52 turret is mounted on a Land Systems OMC 6×6 wheeled vehicle which has an off-road speed of nearly 70km/h and a range of 700km

Ethiopia has a strong army in Africa, even a regular citizens of Ethiopian can b warriors in one night. that is how zey defend their country for centuries.

How dose a regular citizen become a warrior in one day. Just because you know what end to point at the enemy dose not make you a warrior. But yes I agree that they are good but still laking in certain key functions.

Nigeria military has the ace. They are bold and daring more than other military forces in Africa.

However, I gathered from a very reliable source that there is serious mumbling and grumbling by military pensioners as those of them who opted out of the PENCOM Scheme recently have been grossly underpaid. I learnt they were paid half of their entitlements by the military pensions board.

I think this is a wrong time to toy with the benefits of ex-soldiers beacuse of the security situation in the country. They could easily be hired by Boko Haram, MEND and other militant groups to cause further damage to this country.

The ealier those in charge of ex-soldiers benefits refund the remaining balance the better for the security of this country.

China has had a number of dealings with South African weapons manufacturers over the past decade, most of which have not resulted in actual weapons purchases. However, several recent Chinese-made military technologies bear suspicious resemblances to their South African counterparts.

In 2008 China acquired a fourth-generation air-to-air missile equipped with a thrust-vector control engine. The PL-10, or PL-ASR, is comparable to the U.S.-made AIM-9X air-to-air missile, or AAM.

According to a representative from the South African Denel Group, the PL-ASR is almost a replica of its A-Darter AAM. The Denel representative told the author during an interview in Cape Town that the Chinese had contacted the company in 2001 to explore the possibility of importing fifth-generation A-Darter infrared-guided AAMs, which included a TVC propulsion system and pilot helmet-mounted displays.

In the end, Denel did not sell the technologies to China, which it regards as its key competitor in selling air-to-air missiles on the African market. Company engineers were therefore surprised to find that the Chinese PL-ASR is nearly identical to the A-Darter in exterior structure, tail engine and even the diameter of the missile body.

The company strongly suspects that China reverse-engineered its A-Darter AAM after acquiring its technological materials.

This fits a pattern that China has followed in acquiring military technologies from many sources. When seeking a new technology, China contacts a foreign manufacturer and requests substantial technical information about its product, supposedly with the intent to buy. Instead, Chinese engineers study the materials and imitate the relevant concepts and designs.

Something similar occurred in the course of China's development of a combat helicopter. In 1996 China and South Africa signed a memorandum to jointly develop a combat helicopter, when China was in the process of building its ZW-10 helicopter.

After being given a focused inspection of the Rooivalk combat helicopter's subsystems, China wanted to purchase one helicopter from Denel, but the South African company considered the purchase of a single aircraft the equivalent of giving away its technologies. As a result, Denel decided not to sell China the helicopter and the cooperation came to an end.

Another item that appears to have been copied from South Africa is the optical-electronic pod on China's ZW-9 combat helicopter, which bears a strong resemblance to the Leo-II serial O/E pods produced by the Zeiss Co.

Technical experts from the Zeiss Co. told the author that about seven to eight years ago Zeiss exported two sets of an earlier variant of the Leo-II O/E pods to China, intended for use on helicopters. According to the source, the Chinese side explained that they needed a large number of this type of O/E pods for civilian helicopters, and therefore would like to purchase two sets initially for testing purposes. The source said the Chinese took no further action after receiving the test pods.

Currently, both the ZW-10 and the night version, the ZW-9, are equipped with O/E detectors very similar to those on the Leo-II.

China's interest is not only in the O/E pod technologies used for helicopters. Chinese manufacturers have also engaged in active discussions with South Africa in hopes of acquiring TV video cameras and second-generation thermal imaging cameras used in Denel's Seeker II unmanned air vehicle surveillance system.

The top military technology that China aspires to acquire from South Africa is without doubt the unmanned air vehicle. China's New Era Group Corp. had several rounds of negotiations with Denel on the possibility of producing in China two types of Denel UAVs, which were on display at the 2006 Zhuhai Air Show, called the Golden Eagle and the Seeker II.

China hopes to obtain the technologies to assemble these two UAVs domestically. However, according to a source from the Denel Group, negotiations on the UAV deals have come to a halt and the company has decided that unless substantial progress is made on these negotiations, the company no longer wants to spend time dealing with the Chinese.

Denel had a similar experience in trying to negotiate a deal with Chinese company Norinco for its Mokopa anti-tank missiles. The Chinese company expressed an interest in importing Denel's technologies, but once again the negotiations ended with no result.

Since 2007 Norinco has attempted to contact the Denel Group again, saying it wants to import the company's G5 155mm howitzer ammunition handling system. But Denel is not eager to enter into an agreement with China on this project; Chinese-made 155mm howitzers already have appeared in quite a number of countries in Northern Africa, including Algeria, Sudan and Egypt.

The source from Denel did disclose that the company has successfully completed a deal with China for its 35mm multirole machine gun. This technology, in fact, was exported to China 10 years ago. China seems to have upgraded this 35mm gun to an air-defense machine gun.

China's New Era Group Corp. also has been negotiating with Denel for the transfer of African Eagle UAV technologies. The Chinese introductory brochure of the cooperation program claims that the African Eagle UAV is capable of taking a payload of 500 kilograms, which could be six Mokopa anti-tank missiles or two Umbani MK 81 precision-guided bombs. The theoretical combat radius of the African Eagle is 750 kilometers.

China also hopes to obtain the South African Angel high-altitude and high-speed UAV attacker system. This attacker UAV is capable of carrying precision-guided weapons and attacking targets 1,400 kilometers away. The UAV is also capable of carrying A-Darter AAMs to launch unmanned aerial attacks.

The Angel attacker and reconnaissance UAV is equipped with aperture radar and is capable of conducting tactical reconnaissance missions. It also can be fitted with Mokopa active laser-guided anti-tank missiles to attack armored combat groups.

Nonetheless, the source from Denel disclosed that no substantial progress has been made on this project, indicating it may end up as one more failed deal. It remains to be seen whether China's latest explorations with the company will yield technological information it can convert to its own purposes, however.

My own is - please Nigeria better not go into war with anyone, even if its Benin Republic. The reason is not because we're not strong enough to bully others but because we're as divided as anything divisible. Any huge outside adventure will end in disaster. If we start as one nation at war we will pull out as 5 or 10 different countries, in fact you will be hearing different exit dates for different nations that went to war as one nation. I hope this message is quickly forwarded to Abuja.

Sam_Ikenna: My own is - please Nigeria better not go into war with anyone, even if its Benin Republic. The reason is not because we're not strong enough to bully others but because we're as divided as anything divisible. Any huge outside adventure will end in disaster. [b]If we start as one nation at war we will pull out as 5 or 10 different countries, in fact you will be hearing different exit dates for different nations that went to war as one nation. [/b]I hope this message is quickly forwarded to Abuja.

My brother please don't kill me with laughter!

I know that a Biafran nation would be sending probes to Mars and maintain active space technology. We would be like Israel. We would be selling military technology to South Africa instead of them selling to us! If we had Biafra, these South Africans insulting us here won't be here. That I can assure you.

For all I care, Nigeria's army is a grossly indisciplined military outfit who bully and harass their citizen.

The only glimmer of light might be her large force, after that nothing else. The military government over the decades neglected the army leaving it grossly underfunded and undertrained. Only now has there being a clandestine approach by the civilian regime to fund, re-arm and oil the machinery of the army. Even then, BH managing to run rings round them shows the gap in their professionalism.

Nigerian army apart from maybe the west African sub-region where it might be the strongest is a pseudo-entity on a larger scale.

South Africa's pro-apartheid government initiated nuclear, biological, chemical, and missile programs to counter perceived threats from adversaries and demonstrate the country's advanced technical capabilities. Pretoria developed weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, but stopped production of these armaments and dismantled most related facilities in the early 1990s. While the proliferation legacies of South Africa's nuclear and missile programs were effectively resolved through verified disarmament measures, a stigma hangs over South Africa's former chemical and biological weapons (CBW) program because: (1) CBW agents were reportedly used against opponents of the apartheid-era government; (2) the program's dismantlement was not independently verified; and (3) program personnel may have abetted proliferation. South Africa's post-apartheid government implemented its nonproliferation and disarmament policies through the 1993 Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, which controls the transfer of sensitive items and technologies. Pretoria is also a member in good standing of the major nonproliferation treaties.

Nuclear

In the 1960s South Africa began to explore the technical utility of peaceful nuclear explosions for mining and engineering purposes. In the early 1970s Pretoria approved a program to develop a limited nuclear deterrent capability. Ultimately, South Africa manufactured six air-deliverable nuclear weapons of the gun-type design. In parallel with decisions to end apartheid, the government halted the bomb program in 1989 and dismantled existing weapons and associated production equipment. South Africa acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapon state in 1991, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors subsequently verified the completeness of its nuclear dismantlement. South Africa joined the Zangger Committee in 1994 and the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 1995. South Africa was instrumental in winning indefinite extension of the NPT in 1995, and played a leading role in successful conclusion of the 2000 NPT Review Conference. South Africa has emerged as a champion of both global nuclear nonproliferation and equal access to peaceful nuclear energy. In 2004, South Africa worked closely with the IAEA to monitor international smuggling of nuclear weapons materials after investigations of a South African businessman exposed connections to the A.Q. Khan network.

Biological

The apartheid-era South African government viewed itself as the target of a total onslaught by Soviet-backed Marxist guerrillas or regimes in neighboring states and by black nationalists at home. To counter these perceived threats, in 1981 the government secretly initiated a CBW program, Project Coast, under the aegis of the SADF Special Forces. (The government sought a biological warfare (BW) capability despite being a member of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which it had ratified at the treaty's entry into force in 1975.) Although ostensibly created entirely for defensive purposes, from the outset Project Coast also had offensive features and capabilities. The military front company Roodeplaat Research Laboratories was the centerpiece of the BW component of Project Coast, although other facilities were set up to develop protective clothing and manufacture exotic assassination devices. Project Officer Dr. Wouter Basson also established an elaborate network of procurement and financial front companies overseas to abet Project Coast. The scientists in the program tested and developed a wide range of harmful BW agents, including Bacillus anthracis, botulinum toxin, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium perfringens, plague bacteria, and salmonella bacteria. Some of these pathogens, particularly anthrax and cholera, became tools in the apartheid government's assassination program. The South African government officially dismantled the CBW program in 1993, in the midst of a liberalizing transformation of the regime.

Chemical

The apartheid-era South African government pursued a covert CBW program, Project Coast. The military front company Delta G Scientific, located between Johannesburg and Pretoria, was the centerpiece of the chemical warfare (CW) component, although several other facilities were set up to develop protective clothing, manufacture exotic assassination devices, and weaponize irritants and incapacitants. Project Officer Dr. Wouter Basson also established an elaborate network of procurement and financial front companies overseas to abet Project Coast. The scientists in this program developed, tested, and synthesized small-scale quantities of well-known CW agents (e.g., mustard agent, sarin, tabun, BZ, and perhaps VX) and a host of lethal, hard-to-trace toxic chemicals. Several of the chemical compounds, and especially the toxic organophosphates, became tools in the apartheid government's assassination program. The South African government officially dismantled the CBW program in 1993, in the midst of a liberalizing transformation of the regime. At that time, South Africa signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and it subsequently ratified the treaty in 1995, two years before the treaty’s entry into force.

Missile

South Africa's short-lived ballistic missile program remains, to some degree, an enigma. Although South Africa had developed short-range tactical missiles and rockets since the 1960s, a July 1989 test launch of what South Africa called a "booster rocket" confirmed Pretoria also possessed a ballistic missile program. U.S. intelligence sources noted similarities between the South African and Israeli missile programs, prompting speculation of cooperation between the two countries. Whether South Africa fully integrated its ballistic missile and secret nuclear weapons programs remains unclear. Facing U.S. opposition to missile proliferation and the end of the apartheid government, South Africa abandoned its missile and space launch programs in 1991, and dismantled associated facilities under international observation. South Africa joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 1995.

SA submarine outwits Nato force Louis Oelofse | Atlantic Ocean 04 September 2007 06:16 link A lone South African submarine left some Nato commanders with red faces on Tuesday as it "sank" all the ships of the Nato Maritime Group engaged in exercises with the South African Navy off the Cape coast. The S101 -- or the SAS Manthatisi -- not only evaded detection by a joint Nato and South African Navy search party consisting of several ships combing the search area with radar and sonar, it also "sank" all the ships taking part in the fleet.

At several times during the exercise -- which lasted throughout Monday night and Tuesday morning -- a red square lit up the screens where the surface ships thought the submarine was. But it remained elusive. This gave Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota something to brag about when he landed on the SAS Amatola on Tuesday to speak to the media "To be able to frustrate detection by Nato nations is no mean achievement; it speaks of the excellence of the equipment we acquired for this purpose," Lekota said. And while this left one of the world's strongest military alliances frustrated, it was also a sign that the group had a capable partner in Africa, Lekota said. "With sustained inter-operability with foreign forces such as Nato, we are well positioned to respond to any unforeseen circumstances that may confront either ourselves or other regions," he said. Lekota was quite clear that a working relationship with Nato was desired. "They have a partner of reliable capability because we are forging working relations here. We are building mutual confidence for what can be done and what we can do together as Nato and South Africa, or as Nato and Southern African nations," Lekota said. These sentiments were echoed by the commander of the Nato maritime group, Rear Admiral Mahon, who said the deployment would see the group sailing right around Africa. "I can't speak for what the future will hold but certainly this was valuable. Africa is a strategic continent. The freedom of the seas, energy, security, they are all critical issue to Nato countries," he said. The exercises would continue till the end of the week and would include, ship-to-ship refuelling, search-and-seizure exercises and various other scenarios faced by modern navies

Thiza: SA submarine outwits Nato force Louis Oelofse | Atlantic Ocean 04 September 2007 06:16 link A lone South African submarine left some Nato commanders with red faces on Tuesday as it "sank" all the ships of the Nato Maritime Group engaged in exercises with the South African Navy off the Cape coast. The S101 -- or the SAS Manthatisi -- not only evaded detection by a joint Nato and South African Navy search party consisting of several ships combing the search area with radar and sonar, it also "sank" all the ships taking part in the fleet.

At several times during the exercise -- which lasted throughout Monday night and Tuesday morning -- a red square lit up the screens where the surface ships thought the submarine was. But it remained elusive. This gave Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota something to brag about when he landed on the SAS Amatola on Tuesday to speak to the media "To be able to frustrate detection by Nato nations is no mean achievement; it speaks of the excellence of the equipment we acquired for this purpose," Lekota said. And while this left one of the world's strongest military alliances frustrated, it was also a sign that the group had a capable partner in Africa, Lekota said. "With sustained inter-operability with foreign forces such as Nato, we are well positioned to respond to any unforeseen circumstances that may confront either ourselves or other regions," he said. Lekota was quite clear that a working relationship with Nato was desired. "They have a partner of reliable capability because we are forging working relations here. We are building mutual confidence for what can be done and what we can do together as Nato and South Africa, or as Nato and Southern African nations," Lekota said. These sentiments were echoed by the commander of the Nato maritime group, Rear Admiral Mahon, who said the deployment would see the group sailing right around Africa. "I can't speak for what the future will hold but certainly this was valuable. Africa is a strategic continent. The freedom of the seas, energy, security, they are all critical issue to Nato countries," he said. The exercises would continue till the end of the week and would include, ship-to-ship refuelling, search-and-seizure exercises and various other scenarios faced by modern navies

Good that SA is doing great but dont push your luck when it comes to the US or NATO 'cause they will eat SA raw in real battle. USA is a nation on war footing 24/7. It even scares me cause I dont want to lose one eye before I relocate finally to Igboland. SA is good and I'm happy for them 'cause they're the only country in Africa that's got their head screwed right, however, I beg them not to mess with US or NATO. Remember the only going for US is war equipment and boy do they know how to make bad weapons.