Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

South Africa offers artillery partnership

BS Political Bureau

South Africa offered a slew of defence partnerships with India, including an artillery partnership comprising joint manufacture of ammunition, propellant charges and gun systems.

Speaking at a press conference, South African defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, said that Denel, the leading South African private sector defence company, would assist with the establishment of a comprehensive capability for artillery manufacture in India.

The minister for public Enterprise, Jeff Radebe said that some sharing of technology between Denel and India is already underway with the production of Denel-developed artillery projectiles having started in India.

"Discussions on the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Bihar for artillery propellant charges are well advanced" he said.

South Africa has sent a 70-member delegation to DefExPo. "In view of the transformation of the global security situation coupled with the development of bilateral relations the opportunity for cooperation between Indian and South African defence forces has increased considerably", Lekota said.

"Partnerships can be formed in the areas of sharing technology, skills development and industrial participation as well as training and support" he said.

India-South Africa industry collaboration was established in 1994 after that country became a democracy. At DefExPo, Denel displayed G5-2000 and T5-2000 truck-mounted guns in 155 mm 52-calibre, guns that could be used with facility with the 155 mm howitzers that have the shoot and scoot ability on the India-Pakistan border.

Denel is aggressively wooing India, sensing it can supply the self-propelled and towed artillery system that India need to defend its vast land border.

South African companies are also vying for contracts to supply sonar, electronic, avionics, radar UAVs and communication equipment that have applications on land, sea in the air and also underwater.

Powered by

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
The Rediff Budget Special
Run-Up To The Budget

The Rediff-Business Standard Special
Money

Tell us what you think of this report