Denel GI30 30mm canon (photo : cari)
Denel has signed a 340 million euro (R3.5 billion) contract
with Malaysia
to supply a range of turret and integrated weapon systems to be fitted onto 8 X
8 armoured infantry fightingvehicles. The deal has been several years in the
making.
Zwelakhe Ntshepe, the Group Executive Business Development
and Corporate Affairs of Denel, says this is the largest export contract in the
company’s history and will result in a significant cash injection and job
creation in the local industry. The turrets will be exported to Malaysia over a
seven year period – with the first consignment ready for delivery this coming
January.
Ntshepe says the final negotiations with Malaysia were concluded at the recent Defence
Services Asia Exhibition held in Kuala
Lumpur, together with their local partners DRB-Hicom
(Deftech).
Denel Land Systems (DLS) CE Stephan Burger says his company
will be responsible for a number of strategic components that have been
designed and developed at its campus in Lyttelton:
· 69 x two man
turrets fitted with the South African GI30 30mm main gun.
· 54 x missile
turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank
missile system. The order also includes the supply of 216 laser-guided Ingwe
missiles.
· 54 x remote
control weapons systems.
Burger says the production of the first consignment of
turrets is on schedule and will be delivered in January 2013 for trials by the
Malaysian Army. The turrets and weapon systems will be integrated on the
Malaysian Army’s new 8 X 8 vehicles which are based on the Pars armoured
vehicle platforms from the Turkish company, FNSS.
Ingwe ATGM (photo : Army Recognition)
Through the contract Denel is participating in the Malaysian
Economic Enhancement programme which entails the production and assembly of the
turrets in Malaysia. The agreement provides a platform to transfer
weapon system integration technology to Deftech in order to create a
sustainable capability in Malaysia.
Burger adds the contract opens the door to future industry cooperation between
the two countries including on-going maintenance and future upgrades of the
turrets.
Ntshepe reminds the manufacturing of the turret systems grew
out of DLS’s development of the Badger infantry combat vehicle on behalf of the
South African Army. The Badger, he says, meets the requirements of a modern
army involved in both high-intensity warfare and peacekeeping operations and
will replace the 30-year old Ratel as the mainstay of the mechanised infantry
force.
Denel in a statement adds the Malaysian contract strengthens
DLS’s reputation as a strategic hub of innovation and advanced manufacturing
capabilities on the African continent. It will enable the company to retain
skilled and highly-skilled engineers and artisans and attract a new generations
of innovators.
Ingwe specification and detail (image : Denel)
Riaz Saloojee, the Denel Group Chief Executive says “I am
excited by this contract as it confirms Denel’s position as a global player in
the defence manufacturing industry and will lead to a growing interest from the
international community in the quality and range of products and services
produced by us.”
Deftech earmarked Denel as its technology partner in April
2010. The New Strait Times in Singapore
at the time reported Deftech would build 257 of the 8x8 vehicles for eight
billion Malaysian ringit or 3.436 billion Singapore dollars (about ZAR18.5
billion).
Malaysian Minister of Defence Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi on
April 20, 2010, handed over a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Deftech for the supply
of vehicles at a ceremony at the 12th Defence Services Asia (DSA) Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Denel, in a
media statement, at the time, said the letter served to confirm Malaysia’s
intention to buy the vehicle over seven year period. Other technology partners
selected for the programme include FNSS from Turkey for the PARS vehicle and
Sapura Thales Electronics (STE) for the communication equipment on the
vehicles.
Denel added Deftech “in turn handed over a LoI to Denel as a
technology partner for the joint manufacture of turrets and for the systems
integration of the programme.
