Denel Aviation will partly manufacture the Agusta A109 light utility helicopter (LUH); build components for the Saab/British Aerospace (BAe) Gripen fighter; and support all three new aircraft types.

Kentron will supply its Umkhonto vertical-launched surface-to-air missile for the South African Navy’s’ four MEKO A-200 patrol corvettes and will integrate some of its air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons into the Gripen and the BAe Hawk 100 lead-in fighter trainer.

Kentron’s Irenco subsidiary will provide electro-optical surveillance turrets for the LUHs and its Precision Products Group will provide some elements of the avionics systems for the Gripen and the Hawk.

Denel’s LIW division will supply the twin 35mm gun systems and the 20mm cannon for the corvettes.

Eloptro will supply head-up displays and helmet sights for the aircraft.

ATE, 25% owned by BAe, will be the major player in developing the new avionics suite for the export versions of Gripen and for the Hawk.

Grintek will provide the electronic warfare (EW) systems for all three new aircraft, their communi- cations systems, and elements of the new avionics systems. It will also provide the electronic countermeasures (ECM) system and ECM multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) for the corvettes, and the communications systems of the corvettes and the three Agosta Type 209-1400 submarines.

The Thomson-CSF-owned African Defence Systems will be installing and integrating the corvette’s combat system, as well as providing some of its core elements.

Reutech will provide the radar and electric trackers of the patrol corvettes, as well as the electric drives for the 76mm and twin 35mm guns.

Other orders will flow to 38 smaller South African defence companies. Among them will be:

• AMS (various health and usage monitoring systems);

• CCII (combat management system software for the corvettes);

• Electrowave (ship control systems);

• M-Tek (trackers); and

• Sysdel (EW subsystems).

With acknowledgement to the S.A. Defence Target.