SA analysts sceptical in light of EU defence agreement
AUK state department has invited South African firms to bid for contracts for Britain’s armed forces.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is looking to form joint ventures with SA’s biggest defence companies‚ as well as small and medium-size enterprises‚ UKTI defence and security spokesman Adam Thomas said yesterday on the sidelines of the Africa Aerospace and Defence trade show.
The UK spends more than $14-billion (R154-billion) annually on security. The UK was impressed by the quality of SA’s military products. South African firms wanting to enter the UK defence market would get free advice‚ he said.
While Thomas’s statement seemed to offer bright opportunities‚ local experts were not so optimistic. Aerospace‚ Maritime and Defence Industries executive director Simphiwe Hamilton cautioned: “The UK is part of the EU‚ and the European Defence Agreement says they should trade with each other before going elsewhere – it is a fortress that has proved impenetrable.”
He said he needed more information before he could express an opinion on whether the prospects for the local defence industry would improve‚ but poured cold water on the idea that this could rescue the Rooivalk attack helicopter – “they have already chosen the US Apache over the Rooivalk”.
Defence expert Helmoed-Romer Heitman was also cautious.
“I think the UK would like to develop a baseline of defence-related imports from SA to set the scene when they offer us equipment to meet future requirements‚” he said. “Even if they can’t get advance participation (offsets) credits. I know they buy quite of lot of brass ammunition components from Pretoria Metal Pressings and have in the past bought a fairly wide range of stuff‚ including vehicles.”
He did not expect the UK to buy “major equipment from SA – if only because no one is yet certain‚ despite the defence review‚ that SA is actually going to take defence at all seriously”.
They “could step up purchases of noncritical components and specific items‚ for instance for their special forces such as anti-materiel rifles‚ high-frequency radios and optical and optronic equipment”.
This could benefit state-owned defence company Denel‚ which has required substantial government support over the years.
A Russian delegation at the show said the country was looking into joint production of military equipment such as missiles‚ wireless communications and radio technology with SA firms.
Spokeman Alexander Fomin said the Russians were setting up a military technical maintenance centre in SA. Many African countries‚ such as Angola and Mozambique‚ still use former Soviet Union defence assets. SA would serve as a base for servicing and maintaining this equipment. — BDLive
UK arms agency makes overture
AUK state department has invited South African firms to bid for contracts for Britain’s armed forces.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is looking to form joint ventures with SA’s biggest defence companies‚ as well as small and medium-size enterprises‚ UKTI defence and security spokesman Adam Thomas said yesterday on the sidelines of the Africa Aerospace and Defence trade show.
The UK spends more than $14-billion (R154-billion) annually on security. The UK was impressed by the quality of SA’s military products. South African firms wanting to enter the UK defence market would get free advice‚ he said.
While Thomas’s statement seemed to offer bright opportunities‚ local experts were not so optimistic. Aerospace‚ Maritime and Defence Industries executive director Simphiwe Hamilton cautioned: “The UK is part of the EU‚ and the European Defence Agreement says they should trade with each other before going elsewhere – it is a fortress that has proved impenetrable.”
He said he needed more information before he could express an opinion on whether the prospects for the local defence industry would improve‚ but poured cold water on the idea that this could rescue the Rooivalk attack helicopter – “they have already chosen the US Apache over the Rooivalk”.
Defence expert Helmoed-Romer Heitman was also cautious.
“I think the UK would like to develop a baseline of defence-related imports from SA to set the scene when they offer us equipment to meet future requirements‚” he said. “Even if they can’t get advance participation (offsets) credits. I know they buy quite of lot of brass ammunition components from Pretoria Metal Pressings and have in the past bought a fairly wide range of stuff‚ including vehicles.”
He did not expect the UK to buy “major equipment from SA – if only because no one is yet certain‚ despite the defence review‚ that SA is actually going to take defence at all seriously”.
They “could step up purchases of noncritical components and specific items‚ for instance for their special forces such as anti-materiel rifles‚ high-frequency radios and optical and optronic equipment”.
This could benefit state-owned defence company Denel‚ which has required substantial government support over the years.
A Russian delegation at the show said the country was looking into joint production of military equipment such as missiles‚ wireless communications and radio technology with SA firms.
Spokeman Alexander Fomin said the Russians were setting up a military technical maintenance centre in SA. Many African countries‚ such as Angola and Mozambique‚ still use former Soviet Union defence assets. SA would serve as a base for servicing and maintaining this equipment. — BDLive
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