₦airaland Forum

Lurker4Long:
Ja well no fine! I'd still take a modernised MC-90 over this carbuncle any day. The problem with sticking too big a gun on an APC is that you'll fight it like an IFV, instead of the battlefield taxi that it is.
Also, can you see this thing doing much off-road bundu-bashing?

Your drawing assignment: marry these 2 below and then tell me which vehicle you'd choose for our dirty bush wars!

Stormtrooper11:
Regardless, SA is still the AIDS capital of the world

Faithful007:
TBH, you should not have debated this. This whole debacle. You are basically listing all the problems SA is facing as country without putting things in context or making a suitable balanced juxtapose of past and present South Africa. You hurriedly made some statements without caring first to understand how SA has evolved as a nation over time.

First the independence of SA is somewhat complicated. Having gained independence in the 1930s, much earlier than many other African countries, SA still remained under the British crown and heavy influence on the minority government by the British government. Things started going south when the minority government decided to institutionalize their economic and political superiority handed to them by the British. Apartheid did not start in one day. It grew gradually as the minority government added legislation bit by bit. This brought them conflict with the British. The british political system know how to stand together better than America. Many Conservatives and Liberals denounced apartheid. In protest, the minority government seperated from the British crown and sought to build a neutral South Africa. This happened in 1961 as South Africa was preparing to jump deeper into apartheid. Much of the world was pissed at this point.

America will always be America. Apartheid became political in the US. Democrats would place sanctions on the minority government, when the GOP returns to power, they would remove them, preferring to be more "diplomatic". Reagan was the worst. To please SA minority government who were stockpiling arms and nuclear weapons (Note this), he went as far as to place Mandela on a terrorist watchlist. In the 80s, blacks in South Africa, motivated by the success of the Civil rights era began a much more determined push for freedom from apartheid. Violence skyrocketed and hundreds of black people were killed.

By the 80s, the US moderate republicans had taken the side of the SA blacks while the far-right was still kicking. The US response to a large extent still stalled because Regan was unwilling to take a stronger stand due to racial bias and the cold war. US arch enemy the Soviets backed ANC. Bush was a bit more considerate. But the tide was already turning against Apartheid, so Bush had no option than to be more cautious since China and the Soviet Union supported ANC.

Now remember where I told you to note. Denel and the SA indigenous military industry you see today is a direct child of the apartheid. To understand this properly, note that SA government then was seen in the eyes of the world, very much like how Iran is being seen today. They were under heavy sanctions from the UN and much like Iran today, resorted to developing weapons themselves. Making shady deals with Israel and some other countries, defence technology was secured. Money for development was diverted to secure the minority class with weapons and ammunition and deter a possible invasion of South Africa. AIDS skyrocketed during this period and the SA minority government did nothing about it since they were already segregated from the poor (blacks).

That period was one of the darkest days in SA history, deaths and poverty and weapons. I'm sure that's what you referred to as a golden era. That's where all those charts skyrocketed. The flourish of the military was all to keep the people under subjection and to deter an external response. PEOPLE DO NOT FEED ON BULLETS.

Essentially what enabled Apartheid to flourish in SA for such a long time was right wing politics being played in the US and Israel and to a much less extent in Britian. As recent as 2020, Trump was still spreading a conspiracy theory about a white genocide in SA. No left-wing government tolerated apartheid.

Post-apartheid SA's indices are heading in a good direction. What matters most is not if Denel is working as well as before or not. Sustaining such a small-scale industry is much more expensive given there are no sanctions anymore. The important thing is that the economic and social indicators are in a better shape than ever before. Many black billionaires in SA including the president Ramaphosa built their business careers shortly after the apartheid. SA's economy diversified and an entertainment industry even sprung up.

The issues of inequality still remain, but remember it was way worse when inequality was legal. A lot of things may still not be in the right shape but SA was never better managed under white minority rule. Thank you.

GreenandGold:
Introducing the conceptual "Umbani Assault Vehicle".

Design Objective:

- Have a support 30mm armament vehicle that can escort patrols
- Lightweight (to transport and able to cross African bridges)
- Short in length to fit 3 in a C130
- Has the +/- same measurements as an Eland 90 without the turret

(the turret looks oversized, but it's the vehicle that is small)

Lurker4Long:
Bravo!
I don't see TM next to your excellent company name!

GreenandGold:
I stole the company name from a glorious Nairalander, I can't trademark it....design and production of such things came out of the "golden era"

Lurker4Long:
Rheinmetall Denel Munition wins big Hungarian explosives factory contract

Hot on the heels of a multi-million euro contract for 155 mm ammunition from a NATO customer, Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has announced a contract with Hungary for an explosives factory.

RDM on 4 January revealed that the Hungarian state is building a new explosives plant to produce RDX (Research Department eXplosive) at its site in Várpalota, with RDM supplying the necessary plant technology.

Under the contract, in the three-digit million euro range, which was signed on 15 December 2022, a new plant will be built and operated by a joint venture consisting of Rheinmetall and N7 Holding, a state-owned Hungarian enterprise...

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/rheinmetall-denel-munition-wins-big-hungarian-explosives-factory-contract/

GreenandGold:
I stole the company name from a glorious Nairalander, I can't trademark it....design and production of such things came out of the "golden era"

GreenandGold:
I stole the company name from a glorious Nairalander, I can't trademark it....design and production of such things came out of the "golden era"

GreenandGold:
With an exception of Mozas, Southern Africa is relatively peaceful

NTSA:
Military equipment delivered to DRC Military yesterday

NTSA:
Ghana,Tanzania?

GreenandGold:
Introducing the conceptual "Umbani Assault Vehicle".

Design Objective:

- Have a support 30mm armament vehicle that can escort patrols
- Lightweight (to air transport and able to cross African bridges)
- Short in length to fit 3 in a C130
- Has the +/- same measurements as an Eland 90 without the turret

(the turret looks oversized, but it's the vehicle that is small)

GreenandGold:
With an exception of Mozas, Southern Africa is relatively peaceful

GreenandGold:
With an exception of Mozas, Southern Africa is relatively peaceful

#RDC🇨🇩 combats FARDC-M23, coïncidence ? L'uniforme de l'armée #rwandaise🇷🇼 et celle des rebelles du #M23 , suivez la vidéo de Kibumba...du confrère @SabitiDjaffar pic.twitter.com/6EJXHSsAYh

— Justin KABUMBA (@kabumba_justin) December 25, 2022

kabe1:
Made in Ghana military vehicle

Exnavyboy62:
When Badger meets Ratel IFV

kabe1:
Why do soldiers do this?

Is it a result of pressure, exhaustion or a lack of training?

Gruesome Mozambique video investigated

Video on social media seemingly showing South African soldiers complicit in burning bodies has drawn the comment “despicable” from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) with an investigation underway.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/gruesome-mozambique-video-investigated/

Faithful007:
Usually when a territory is taken, there are dead to handle. Human bodies when not properly handled will lead to diseases outbreaks that can wipe out an entire formation. So lol, as strange as it sounds, dead soldiers can strike back against the opponent who has occupied the area and is nearby. Instances of this have occurred throughout history. Notably during the world wars. Hasty burials and shallow burials led to outbreaks of highly transmittable diseases.

According to Geneva guidelines, the dead should be stored and transferred to the enemy via an agreement between the Red Crosses of both belligerents. If this is not achievable, then the dead should be buried properly and the coordinates saved for future identification and transfer.

But military sometimes disobey the rule of armed conflict and burn the dead for two reasons. First is laziness and unwillingness to follow Geneva guidelines but also prevent outbreaks, or much worse, to hide war crimes.

kabe1:
Why do soldiers do this?

Is it a result of pressure, exhaustion or a lack of training?

Gruesome Mozambique video investigated

Video on social media seemingly showing South African soldiers complicit in burning bodies has drawn the comment “despicable” from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) with an investigation underway.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/gruesome-mozambique-video-investigated/