₦airaland Forum

MiddleDimension:
Is the plane in the second picture what Nigeria is trying to procure?

Different aircraft but similar function. Nigeria has procured the M346, not trying.

Wait what !!!!
Trump ban SA from participating in G20 in 2026.
Hope this is not true.
Someone confirm this pls

Lurker4Long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLL_X43pIbs

Don’t let China see this. I repeat DO NOT LET CHINA SEE THIS 😭!!!.
This Tac 6 mortar carrier is a great option for militaries with moderate budgets.

QuietMynd:
Wait what !!!!
Trump ban SA from participating in G20 in 2026.
Hope this is not true.
Someone confirm this pls

Yesterday I speculated the Orange Idiot would try exactly this, but the stupid bot banned my post.
Just some clarification:
SA is a founder member of the G20 and participates in its own right and not through some favour. Drumpf cannot therefore "ban" us. He can only refuse to issue visas for SA officials to attend G20 events in his country during the US presidency.
The idiot is still talking about stopping "aid and subsidies", clearly having forgotten signing an executive order in January stopping his $400m HIV assistance.

The US cannot unilaterally bar another permanent member of the G20 from participating in the summit. Speaking to Radio 786, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Zane Dangor, says Washington will need to table this before all G20 member states. It comes as the US has assumed the G20 presidency with President Donald Trump announcing that they will bar South Africa. Director-General of DIRCO, Zane Dangor:
" A presidency has discretion to invite guest countries. South Africa is a permanent member, not a guest country, so there is no discretion. The U.S. will have to table this, and that would most likely have to take place at the first Sherpa meeting, which is on 16 December. They need consensus, and they have to have very good reasons to exclude a permanent member of the G20.”
Dangor also revealed that ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg, discussions have been had on what if a member state decides not to attend and if attendance is made hard by a host country.
“The difference between voluntarily not attending and how that may be different from a host making it difficult for members to attend. And the idea was that if you made it difficult and deliberately made it hard for a delegate or president to attend, then the outcome document for that particular presidency would definitely not meet the bar for consensus. Consensus is reached when somebody is absent, but it's voluntary. But in the case where it's non-voluntary, then the rules of consensus kick in a way that those not present, not because they don't want to be present but because they are forced not to be present, can then break the consensus.”

Looks like Malian govt is attempting to steer their foreign policy back to a non-aligned status.

They have reached agreements with Western mines and are returning control back to them.

https://x.com/business/status/1992986922906538206?s=20

Lurker4Long:
Yesterday I speculated the Orange Idiot would try exactly this, but the stupid bot banned my post.
Just some clarification:
SA is a founder member of the G20 and participates in its own right and not through some favour. Drumpf cannot therefore "ban" us. He can only refuse to issue visas for SA officials to attend G20 events in his country during the US presidency.
The idiot is still talking about stopping "aid and subsidies", clearly having forgotten signing an executive order in January stopping his $400m HIV assistance.

He's a very predictable toddler.

...but the crazy one is that he threatens AGOA, his Afrikaaner/Jew friends will lose out greatly... LOL

GreenandGold:
.

I had almost given up ever seeing this! SANDF soldiers operating the T5 alongside the G6 at Exercise Vukuhlome 2025.

Nigerian Armoured Vehicle, PF Wizard

Fake it ’till you make it: How an SA arms company built UAE armoured vehicles

The UAE is selling well-equipped armoured vehicles to African states under a ‘Made in Emirates’ label. But documents from a whistleblower show that these are South African-designed vehicles built by the staff of Integrated Convoy Protection, a South African company. The vehicles were built in the UAE by ICP staff using parts exported from South Africa. Whether the exports took place with all necessary legal approvals is disputed and is being investigated by the police. All this takes place in the context of the UAE supporting warring factions in countries such as Sudan, whose people are the subject of an ongoing genocide.

Open Secrets can now publish this story following a three-week gag order obtained by International Convoy Protection (ICP) from the Western Cape Division of the High Court in Cape Town that prevented us from saying anything about this story. ICP declined to answer Open Secrets’ questions and went to court instead. In this article, we have included material from ICP’s court papers that addresses many of the questions we sent them.

In 2025, the government of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) received its first Kasser II armoured vehicles, part of a consignment of 160 ordered from the International Golden Group (IGG) in the UAE. The vehicles were probably loaded into containers in the UAE’s Tawazun Industrial Park, a UAE free zone with a focus on the defence sector and home to IGG. From there, they were shipped to Matadi port, the DRC’s main port on the banks of the Congo River.

This was not the first time the mine-resistant and ambush-protected Kasser II vehicles had made a showing on African soil. Just a week before the shipment landed in the DRC, 12 of these battle-ready all-terrain vehicles were shown off at Togo’s independence day military parade.

This was projected as another example of UAE prowess in delivering weapons and defence technology in partnership with African states. But was it?

This explanation misses the most crucial information. The Kasser II vehicles may have a “Made in the Emirates” sticker on them, but they were in fact designed by a South African firm and built by South African engineers. The production took place inside the UAE’s notoriously secretive free trade zones (FTZs) as part of a R775-million contract.

Open Secrets can now reveal this story in full, relying on a trove of emails, company documents, trade data and eyewitness accounts. These were provided to Open Secrets by a whistleblower whom we call Casper. South African armoured vehicle company Integrated Convoy Protection (ICP) provided the intellectual property, parts, manufacturing capacity and staff to build the Kasser II. As part of the deal between ICP and IGG, vehicles and components for building them may have been exported from South Africa without the permits required for the export of weapons, though ICP denies this.

The ‘Emirates Kasser II’
The Kasser II Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) 4x4 vehicle was first unveiled at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) in 2021, and has since been a regular at UAE pavilions at arms fairs around the world. It’s an imposing armoured vehicle – nearly seven metres long and 2.5m wide. The version sent to the DRC is also fitted with firepower that includes cannons and machine guns mounted on the vehicles. These are not mere armoured trucks, but purpose-built war machines.

Officially built by Abu Dhabi-based company M4 industries, the Emiratis trumpet the Kasser II as an example of the successes of their booming defence industry. However, as many defence journalists have noted since its release, the Kasser II is the spitting image of the South African-manufactured Reva V armoured personnel carrier (APC), albeit with some minor changes.

In January 2025, Defence Web wrote that the Reva V vehicles “appear to be entering service in the Middle East as the Kasser II”. In response, ICP told the journalist that it could not comment on its clients due to non-disclosure agreements, but insisted it “only manufactured vehicles in South Africa”.

A long-running relationship and a new contract
According to ICP’s court submissions, it has had contracts with IGG to supply it with armoured vehicles, parts and support since at least 2015. IGG is owned by the Edge group, a state-owned Emirati arms conglomerate that owns at least 25 subsidiary arms companies in the UAE, and has grown to become one of the largest arms companies in the world.

South Africa’s links with the Edge Group run deep. The Vice President of International Business at Edge, Miles Chambers, is a South African, and companies within Edge employ many South Africans.

ICP has been exporting Reva vehicles to the UAE for a long time. However, the nature of that relationship changed when the parties signed a new contract in 2020.

The whistleblower, Casper, provided Open Secrets with a signed July 2020 contract between the Emirati-based International Golden Group (IGG) and ICP. The title of the contract is “For Supply of Modified Reva V 4x4 Vehicle Armored Personal (sic) Carriers to be assembled in the United Arab Emirates under new name (‘Kasser II’)”.

The contract was for US$45-million (R775-million at the time) and required ICP to “deliver one hundred Advanced Semi Knock Down kits (“ASKD”) for the Vehicles as well as spare parts, services, and know how… in order to assemble the Vehicles in Buyer’s facilities at Tawazun Industrial Park”, and anticipated delivery between September 2020 and July 2021.

The contract makes clear that the Kasser II is not just based on the Reva V. Rather, the intellectual property, manufacturing of parts and spares, and expertise, all came from South Africa’s ICP. This is only the latest example of South African defence IP being used by Emirati companies to build their military industrial base.


Were the exports approved by the South African government?
It is clear then that the Kasser II is a South African-designed vehicle that was exported in kit form from South Africa, and put together again by ICP employees working in the UAE. The next question is whether these exports complied with South African law. Based on the evidence presented to us by Casper and our analysis of South Africa’s publicly available arms export records and the law, they may not have.

In South Africa, anything designed for use in war, including vehicles, can be exported only following approval from the South African arms export regulator – the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).

This body is made up of Cabinet ministers appointed by the President. Crucially, the NCACC is also required to approve the export of equipment, spare parts, components or other accessories that are designed to be built into weapons of war. In this case, the export of the parts for the Reva vehicles to be turned into the Kasser II appears to require approval.

ICP vehemently denies this. In its court papers, filed this month, ICP claims two things. First, it shared two contracting permits granted to it in 2015 and 2019 for the contracts to sell 200 Reva III vehicles and 70 Reva V vehicles, to IGG. In both cases, the UAE armed forces were listed as the “end user” of the vehicles. ICP insists it exported only full vehicles when in possession of a permit.

Second, and more importantly for the story of the 2020 contract, ICP claims that – in terms of the 2020 contract – it only supplied semi-knock-down kits, “off the shelf” parts, and some dual-use items.

ICP’s position is that it did not seek any export permits for these items because they did not consider them “controlled items”; those that require export permits in terms of South African law. Crucially, ICP argues that these are not “controlled items”, “without proof of design intent”.

ICP references “design intent” because South African law is clear that commercial and dual-use parts are “controlled” (ie they require an export permit) when they are “specially designed for the parent item” – that is, a controlled item. This means that parts specifically designed for an armoured vehicle – even if dual-use goods or commercial items – require permits.

Several factors suggest that all parts supplied in terms of this contract were specifically designed for use in an armoured vehicle – the Kasser II. For one, the contract title explicitly states that the parts would be “assembled in the UAE under a new name (Kasser II)”. Second, in July 2021, a letter from ICP CEO Flip Marx said that all “management and staff involved in manufacturing the Kasser II” were required to get his sign-off on any technical changes to the vehicles.

This suggests ICP had full knowledge of the design intent of all parts supplied. Finally, ICP staff were responsible for constructing the vehicles in the UAE using the parts supplied.

We submitted detailed questions to the NCACC about whether export permits were applied for and granted in this case. They did not answer these questions, but did tell Open Secrets that “this matter is receiving attention. The police are investigating”.

How South Africa built the UAE defence sector
If these vehicles and related technology were sent in violation of the laws on arms exports, it would not be the first time. In 2021, Open Secrets investigated systemic failures by the NCACC to prevent South African weapons from being used in significant human rights abuses abroad.

In that instance, the NCACC had failed to properly consider applications to export weapons or to enforce the rules that ensure South African weapons were not being sold on to parties that had not bought them, in contravention of end-user certificates. That investigation showed that numerous South African-made and exported weapons had been found in use in Yemen, including by parties that had not purchased them.

But this story is part of another significant pattern in South Africa’s arms trade: the long-term and systematic movement of defence IP and resources from South Africa to the UAE. This is happening in licit and illicit ways.

Both state-owned firm Denel and private arms company Paramount have alleged that companies in the UAE have unlawfully obtained their defence IP, with the possible assistance of local employees. Some of these allegations are being investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has confirmed that it has referred criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority.

According to an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), one of these cases concerns NIMR, an Edge company. The CEO of NIMR, Abri du Plessis, is a South African who formerly held senior positions at Denel and BAE Systems.

The SIU investigated a complaint submitted by Denel alleging that NIMR accessed Denel IP in an unauthorised deal signed off by a Denel employee who was offered a senior position inside NIMR.

Among the SIU findings was that Denel workers had obtained and shared company IP for armoured vehicles without permission.

Another Edge company, Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company (Adasi), has also been under the spotlight. Adasi is at the centre of a bankruptcy filing in the United States made by a subsidiary of the South African private arms company Paramount. A Paramount subsidiary struck a deal with Adasi in 2016, but OCCRP reported that the deal collapsed after Adasi was acquired by Edge. Edge claims the deal included a transfer of aircraft IP, but the transfer never happened.

ICP’s exploits in the UAE are part of an emerging pattern of South African arms companies entering into lethal business with companies in the UAE, despite that the UAE has been known to arm conflicts where there are clear war crimes, such as in Yemen and Sudan.

In this case, ICP supplied everything in terms of a commercial contract, and there is no allegation of theft. However, the relationship was no doubt made easier by the fact that the UAE defence sector – including IGG – has been built and maintained by white South Africans, many of whom, like Marx, used to be part of the apartheid military architecture.

In this case, one of IGG’s senior engineers responsible for the Kasser project and for liaising with ICP was Steve Britz. Britz worked as a Denel engineer for 28 years from 1981 to 2009, when he moved to IGG. He is one of at least 300 Denel engineers and managers who have made the move to the UAE; so many that it’s reported that many board meetings of Emirati defence companies are conducted in Afrikaans.
Britz and IGG did not respond to Open Secrets’ questions.

Unanswered questions
In the documents Open Secrets accessed, there is evidence that ICP and IGG were negotiating a new contract in the middle of 2022, following the final delivery of the 100 vehicles in terms of the 2020 contract. Minutes of a meeting between representatives of M4 Industries and ICP in April 2022 suggest that ICP would not provide all the IP for the vehicles at that point, and wanted to keep this as something to sell in the future, possibly as part of a new contract.

We do not have access to anything that shows whether a new contract was signed. However, ICP claimed in court papers that IGG remains its single “biggest customer” and referenced “pending contracts”, though it did not indicate the nature of any new contracts with IGG.

In 2025, Kasser II vehicles are clearly being manufactured on an ongoing basis in the UAE in sufficient numbers to regularly supply multiple international clients. These clients include the DRC, where a 2022 escalation in conflict – backed by Rwanda – saw intense fighting extend a decades-long regional and civil war; and Togo – a country ruled as a dynastic military-style dictatorship in which the Gnassingbé family holds almost all power, protest is harshly crushed, and human rights violations are widespread.

It is essential that there is more effective oversight over our arms exports. Exports of South African armoured vehicles to these countries should be subject to proper consideration by our authorities, including their possible impact on conflict and human rights. DM
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-27-fake-it-till-you-make-it-how-an-sa-arms-company-built-uae-armoured-vehicles/

Exercise Vukuhlome 2025: Brigade stable parade

For a few seconds yesterday I tried to figure out the antenna on pic 1.
The internet has come through. It's something called the Eekhoring System on pic 2.

The U.S. will fast‑track Nigeria’s arms orders. That could bring the NAF’s 12 AH‑1Z Viper attack helicopters in earlier than the 2028 target, and give the Army Aviation Corps its 12 MD‑530F Cayuse Warrior Plus scout/attack helicopters sooner. The two contracts together are worth about $2 billion.

These UK and US s.op. mercenaries in ukraine have strange tactics. All they do is go behind enemy lines, kill Russians then return. They never try to hold territory, all they do is kill.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0JngHHdSAQ?si=g_7pPi6a-YKntnBl

kabe1:
Nigerian Air Force AW109S Trekker

Walahi these Trekkers dey vex my soul as dem no bear arms

jteku:
The U.S. will fast‑track Nigeria’s arms orders. That could bring the NAF’s 12 AH‑1Z Viper attack helicopters in earlier than the 2028 target, and give the Army Aviation Corps its 12 MD‑530F Cayuse Warrior Plus scout/attack helicopters sooner. The two contracts together are worth about $2 billion.

When South Africa was on a weapons purchasing spree in the late 90s, we avoided any US platform. They tried all kinds of sweeteners but we ignored them simply because the US can overnight become your enemy and every system you bought from them could simply become scrap metal.

In all honesty, I don't und why any African country could subject itself to such short-sightedness.

GreenandGold:
When South Africa was on a weapons purchasing spree in the late 90s, we avoided any US platform. They tried all kinds of sweeteners but we ignored them simply because the US can overnight become your enemy and every system you bought from them could simply become scrap metal.

In all honesty, I don't und why any African country could subject itself to such short-sightedness.

If the United States wants to, they can ground SAAF Gripen and Hawk aircrafts.

Both systems use American engines and parts.

What I advocate usually is a mix of systems. Nigeria cannot buy Russian systems, the US will sanction the living day light out of us.

Turkish helicopters use American engines, also prone to US sanctions.

I do agree that buying American aircrafts doesn't seem wise, but options are limited in this area.

kabe1:
If the United States wants to, they can ground SAAF Gripen and Hawk aircrafts.

Both systems use American engines and parts.

What I advocate usually is a mix of systems. Nigeria cannot buy Russian systems, the US will sanction the living day light out of us.

Turkish helicopters use American engines, also prone to US sanctions.

I do agree that buying American aircrafts doesn't seem wise, but options are limited in this area.

Except for the US economic sanctions on Russia for the 2022 invasion which is pretty recent, I don’t think U.S. sanctions any country just for arms deals with Russia. What usually happens is that US might block you from its own flagship/equivalent military programs which isn’t really a sanction.

Even the current economic sanctions can be averted if you avoid paying directly in cash.

Faithful007:
Except for the US economic sanctions on Russia for the 2022 invasion which is pretty recent, I don’t think U.S. sanctions any country just for arms deals with Russia. What usually happens is that US might block you from its own flagship/equivalent military programs which isn’t really a sanction.

Even the current economic sanctions can be averted if you avoid paying directly in cash.

Ever heard of CAATSA Sanctions?

Do you know how dependent Nigeria's oil & gas sector is dependent on American companies from Chevron to SLB?

As far as Nigeria is concerned the US has tools to hurt us real bad.

Nigerian Navy, Exercise crocodile lift.

Hensoldt SA a significant contributor to group’s new Taervus EW system

The Hensoldt Group has just launched a new electronic warfare (EW) solution called Taervus, which is a fully integrated system that brings together advanced radio direction finders, receivers, jammers and its Spectrum Battle Management Suite. Hensoldt South Africa is responsible for a significant part of this portfolio.

Taervus, revealed by Hensoldt last week, is described as a cross-domain system solution for modern electromagnetic warfare. Its different elements have been field proven over many years but are now presented under a unified name. Taervus covers both COMINT (communications intelligence) and ELINT (electronic intelligence) in the HF, VHF and UHF ranges up to higher microwave bands and offers jamming capabilities against enemy communications and radar systems. The name, which is composed of the Latin words Terra for earth and Corvus for crow, reflects the system’s self-image and identity as a land EW solution, while the crow, as the symbolic animal of electromagnetic warfare, also has a firm place in this product, the company said.

“Taervus combines solutions for tactical and strategic reconnaissance of the enemy with the ability to effectively jam enemy communications systems. It comprises holistic sensor and system solutions in which modular, software-defined and networked systems operate in conjunction with each other. Among other things, the integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) supports signal analysis, enables semi-automatic classification and prioritisation of detected signals, and opens up capabilities such as ‘predictive jamming’, in which jamming measures are optimised in an anticipatory and situation-dependent manner,” Hensoldt said.

The company explained the need for such a system on modern battlefields is undisputed: “In an environment where the speed and quality of information are decisive, Taervus enables its users to significantly shorten the so-called OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). This capability provides the user with early, accurate information on the enemy’s position, allowing them to make tactical decisions faster and more accurately than their opponent.”

“Those who act faster than their opponents and simultaneously disrupt their information gathering capabilities secure a decisive advantage on the battlefield,” said Dr Torben Brack, Vice President and Head of Cyberspace & EW at Hensoldt.

Taervus seamlessly integrates multiple systems into a system of systems. Its modular design allows it to be used in a variety of projects and guarantees that the user receives not only individual components, but comprehensive system capability. This innovative solution makes a significant contribution to securing the often life-saving information advantage in combat, thereby increasing the chances of success in any scenario, Hensoldt said.

Typical Taervus system components include a signal exciter with integrated wideband receiver; complex waveform and scenario generator; high-power RF amplifiers; standard TX/RX antenna suite; Spectrum Battle Management Software (SBMS); and optional communications ES subsystem. These allow multi-band, multi-target jamming; efficient frequency-hopping radio jamming; and reactive, library-based jamming with technique agility.

Taervus portable electromagnetic attack solutions are designed for manpack and portable use. Other solutions are designed for installation in armoured personnel carriers (APCs), or integrated into shelter configurations.

Although Taervus was launched on a Hensoldt group level, Hensoldt South Africa’s GEW business unit is responsible for a significant part of this portfolio.

Hensoldt South Africa, the Group’s largest industrial base outside of Germany with 800 South African employees across four sites, has three main operating units: Optronics, GEW, and Radar.

The GEW business unit specialises in communication monitoring and jamming, direction finding, electronic countermeasures/warfare, electromagnetic spectrum management and security systems. Since the 1960s the company has been involved in providing electronic support, electronic attack and electronic warfare solutions. Its signal intelligence and spectrum monitoring systems have been sold and are in operation in more than 30 countries worldwide, including with the South African Air Force, Army and Navy, and the spectrum regulatory body, ICASA. The company’s jamming systems are used to protect fixed targets, convoys, individual vehicles and foot patrols (manpack system) against remotely controlled improvised explosive devices and other threats, such as the roadside bombs.

Hensoldt South Africa is also active in the fields of airspace surveillance, and security systems, particularly perimeter and border fencing systems with integrated alerting systems to localise a breach. Such systems have been successfully used to counter wildlife poaching.

Hensoldt South Africa is increasing its involvement in the radar, data link, identification friend or foe (IFF), customer services and business development fields, amongst many others. Its Radar Business Unit offers 3D radar, synthetic aperture radar, radar for counter-UAV operations and passive radar. One of the biggest radar projects in South Africa in recent years is Hensoldt South Africa’s Quadome dual-mode, three-dimensional (3D), multi-mission radar for air and surface surveillance as well as target acquisition. This has already attracted its first export customer, the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
https://defenceweb.co.za/industry/industry-industry/hensoldt-sa-a-significant-contributor-to-groups-new-taervus-ew-system/

Bullet Proofing Technology unveils new Featherlight hard armour plate at Milipol Paris

Bullet Proofing Technology (BPT), specialising in lightweight composite armour solutions, has launched its new Featherlight hard armour plate at the Milipol international exhibition in Paris this week, representing what it says is a significant leap forward in personal protection.

The Featherlight plate is engineered to enhance officer mobility and comfort, weighing in at 0.5 kg. “Despite its minimal weight, the plate provides robust protection against common threats, meeting the NIJ Level IIIa standard for handgun rounds, including 9 mm and .44 Magnum. Crucially, the plate also offers certified protection against the challenging Tokarev round, a projectile known for its difficulty to defeat with standard armour systems,” BPT said on 18 November.

“The Featherlight plate is a direct response to the operational demands of modern security and police forces,” said Leon van der Westhuizen, COO of BPT. “We have engineered a solution that practically eliminates weight as a barrier to wearing hard armour, ensuring that personnel are protected against complex threats like the Tokarev round without compromising agility or endurance. This is a game-changer for daily patrol and high-risk operations.”

Adding a core emphasis on the user experience, Benny Jiyane, CEO of BPT, commented: “The core advantage of the Featherlight plate is its suitability for semi-permanent wear in low-to-medium risk environments. It was specifically developed for everyday policing tasks, VIP protection details, undercover operations, and private security. Its extremely low profile and weight allow it to be discreetly incorporated into normal plate carriers or specialized T-shirt style vests, which we displayed at Milipol. Our goal was simple: to make the user almost unaware of the system due to its low weight and flexibility, greatly improving compliance and comfort for long-duration wear.”

The new armour solution features an ergonomic multi-curve design for a “superior” anatomical fit and is produced in a larger-than-standard 300 x 300 mm size, maximizing coverage without adding bulk.

“The composite technology utilised in the Featherlight plate sets a new standard for lightweight, multi-threat personal ballistic protection,” BPT said.

Earlier this year, BPT unveiled its Ultralight range of body armour so light that it can even float. The Ultralight range, showcased for the first time at the Securex exhibition in Johannesburg, features 1 kg plates that are a fraction of the weight of plates 30 years ago (3 kg) for Level III protection. At a weight of less than 1 kg for a 250 x 300 mm multi-curve plate, BPT said its Ultralight plates are so light and comfortable that they can be worn for extended periods. The plates exceed the requirements of NIJ 0101 Level III, by also providing protection against common threats such as the 5.56×45 mm Ball (R4) and 7.62×39 mm Ball (Mild Steel Core) (AK-47) threats.

These Ultralight plates are manufactured from UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) fibres, which have largely succeeded Kevlar. UHMWPE plates are so light that they have neutral buoyancy and can actually float on water.

BPT said the new generation of armour plate is being promoted to the South African Police Service (SAPS), amongst others, as it is half the weight of their current plates, but only costs 50% more.

BPT offers a range of armour solutions to meet different requirements and costs, from premium super and ultra-light solutions to heavier but cheaper steel plates. In addition to body armour, the company offers ballistic shields, which can protect against handguns and assault rifles.

Since establishment in 1997, BPT has supplied more than 1.3 million body armour plates and over 2 000 armoured vehicle kits to customers around the world. The company’s main focus is on body armour plates and military vehicle armour, supplying armour to several of South Africa’s leading armoured vehicle manufacturers; BPT completes 300-500 vehicle armour sets a year, and 70-150 000 body armour panels annually.

The other 5% of BPT’s turnover comes from specials, including bullet traps, shields, aircraft, ship and building armour. Materials used include ceramics, Aramid fibre, armour steel, special polymers and UHMWPE fibres.

BPT is accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) to certify ballistic testing on body armour (SANS 1658:2007 and STANAG 2920), vehicle armour (EN 1523) and military vehicle armour (STANAG 4569). This is a first for South Africa and BPT is currently the only South African company accredited to do any of this testing in their specially equipped ballistic testing facility, the company said.
https://defenceweb.co.za/industry/industry-industry/bullet-proofing-technology-unveils-new-featherlight-hard-armour-plate-at-milipol-paris/

RDM successfully integrates Assegai ammunition with G5 and G6 howitzers

Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has successfully integrated its latest generation 155 mm Assegai artillery ammunition with the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) G5 and G6 45 calibre howitzers following verification firings at the Alkantpan test range.

The company said Fire Control Interface (FCI) verification firings of the Assegai ammunition suite were carried out between 3 and 6 November. The verification firings were conducted in close collaboration with the SA Army, the Logistics Support Formation, Denel Landward Systems, Armscor, and RDM.

The achievement “marks not only a successful integration effort but a significant step forward in upgrading and future-proofing the SANDF’s long-range firepower, ensuring the artillery corps remains aligned with modern operational requirements,” according to RDM.

Multiple Assegai variants were validated during the trials, including:

- M1712 – JBMoU 155 mm IHE with boat-tail (BT)
- M1711 – JBMoU IHE with base-bleed (BB)
- M2000 – JBMoU standard high-explosive (HE)
- M1 – ERFB nubbed variant, currently in service

Using the M64 and M67 propelling charges in service with Denel’s 45 calibre howitzers, the trials demonstrated full operational compatibility across the ammunition-to-weapon interface — confirming both the adaptability and technical maturity of the Assegai family, RDM said.

The Assegai range delivers a substantial performance upgrade over the legacy M1 ERFB shells, offering a lethal area of 152 m² and generating up to 11 300 natural fragments. The newly integrated M1711 and M1712 also bring enhanced logistical and launcher-safety benefits to own forces due to their insensitive munition characteristics — a key requirement in modernising artillery ammunition systems, RDM emphasised.

“This success demonstrates RDM’s technical excellence and steadfast commitment to supporting the SANDF’s transition to modernised, enhanced prime-mission equipment,” said Dr Frank Dirksen, Chief Executive Officer at RDM. “These firings confirm that South Africa can field world-class artillery ammunition that integrates seamlessly with existing 45 calibre systems, while opening clear pathways for future capability growth.”

RDM said it remains focused on delivering practical, deployable solutions that extend range, improve lethality and precision, and enhance reliability for the South African National Defence Force. “The Alkantpan verification is not the conclusion — it is the launch point for further range-table validation, operational trials and continued cooperation with our defence partners to ensure the SANDF is equipped for today’s operational demands and tomorrow’s emerging threats.”

The G5 towed howitzer and G6 self-propelled howitzer use 45 calibre barrels, able to fire Extended Range Full Bore (ERFB) projectiles in two main versions: standard boat-tail (ERFB-BT) and base bleed (ERFB-BB). Maximum range from a 45 calibre barrelled howitzer is 31 and 41 km respectively for the boat-tail and base bleed projectiles.

The Assegai projectile suite consists of ballistically matched High Explosive, Practice, Insensitive Munition High Explosive, Illuminating, Infrared Illuminating, Smoke, Pre-formed Fragmented (PFF) and Rocket-Assisted (V-LAP) projectiles. Rounds are compatible with 39 to 52 calibre weapon systems and designed according to JBMoU principles; the Assegai family can be fired from any NATO STANAG-compatible artillery system, including the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer. With a barrel length of 39 calibres, an Assegai base bleed projectile attains a range of over 30 kilometres. Fired from a 52-calibre barrel, the range can exceed 40 kilometres (a 2019 record shot reached 76 km with a V-LAP round).

The tactical modular charges of the Assegai series are fine-tuned to the customer’s specific weapon systems and artillery shells for maximum effectiveness, RDM said. Their modular design simplifies logistics and makes handling in self-propelled artillery systems easier. They also offer other advantages: Assegai charges reduce barrel wear and produce lower muzzle flash; the former results in longer barrel life, the latter makes the artillery system harder for the enemy to detect.
https://defenceweb.co.za/editors-pick/rdm-successfully-integrates-assegai-ammunition-with-g5-and-g6-howitzers/

Bateleur MRLS, Exercise Vukuhlome 2025.

Sacked.
I believe for once nigeria has a leader that is ready to put everyone in check in respective of ur alliance or closeness to the political elite.

Good riddance.

Southafrican military is poorly equipped, I shake my head in sadness....

Senegal Navy executes historic anti-ship missile test

The Senegalese Navy has successfully executed its first-ever test launch of an anti-ship missile, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s transition from a coastal patrol force to a fully capable blue-water navy. The live-fire exercise, conducted from a Walo-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), demonstrated a new level of operational maturity and deterrence capacity for the West African state.

The test targeted a decommissioned CTM landing craft, which had been retrofitted with shipping containers to simulate a high-value naval target. According to naval officials, the missile struck the target with precision, setting it ablaze, though the vessel remained afloat following the impact.

“This achievement symbolizes the operational maturity of our Navy and its constant commitment to serving national sovereignty,” the Senegalese Navy stated following the exercise.

The Weapon: Marte MK2/N
The weapon employed was the Marte MK2/N, a short-to-medium range anti-ship missile developed by European missile house MBDA. Introduced in January 2006, the MK2/N is the ship-launched variant of the Marte family, specifically designed for littoral and low-intensity naval warfare.

The missile is optimized for engaging fast-maneuvering targets in complex environments. It employs a “fire-and-forget” guidance capability, allowing the launch vessel to disengage or engage other threats immediately after firing. The system relies on mid-course inertial navigation combined with an active radar homing seeker for the terminal phase.

Prior to launch, the ship’s surface search and navigation radars designate the target. Once airborne, the missile flies autonomously through a series of waypoints using its inertial guidance system. As it approaches the target area, the nose-mounted active radio frequency (RF) seeker activates, acquiring the target coordinates and guiding the weapon to impact.

The Marte MK2/N is designed to defeat modern ship defenses through a sea-skimming flight profile, flying just meters above the water to evade enemy radar detection. It delivers a semi-armor-piercing high-explosive (HE) warhead equipped with both impact and proximity fuses, ensuring a high probability of kill against corvettes and fast attack craft. Target designation can also be provided by external platforms, such as helicopters or other vessels, via data link, further extending the engagement envelope.

The Platform: OPV 58 S (Walo Class)
The missile was launched from one of Senegal’s new OPV 58 S vessels, a class of 62-meter combatant ships built by French shipbuilder Piriou. The program, initiated with a contract signing in November 2019, delivered three highly capable vessels to Senegal between 2023 and 2024: the Walo, Niani, and Cayor.

The Walo (delivered June 2023) and its sister ships represent a substantial upgrade in naval firepower for the region. While the contract initially specified a maximum speed of 21 knots, the vessels are optimized for endurance, capable of covering 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots. This endurance allows the OPV 58 S to remain at sea for up to 25 days, a critical requirement for patrolling Senegal’s expanding Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The vessels are heavily armed for their size. In addition to the four forward-mounted Marte MK2/N missiles (providing a strike range exceeding 30 kilometers), the ships field a 76mm Leonardo main gun, two 20mm Nexter remote weapon stations, and 12.7mm heavy machine guns. For air defense, the class utilizes the SIMBAD-RC system armed with Mistral short-range missiles, offering protection against aircraft, helicopters, and drones out to approximately 6 kilometers.

The platform also features a 360-degree panoramic bridge and a modern combat management system (POLARIS), which integrates data from the ship’s sensors to provide a 30-kilometer radius of situational awareness and deterrence.

Propulsion is provided by MAN Energy Solutions, which was contracted to supply MAN 175D diesel engines. These V-type engines (available in 12, 16, or 20 cylinder configurations) allow for efficient operations during long surveillance patrols while providing the necessary power for high-speed interdictions.
https://www.military.africa/2025/11/senegal-navy-executes-historic-anti-ship-missile-test/

QuietMynd:
Sacked.
I believe for once nigeria has a leader that is ready to put everyone in check in respective of ur alliance or closeness to the political elite.

Good riddance.

Leader who listens ??

why was this guy and the minister of state defence even qualified for the portfolio @ first, it had to take uncle sam to speak before your leader noticed something was wrong

jteku:
Leader who listens ??

why was this guy and the minister of state defence even qualified for the portfolio @ first, it had to take uncle sam to speak before your leader noticed something was wrong

Ascribing the removal to uncle Sam is not true at all.
I doubt he has that influence to begin with.
I agree this man and matawalle shouldn't hold any security related post to begin with.
Other not so important post exist like the ones where u announce public holidays and environment related

[color=#006600][/color][quote author=Lurker4Long post=137664431]Senegal Navy executes historic anti-ship missile test

The Senegalese Navy has successfully executed its first-ever test launch of an anti-ship missile, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s transition from a coastal patrol force to a fully capable blue-water navy. The live-fire exercise, conducted from a Walo-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), demonstrated a new level of operational maturity and deterrence capacity for the West African state.

The test targeted a decommissioned CTM landing craft, which had been retrofitted with shipping containers to simulate a high-value naval target. According to naval officials, the missile struck the target with precision, setting it ablaze, though the vessel remained afloat following the impact.

“This achievement symbolizes the operational maturity of our Navy and its constant commitment to serving national sovereignty,” the Senegalese Navy stated following the exercise.

The Weapon: Marte MK2/N
The weapon employed was the Marte MK2/N, a short-to-medium range anti-ship missile developed by European missile house MBDA. Introduced in January 2006, the MK2/N is the ship-launched variant of the Marte family, specifically designed for littoral and low-intensity naval warfare.

The missile is optimized for engaging fast-maneuvering targets in complex environments. It employs a “fire-and-forget” guidance capability, allowing the launch vessel to disengage or engage other threats immediately after firing. The system relies on mid-course inertial navigation combined with an active radar homing seeker for the terminal phase.

Prior to launch, the ship’s surface search and navigation radars designate the target. Once airborne, the missile flies autonomously through a series of waypoints using its inertial guidance system. As it approaches the target area, the nose-mounted active radio frequency (RF) seeker activates, acquiring the target coordinates and guiding the weapon to impact.

The Marte MK2/N is designed to defeat modern ship defenses through a sea-skimming flight profile, flying just meters above the water to evade enemy radar detection. It delivers a semi-armor-piercing high-explosive (HE) warhead equipped with both impact and proximity fuses, ensuring a high probability of kill against corvettes and fast attack craft. Target designation can also be provided by external platforms, such as helicopters or other vessels, via data link, further extending the engagement envelope.

The Platform: OPV 58 S (Walo Class)
The missile was launched from one of Senegal’s new OPV 58 S vessels, a class of 62-meter combatant ships built by French shipbuilder Piriou. The program, initiated with a contract signing in November 2019, delivered three highly capable vessels to Senegal between 2023 and 2024: the Walo, Niani, and Cayor.

The Walo (delivered June 2023) and its sister ships represent a substantial upgrade in naval firepower for the region. While the contract initially specified a maximum speed of 21 knots, the vessels are optimized for endurance, capable of covering 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots. This endurance allows the OPV 58 S to remain at sea for up to 25 days, a critical requirement for patrolling Senegal’s expanding Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The vessels are heavily armed for their size. In addition to the four forward-mounted Marte MK2/N missiles (providing a strike range exceeding 30 kilometers), the ships field a 76mm Leonardo main gun, two 20mm Nexter remote weapon stations, and 12.7mm heavy machine guns. For air defense, the class utilizes the SIMBAD-RC system armed with Mistral short-range missiles, offering protection against aircraft, helicopters, and drones out to approximately 6 kilometers.

The platform also features a 360-degree panoramic bridge and a modern combat management system (POLARIS), which integrates data from the ship’s sensors to provide a 30-kilometer radius of situational awareness and deterrence.

Propulsion is provided by MAN Energy Solutions, which was contracted to supply MAN 175D diesel engines. These V-type engines (available in 12, 16, or 20 cylinder configurations) allow for efficient operations during long surveillance

Now this is a navy 😳 😍 🙌, not the ones Nigeria is parading up and down, without any form of teeth (attack) and shield (Defence) capabilities.

The SANDF

SAS ADAM KOK III Maiden Operation Corona (Maritime) Tour

On Tuesday, 21 November 2025, the SAS ADAM KOK III (AMKK) departed from Simon's Town port to embark on its maiden Operation CORONA (Maritime) Deployment, under the operational command of the Joint Tactical Headquarters Western Cape.
Mission Readiness Training was successfully conducted on 17 October, with the ship declared operation-ready. The operation focused on deterrence and law enforcement along the West Coast, utilising intelligence-driven employment of the South African National Defence Force, South African Police Service and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Environment.

While patrolling the waters, the SAS ADAM KOK III worked closely with SA Police Service members on land as part of SA Police Service Operation PHAKISA, which also acted as a reaction force. During the operation, a total of 14 vessels were interrogated. Divers were arrested for conducting activities within a Marine Protected Area, and their diving equipment was confiscated. Three individuals were arrested for various maritime contraventions, including possession of drugs (tik) and were handed over to the SA Police Service on land.
Visits, Boarding, Search, and Seizure Operations conducted by the Boarding Team were observed when SAS ADAM KOK III successfully escorted the vessel LUNA to the nearest port. SA Police Service and Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Environment members on board played a pivotal role in this regard by ensuring further processing at Port Nolloth takes place through means of handing over the case to Operation PHAKISA members on land.

The ship traveled 4,500 nautical miles, spending a total of 504 hours at sea.
The deployment concluded with a parade on board the SAS ADAM KOK III for the Ship's Company.
Information and Photographs by Captain Walter Kassaka || Operational Communication Officer Joint Tactical Headquarters Western Cape and Deployed Forces.