₦airaland Forum

State owned defence company Denel has partnered with Swiss firm B&T to offer a new range of small arms, from submachineguns to grenade launchers.

B&T and Denel have signed a technology transfer agreement that will see Denel produce several B&T weapons in South Africa. Initially production will use some Swiss made parts while Denel gets its production line up and running, according to Patric Staudt, Technical Support Manager, Africa, at B&T.

One of the new weapons on offer is the GL-06 40 mm single shot grenade launcher, designed to only use less lethal ammunition, as it is aimed primarily at the police. It was procured by the South African Police Service for use during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

B&T’s MP9 9 mm submachinegun will be manufactured by Denel as the GMP9. This closed bolt weapon comes standard with a number of different attachments, including a suppressor, shell catcher (mainly for use on aircraft), red dot sight and holster. It can accept 15 to 30 round magazines and has been designed to be lightweight and modular.

B&T’s carbine, the 9 mm Advanced Police Carbine 9 (APC9 - called GPC9 by Denel) was designed in 2011 as a firearm bridging the gap between a personnel defence weapon and a 5.56 mm rifle. It features a number of innovations like a hydraulic recoil reduction system to reduce muzzle lift. It is ambidextrous, modular and comes with a suppressor and different barrel length options. A 5.56 mm version is also available – Denel may offer this as a replacement for the South African National Defence Force’s R4/R5 series of assault rifles.

B&T approached Denel several years ago, and after receiving permission from the Swiss government, signed a technology transfer agreement with Denel a year ago. The Swiss company exhibited with Denel at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition outside Pretoria last year.

Denel exhibited at the Land Forces Africa conference outside Pretoria earlier this week, with the grenade launcher, submachinegun and assault rifle on display.

B&T has further collaborations with Denel and is working on an upgrade kit for Denel’s SS77 7.62 mm machinegun, which will cover things like a redesigned rail, top cover, magazine belt attachment etc. B&T may in the future sell the SS77.

Just to provide insight into the whole scenarion and there evolvement thereof. First the intervention Brigade as it is now know its a SADC Initiative not UN MONUSCO Peace keeping Force. It was formed after the failure of the UN to intervene, leaders of 11 African countries decided on a new way forward and on 24 February 2013, signed a Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC – an agreement designed to bring peace to Eastern DRC. With commitment from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to become more involved, the agreement included the deployment of a brigade strength Neutral Intervention Force (NIF) of approximately 3 500 soldiers, authorised to conduct aggressive peacekeeping operations to protect civilians under imminent threat and to neutralise armed groups involved in destabilising the region (specifically M23).

The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) was badly shaken by the ease with which Goma had fallen to M23. The credibility of MONUSCO and indeed its perceived will to implement one of its prime tasks – the protection of civilians under imminent threat, was seriously being questioned. To make matters worse, the NIF was being touted as a force that would do what MONUSCO, with 17 000 troops, was unable to do. In reality, however, the NIF was a concept that had little chance of success due to prohibitive cost, estimated at USD $100 million for its first year of operation, with the DRC offering to pay USD $10 million. The complexity of operating without full UN support was also a problem, despite South Africa’s commitment to support the mission with helicopters and transport aircraft, specialised support staff and a forward operational support base to be established at Entebbe, Uganda.

The SADC planning element scrambled to generate the NIF’s operational components from the SADC Standby Force pledges from member states, while it was left to each Troop Contributing Country to work out how they were going to self-fund this deployment.

This willingness of the African countries concerned to go it alone further shook the UN and galvanised it into action, with the DPKO proposing the deployment of a UN intervention brigade, utilising SADC troop components that would have deployed under the NIF. It must have been with a collective sigh of relief that the 11 African heads of state, supported by SADC and the African Union (AU), agreed to this change of direction. South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi would be the primary Troop Contributing Countries for this Intervention Brigade of 3 069 soldiers, authorised in terms of UN Security Council resolution 2098 of 1 April 2013, with the responsibility for ‘neutralizing armed groups …. contributing to reducing the threat posed by armed groups to state authority and civilian security in Eastern DRC and to make space for stabilization activities’.

The Intervention Brigade will have extra teeth in the form of artillery support and special forces, who together with unarmed drones (remotely piloted aircraft) with special day and night observation equipment, will provide situational awareness – the intelligence and information picture which enables the conduct of high impact, intelligence driven and targeted operations to deal with M23 and the other illegal armed groups in the region, which number over 33 at this stage.

With the most aggressive mandate ever given to a peacekeeping mission, much hype has been generated about the expected success and influence of the Intervention Brigade. After more than 10 years of peacekeeping deployment experience in Eastern DRC, the SANDF contingent will form a core component of the Intervention Brigade and much will be expected of it.
Commander of the brigade, General James Mwakibolwa is from Tanzania. SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT A POWER MONGER

VIVA SADC ATLEAST YOU DID NOT WAIT FOR FRANCE TO HELP LIKE IN MALI BEFORE TAKING ACTION!!!

@AGAUGUST...Mark Shuttleworth gained worldwide fame on 25 April 2002 as the second self-funded space tourist and the first-ever South African in space.Flying through Space Adventures, he launched aboard the Russian Soyuz TM-34 mission as a spaceflight participant, paying approximately US$ 20 million for the voyage. Two days later, the Soyuz spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station, where he spent eight days participating in experiments related to AIDS and genome research. On 5 May 2002, he returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-33. In order to participate in the flight, Shuttleworth had to undergo one year of training and preparation, including seven months spent in Star City, Russia.

First African in space is South African

Cabinet has welcomed the preparations towards the launch of South Africa's R26-million SumbandilaSat, into space.

The launch is expected to take place next week in Kazakhstan.

Briefing the media on Cabinet's ordinary meeting on Thursday, Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko said: "The meeting welcomed the good news that preparations for the launch of SumbandilaSat, the South African made satellite into space, was proceeding smoothly."

He said the low-orbit satellite was the product of a three-year satellite development programme, commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology in 2005, and implemented by Stellenbosch University's engineering faculty.

The SumbandilaSat will orbit about 500km to 600km above the earth.

"It will use high-resolution cameras which will produce images to be used for agriculture, mapping of infrastructure and land use, population measurement and the monitoring of dam levels. The images will be streamed to the Satellite Applications Centre (SAC) at Hartbeeshoek, near Pretoria," said Maseko.

The SAC will receive image data from SumbandilaSat and monitor and control the satellite, maintain it and programme it to perform its various functions.

The data will be used in the management of natural disasters such as floods, fires and oil spills in southern Africa. It will also be able to measure temperatures at sea and land, clouds and rainfall, winds, sea levels, ice cover, vegetation cover and gases.

SumbandilaSat will be South Africa's second satellite, after the launch of SunSat 1, a modest satellite built by students and lecturers at Stellenbosch University in 1999.
http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=photos%20of%20south%20africa's%20made%20settalite&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&ved=0CGMQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sanews.gov.za%2Fsouth-africa%2Fsumbandilasat-gets-set-go&ei=BovmUdqwBpSWhQeq9oCAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFn7YGsxMt2tCXmy5JNwDa-lJXYiA

South Africa’s aspirations for a top spot in the space science race is soaring as the country’s first home made nano space satellite is set to launch from Russia in the next three month.

Recently the country basked in global limelight after it won the lion’s share of the co-hosted Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project, a global research hub it would share with Australia.

The SKA is said to be one of the biggest scientific projects in human history.

Last year, the country launched the SA Space Agency (SASA), a sign of South Africa’s commitment to pursuing space science and developing science engineering graduates.

Now the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology, has designed and made the country’s first nano satellite which is to be launched into space from Russia in November.

CPUT will be hosting a send-off ceremony for their satellite as it leaves by ship for Russia today.

Dubbed ZACube-1, the satellite was made by postgraduate students of the French South African Institute of Technology (F`SATI) in Bellville at a cost of R30 million.

The satellite is 10cm cubed and weighs 1.2 kilogrammes.

Director of the F`SATI programme, Professor Robert van Zyl, said ZACUBE-1 was a “significant milestone for South Africa”.

“The human capacity development, technology innovation and science borne from ZACUBE-1 far exceeds its size and will motivate and inspire future young generations to reach for the stars.”

Once in space for an expected operational life span of between three and five years, ZACUBE-1 would be used for space science experiments and its activities would be monitored by the ground station at F`SATI’s Bellville premises.

Government and industry relations manager in the Department of Science and Technology, Siyabonga Copisa, ZACUBE-1, together with SKA and SASA, was becoming a global leader in space science.

He said the completion and launch of ZACUBE-1 should encourage and inspire youngsters to study sciences at school as the students who were involved in the making the satellite would be employed at either SASA or the SKA project.

He said it was vital that the country develops its own science engineers to avoid importing foreign skills.

http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=photos%20of%20south%20africa's%20made%20settalite&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwestcapenews.com%2F%3Fp%3D4846&ei=BovmUdqwBpSWhQeq9oCAAQ&usg=AFQjCNGepamZpgKneB_6vqrInDRwiEKb0Q

South Africa's missile control room

South African missile testing range

The missile story

Israel and South Africa have a long record of military cooperation, though neither admits to working together on nuclear weapons or long-range missiles. But strong evidence of missile cooperation surfaced in 1989, when a powerful rocket took off from South Africa's Overberg Test Range and flew nearly 1,500 kilometers. It turned out to be a South African version of Israel's Jericho-II missile. U.S. officials confirmed later that the CIA had evidence of a full-scale partnership between the Israel and South Africa to develop, test and produce long-range missiles and rockets. A U.S. official who tracks missile proliferation tells the Risk Report that South Africa's space launcher, the RSA-4, was built around the same engines that power Israel's Jericho-II missile and its "Shavit" space launcher. In 1990, Washington penalized Armscor for its missile activities by banning trade for two years, but President Bush declined to punish Israel.

With the end of South Africa's nuclear program, long-range missiles made little sense: there would be nothing nuclear to put on them. Pretoria ended its missile collaboration with Israel in 1992 and then halted all ballistic missile development in mid-1993. The next step was for Pretoria to join the Missile Technology Control Regime. As the price for membership, Pretoria had to vow that it would give up its long-range missiles and cancel its space launch effort. Then the South African companies that had actually built the rockets, such as Kentron, Houwteq and Somchem, were forced to eliminate key technologies.

Houwteq, the main contractor for the space launcher, had to dismantle its largest rockets and even retrieve blueprints and technical files from its many subcontractors. "Today, Houwteq is basically defunct as a company," says an official from Denel, Houwteq's parent. "There's not much there now...it's just a potential satellite production house." Most of Houwteq's engineers have been hired away by other firms such as Siemens Plessey, a company that formerly made transponders for the space launcher. Siemens Plessey was forced to return "two or three cabinets full of technical files" to Houwteq as part of the rocket destruction plan, according to a Plessey engineer.

Somchem, the second most important rocket company after Houwteq, was obliged to destroy the solid propellants and rocket casings it had made for the space launcher. Its filament-winding machines are now used to make large commercial piping, and its propellant batch-mixers can only be used for smaller missiles, says a South African diplomat. U.S. inspectors can visit Somchem to verify these arrangements.

U.S. inspectors also required Denel to destroy its large engine casting pits at Somerset West. One pit was partially filled in, limiting it to small engine production. A second was completely destroyed, according to a State Department official who was involved. Denel also destroyed large X-ray equipment, though two smaller machines remain for developing aircraft parts.

South Africa's Hangklip test range at Rooi Els, which was equipped for large rocket tests, is reverting to a nature reserve. American inspectors have verified that its static motor test facility was destroyed. South Africa still has the large Overberg Test Range, an ideal spot for launching foreign satellites, but "its future is on hold while South Africa looks for foreign partners," says a U.S. official who has inspected the site. "With respect to the space launch vehicle (SLV) and its new MTCR membership, South Africa is as clean as a whistle," the inspector tells the Risk Report. South Africa was allowed to join the Missile Technology Control Regime in September 1995. But not everyone in Pretoria likes the outcome. A South African businessman, who asked to remain anonymous, predicted that "someday the Americans will have to explain why they screwed us over. We had to cancel a strong civil space program and a pending joint venture with Brazil...and a lot of companies lost business."

South African, African and international military training practitioners will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the latest in training technologies come September at the Training and Simulation for Homeland Security Conference.

Arranged by AMD (the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association), the two day event at the SA National Defence Force’s (SANDF) Centre for Conflict Simulation in Thaba Tshwane will give an insight into just how far information and communication technologies have come when it comes to cost effective and realistic training. This has been made possible by technology improvements with cutting edge military simulations providing near realism and immersion at the fraction of the cost of live exercises.

AMD is confident the conference will give an insight into new training and simulation technologies as well as live training from leaders in the defence, military and high-tech sectors.

“The focus will be squarely on training – the challenges, developments and changing needs – with simulation as the key enabler,” said organiser James Erlank.

Top of the speakers’ list is Major General Barney Hlatswayo, SANDF Joint Operations chief director, with simulation experts from the SANDF, Armscor, Saab Grintek and the Malaysian Army War Game Centre also due to present papers.

Erlank said confirmation of other high level speakers would be forthcoming and he was anticipating in the region of 100 attending the September 25 to 27 event in the country’s military capital.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30934:simulation-training-under-the-spotlight&catid=111:sa-defence&Itemid=242

South Africa’s fledgling satellite and space programme is expected to go forward at a faster space with Denel Dynamics now aboard as the official “carer” of embattled SunSpace.

This follows a Cabinet decision that the Stellenbosch-based satellite manufacturing company be absorbed into the SA National Space Agency (SANSA). The Department of Science and Technology (DST) indicated the space agency would fall under the “care” of the State-owned defence industry conglomerate Denel, specifically its missiles and UAV division, Denel Dynamics based in Irene, Centurion.

Welcoming what will be a new business unit within Denel Dynamics, Denel chief executive Riaz Salojee said Denel had been involved in South African space programmes until 1996.

“Denel has a latent space capability including key staff still working for Denel on a number of current programmes as well as the Houwteq satellite test facility near Grabouw.

“This opportunity will allow Denel to optimise the synergy between SunSpace’s capabilities and the latent capability in Denel for the broader national technological benefit.

“This will see Denel ensuring South Africa not only retains the critical home-grown capacity developed by Sunspace but also strengthens and grows this base utilising the Denel Dynamics engineering skills development programme,” he said.

Salojee stressed Denel was not buying a new business.

“We will be executing contracts from SANSA in a domain the Denel Group is familiar with. These will be undertaken using people who previously worked for Sunspace and who will soon be employed by Denel.

“While the DST is buying the tangible and intangible assets of the defunct SunSpace on behalf of SANSA, SANSA will in turn contract Denel to execute future contracts, using the tangible and intangible assets now owned by SANSA.

“In addition, Denel will take on most of the staff, who all happen to be high-end engineers and scientists. This is an exciting development not only for Denel but for the country,” Salojee added.

The execution of contracts will be a collaborative effort between Denel Dynamics as main contractor to SANSA and the CSIR, universities, various high-technology industries in South Africa and the DST.

“The collaboration represents a collective ‘RSA Incorporated’ approach under the leadership of Denel to develop and broaden a competitive satellite manufacturing industry in South Africa,” the Denel number one said.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has said the core capability of Sunspace’s manufacturing unit will be used to develop and broaden a competitive satellite manufacturing industry in SA.

“The capability will be developed to serve the satellite development needs of the country and the rest of Africa, as well as other regions of the world,” the department said in a statement. Its announcement follows most shareholders accepting the department’s R55 million offer to take over the unit, being placed under Denel’s care.

Sunspace is involved in low-earth orbit satellite development, design, building, integration, testing and commissioning. However, it is undercapitalised and was unable to pay creditors. Without government support, Sunspace could not grow.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31197:denel-proud-to-be-back-in-south-africas-satellite-and-space-programme&catid=7:Industry&Itemid=116

OUR PRIDE

People's Army

tRAINING

SANDF IN TRAINING

Raring to go to DR Congo

The naval base

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY

UNDER ESTIMATE SOUTH AFRICA AT YOUR OWN PERIL

pREPARING FOR dr cONGO

Preparation for the DR Congo....M 23 HERE WE COME

South African Airforce

South Africa Airforce

south african airforce

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRFORCE

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRFORCE.....PHOTOS TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST

@AGAUGUST ONCE AGAIN TAKE LOOK AT THIS VIDEO OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SPECIAL TASK FORCE TRAINING AND COMPARE THAT TO ALGERIA ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE PREFERED NIGERIA AS THE DEBATE IS BETWEEN NIGERIA VERSUS SOUTH AFRICA....APACHE IS AMERICAN NOT EGYPTIAN....IN YOUR QUEST TO RUBBISH ANY SOUTH AFRICAN COMMENT YOU ARE DRAGGING ANYTHING FROM ANYWHERE TO PROVE A POINT, HOWEVER BESIDE INSULTS AND DEGRADING YOU HAVE RUN OUT OF IDEAS, FACTS AND TANGIBLE DEBATE......HERE IS THE VIDEO: PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENTS
http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=south%20african%20special%20forces%20youtube&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDEQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-eFU_r_H_gg&ei=GUDmUZ_kHMTMhAewn4DgDQ&usg=AFQjCNFfPUzs3zq4xJHMbNCmkYH8dguXTg

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRFIRCE CADETS

south african police special task force preparing to storm a bank robbery in Johannesburg

WOMEN IN SANDF