Denel Dynamics - News & Events
A Division of Denel Pty LTD
“Rocket science – SA’s rare technology capability worth fighting to keep ” - 11-01-2010
Rocket science – SA’s rare technology capability worth fighting to keep
Chief of Defence Materièl from the Department of Defence (DoD), Mr Antonie Visser, gave missiles and UAV business Denel Dynamics, strong support at a recent technology showcase aimed at providing industry and media insight into the latest progress in an environment that is pure rocket science.
From radar to flight control; the microscopic but powerful world of microelectronics; the benefits of simulation and the scope of aerodynamics - it was an impressive display of world-class engineering technology and expertise.
The DoD’s Mr Visser said, “South Africa is one of nine countries worldwide that has this set of specific capabilities and we must be careful not to part with them. The choice comes down to whether we want to catch fish or buy fish, particularly considering the potentially profitable future of Dynamics as it moves closer to realising its commercial goals.” As a proud innovator of missiles and UAVS, Denel Dynamics is working hard to become a profit making South African business with long-term sustainability. Recent results reflect that the business is on track to achieve true sustainability.
Denel Dynamics CEO, Jan Wessels outlined the unique position Dynamics faces as a public enterprise. “This is not a subsidized business; we have to carefully manage the balancing act that is unique to us. In one corner we have our national strategic and defence obligations, and in the other corner we have the need to be profitable and commercially viable at all times.” Wessels is in the process of leading the entity to strike a balance between maintaining essential capabilities for the DoD and Armscor, and exploiting commercial export opportunities.
The Chief of Defence Materièl acknowledged the importance of an integrated approach between Dynamics and the DoD. “Although we cannot assist Denel Dynamics to break even due to our own budget constraints, we need to optimize and support the organisation in its goals to increase exports for Denel Dynamics’ economic survival in the long run.” He emphasized that South Africa needs battle-proven equipment in order for Denel Dynamics to boost its export order book, and offered his department’s support in driving this approach at Parliament and Cabinet level. ‘We must be careful not only to look at current balance sheets, entities like Denel Dynamics have great potential to become commercially viable and are strategically important for SA now, and in“Denel Dynamics on the front row of job creation” - 11-01-2010
Every rand creates 4 x the high-tech jobs
Systems technology leader, Denel Dynamics is making a significant difference to local business and the South African economy. Every rand spent in Denel Dynamics for Missiles and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology, generates four times the jobs in local privately owned high-tech business. This creates direct economic impact to the growth and development of external suppliers.
An estimated total of 3 178 jobs, in addition to the 800 jobs within Denel Dynamics, were created in the 2007/2008 financial year as a result of orders and subcontracts placed by the missiles and UAV manufacturer into the RSA industry. This impact on job creation from Denel Dynamics in a sector that is currently experiencing a global skills shortage is an important South African contribution.
The government has identified that retaining capability in missile and UAV technology is of strategic importance to the country. While government funding has a clear direct impact, generally unknown is the additional downstream enabling effect on suppliers to compete for business in the commercial sector as a direct result of experience and capabilities gained through involvement with defence focussed Denel Dynamics. “Funding towards development and product acquisition over a twelve-month period had a multiplier effect across a diversity of suppliers with great benefit to skills development and retention in the high-tech industry,” says Jan Wessels, CEO of Denel Dynamics. Technology skills are a scarce resource in South Africa, and the cost of developing personnel in this sector is extremely high. “We need to keep our engineers in this country, and this level of job creation makes a healthy contribution to providing a high-tech work pool for South Africa’s engineers.” Military investment in any country’s industry has a high upliftment value on the competitive edge of new technology, either in engineering capability or manufacturing and commercial competence. “Dynamics supports this drive to enable our suppliers to be competitive in the commercial environment and not to be reliant on military business alone.”
Wessels is in the process of leading the Denel owned business to become a profit making South African missiles and UAV company with long-term sustainability. “This is not a subsidized business,” says Wessels. “The challenge we face in our unique position as a public enterprise is to strike a balance between our national strategic and defence obligations, and the need to be profitable and commercially viable at all times. Commercial interest makes business sense, and getting it right will be music to tax-payers ears’.” Recent results for Denel Dynamics reflect that the business is on track with its turnaround to achieving sustainability.“The first A-Darter Missile Delivered for Testing to SAAB, Sweden” - 11-01-2010
Key Milestone Achieved
Denel Dynamics, the missiles and UAV business unit of Denel, is under contract to develop the A-Darter 5th generation air to air missile - A highly agile missile with imaging infrared seeker technology. This is a bi-national programme undertaken in partnership with the Brazilian Air Force, through the South African defence procurement agency, Armscor. The initial fighter aircraft for integration are the Gripen for the South African Air Force, and the F-5BR for the Brazilian Air Force. Significant export opportunities exist for this product into further markets as well.
Now in the third year of a 5½ year development programme, the A-Darter programme provides some 200 direct jobs (highly skilled engineers and technical support personnel) at Denel Dynamics, and up to 1200 indirect jobs in the wider South African industry. “This impact on job creation from Denel Dynamics in a sector that is currently experiencing a global skills shortage is an important South African contribution” said Jan Wessels, CEO of Denel Dynamics.
From development to delivery
Successful integration of the advanced A-Darter with the highly sophisticated and modern Gripen avionics system is a key activity on the programme. The first System Avionics Test Missile (SATM) was delivered to SAAB Aerospace Systems in Sweden end of September. The System Avionics Test Missile will be used for missile/aircraft integration testing on the Gripen, both on the ground and in captive flight. It will be used to test the functional interface between the A-Darter missile and the Gripen aircraft, which includes the modification and verification of the aircraft software to be able to use the A-Darter missiles on the Gripen. “This delivery is significant as it demonstrates the level of maturity of the missile design and its subsystems at this stage of the development programme, and pave the way for the first live test firings of A-Darter from the Gripen in 2010.” said Denise Wilson, Executive Manager for Air-to-Air Programmes at Denel Dynamics.
Beyond 2010
Flagship programmes are required to enable significant enhancements in the national technological capability. Similar to the way the Apollo programme enhanced the general level of technology in the USA in the 1960’s, Denel Dynamics is committed to the development of young engineers and technicians from the platform created by the A-Darter flagship programme. It provides the perfect opportunity to launch young careers in mechanical, electronic and software engineering disciplines. Dynamics currently supports more than 50 engineering bursars at South African educational establishments, and has a vibrant internship programme for the approximate 15 young graduate engineers who join the company from this bursary programme annually.
“DENEL DYNAMICS WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS” - 21-10-2009
Move over planes, trains & automobiles…16-09-2009
Unmanned flying machines are on the horizon
Denel and South Africa gear up to sustain strong position
in the booming global UAV market
South Africa has what it takes to be a player in the fastest growing sector of the international aerospace industry, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). South Africa’s biggest supplier of UAV systems, Denel (the other being ATE) is respected for developing and producing some of the most rugged and reliable tactical UAV surveillance systems in the world. While the US and Israel dominate the global market, there is scope for South Africa to use local skills to create market-leading UAVs to developing nations – a market estimated at R2bn per annum. The RSA UAV industry aims to capture in excess of 20% of this end of the market at an estimated value of R400m a year.
The global increase in operational use of UAVs is a direct result of lessons learnt by allied forces in Iraq & Afghanistan. The surveillance benefits in the defence world of being able to survey borders and enter war zones without a pilot are extensive...read more
Engineering Academy of Learning - 22-10-2009
Denel Dynamics is developing the next generation of engineers
Engineering technology leader, Denel Dynamics is in the privileged and uncommon position of having not one or two, but an entire community of world-class experts in-house. This qualifies the business to propel young engineers through a concentrated funnel of learning and experience that they simply would not find anywhere else.
Respected engineer and former Group Manager: Mechanical Engineering, Grant Wilson, has accepted a new role to head up the Denel Dynamics Engineering Academy of Learning. ‘We work in the world of rocket science; it is pure engineering at its best.”
Denel Dynamics is of strategic importance to South Africa – it houses the technology, the knowledge and the expertise required to protect the security of this country. “There are only a few places in the world that manufacture the types of high technology products developed by Denel Dynamics with its innovative missiles and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) solutions. It follows that we need a group of very talented people to perform in specialized roles. The aim of the Academy is to channel raw talent to reach the right levels of experience as quickly as possible.”
Experience beyond the norm
Wilson is focussed on growing people exponentially, and providing a 360° experience. “When working in a skilled environment, five years into a career, you may have only experienced the design phase of a project. We want Denel Dynamics’ engineers to fully realize the scope of the job and get excited about it. We need to grow people not only to do a job, but to develop leadership qualities. And we need our senior experts to share their experience and help grow talented youngsters.”
A great place for engineers to work
Dynamics will collaborate with universities and schools to harness the talent. The vigour with which the business is pursuing hands-on student experience, coupled with the work which is being done at high school level with the Dynamics Saturday School for Maths is already resulting in pockets of excellence with which the Academy will integrate.
ENDS
The first A-Darter Missile Delivered for Testing to SAAB, Sweden - 01-10-2009
Key Milestone Achieved
Denel Dynamics, the missiles and UAV business unit of Denel, is under contract to develop the A-Darter 5th generation air to air missile - A highly agile missile with imaging infrared seeker technology. This is a bi-national programme undertaken in partnership with the Brazilian Air Force, through the South African defence procurement agency, Armscor. The initial fighter aircraft for integration are the Gripen for the South African Air Force, and the F-5BR for the Brazilian Air Force. Significant export opportunities exist for this product into further markets as well.
Now in the third year of a 5½ year development programme, the A-Darter programme provides some 200 direct jobs (highly skilled engineers and technical support personnel) at Denel Dynamics, and up to 1200 indirect jobs in the wider South African industry. “This impact on job creation from Denel Dynamics in a sector that is currently experiencing a global skills shortage is an important South African contribution” said Jan Wessels, CEO of Denel Dynamics.
From development to delivery
Successful integration of the advanced A-Darter with the highly sophisticated and modern Gripen avionics system is a key activity on the programme. The first System Avionics Test Missile (SATM) was delivered to SAAB Aerospace Systems in Sweden end of September. The System Avionics Test Missile will be used for missile/aircraft integration testing on the Gripen, both on the ground and in captive flight. It will be used to test the functional interface between the A-Darter missile and the Gripen aircraft, which includes the modification and verification of the aircraft software to be able to use the A-Darter missiles on the Gripen. “This delivery is significant as it demonstrates the level of maturity of the missile design and its subsystems at this stage of the development programme, and pave the way for the first live test firings of A-Darter from the Gripen in 2010.” said Denise Wilson, Executive Manager for Air-to-Air Programmes at Denel Dynamics.
Beyond 2010
Flagship programmes are required to enable significant enhancements in the national technological capability. Similar to the way the Apollo programme enhanced the general level of technology in the USA in the 1960’s, Denel Dynamics is committed to the development of young engineers and technicians from the platform created by the A-Darter flagship programme. It provides the perfect opportunity to launch young careers in mechanical, electronic and software engineering disciplines. Dynamics currently supports more than 50 engineering bursars at South African educational establishments, and has a vibrant internship programme for the approximate 15 young graduate engineers who join the company from this bursary programme annually.
Denel Dynamics is a leader in systems technology. Its core business covers tactical missiles, precision-guided weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A wide range of products along with world-class facilities, excellent customer support record and a formalized quality control system (e.g. ISO 9001 and 14000), add up to an impressive capability in the design, development, manufacture, supply and provision of services.
Air-to-air missile achieves important milestone - 06-01-2007
The A-Darter 5th generation air-to-air missile developed by an integrated South African-Brazilian team achieved an important milestone last week. This first series of programmed flight tests at Denel's OTB test range successfully evaluated the missile's manoeuvrability and high G-force characteristics, whilst parallel tests of its seeker head's ability to track targets were equally successful.
Both Brazil's and South Africa's governments are jointly funding the development of the A-Darter. Designed as an agile missile (hence the designation "A" in the name), the A-Darter's key technologies had been established by 2006. Full-scale development has been on going since 2007.
The critical milestone achieved last week is a step in the process to prove the missile's performance specification towards completion of the development programme. "The flight tests were a successful first in the series to prove the specifications and simulation models, which bodes well for the missile's eventual integration on the South African Air Force's Gripen fighter jets, the Brazilian Air Force's F5M aircraft, as well as the latter's possible FX programme for a future frontline fighter," said Mr Jan Wessels, CEO of Denel Dynamics.
The ALRRT (Alert) Ingwe Turret - 12 -09-2009
Denel (Pty) Ltd proudly announced the latest development of its successful Ingwe long-range anti-armour missile. The company displayed a newly developed, light weight turret for the missile for the first time during the 2007 Idex exhibition held in the UAE (Janes Defence Weekly, 14 February 2007). The turret has now also been successfully integrated on the Gila mine-protected personnel carrier, developed by Ivema in association with Ngwane Defence. The new configuration will be launched at the 2008 Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition, scheduled to take place from the 17th to the 21st of September 2008 at the Ysterplaat Air Force Base in Cape Town, South Africa. The turret/vehicle combination recently completed rigorous qualification trials at a test range in South Africa and is ready for production and delivery to prospective customers.
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