Soth Africa Flying High
OIndustry analysis62www.airforcesmonthly.com// August 2019 #377ne of the earliest South African UAVs was the Champion, developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Kentron under Project Gharra to provide the South African Army with a battlefield surveillance system. This was a twin-boom design powered by a two-stroke pusher-propeller engine. It was first flown in 1977 but only four were built, for evaluation. Some of these were deployed to Rhodesia, and then used by the South African Air Force (SAAF).In 1980 the SAAF acquired a number of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) RPV-2B Scouts for battlefield surveillance under Project Cobalt (at least five were acquired, plus possibly 13 more). These were used extensively in the Border War in Mozambique and Angola from 1981 – three were shot down in the process.The CSIR and Kentron kept working on UAVs and produced the first successful local design, the Seeker. It was first deployed by the SAAF in southeast Angola in 1987, being flown by 10 Squadron at Air Force Base (AFB) Potchefstroom, which was re-formed in 1986, initially with a single Champion.The twin-boom pusher-propeller aircraft, with a range of 125 miles (200km) and speed of 115mph (185km/h), saw active service in Angola and was used for observation and artillery spotting, particularly in Operations Modular, Hooper and Packer. Several were lost in combat
1987, one was shot down, but it took a dozen surface-to-air missiles to finally destroy it.After the Border War ended, the Seeker was the first UAV in the world to be operated in civil-controlled airspace when it was used for surveillance during the 1994 elections. By the time democracy came to South Africa, 10 Squadron had been disbanded and Kentron was operating the Seeker on behalf of the SAAF.New SeekersThe Seeker was subsequently developed into the more advanced Seeker II by what became Denel Dynamics, with increased range – 160 miles (250km) – and improved ground control. Additional payloads, such as electronic surveillance systems, were added to the electro-optical/thermal options. The Seeker II achieved a number of export sales, notably to Algeria (ten systems in the late 1990s under a US$20m deal) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which received 11 systems in three batches between 1996 and 2010. The Seeker II has successfully been utilised under United Nations command in Afghanistan, where the UAE deployed the type in 2009. The UAE also used it over Yemen, where one was shot down in July 2015.Denel Dynamics improved the design, to create the Seeker 200. This features a multi-sensor payload combining a Hensoldt Goshawk II observation camera, laser designator and laser rangefinder as well as numerous enhancements to the ground station, mission control unit and new secure data link. The payload can include an electronic intelligence (ELINT) package to detect radar emissions from 0.5 to 20GHz. The Seeker 200 operates at ranges of up to 155 miles (250km) from base and has an endurance of up to ten hours with a 90lb (40kg) payload (separate ground stations can be placed 250 miles/400km apart).Although not ordered by the South African military, the Seeker 200 was briefly deployed to the Kruger National Park to assist with counter-poaching operations. Its first export order came from the UAE, which ordered AED48.1m (£10m) worth of aircraft in a deal
announced in November 2017 to replenish the country’s Seeker II fleet. It appears the UAE’s Seekers have been armed, as Denel Dynamics has delivered its 30lb (14kg) P2 unpowered GPS-guided weapon to “a client in the Middle East” and has qualified the weapon on the Seeker 200. In 2010-11 Denel Dynamics began development of the larger Seeker 400, designed for a wide range of military and civilian missions including maritime surveillance and disaster reconnaissance. It has an endurance of up to 16hrs at altitudes up to 18,000ft (5,500m). The UAV’s line-of-sight range is 155 miles (25km) from its ground station, but this can be doubled by using a forward ground station. The Seeker 400 can carry two sensor payloads (weighing a combined 220lb/100kg), such as the Hensoldt Argos II and LEO III with gimbal diameters up to 20in (53cm) and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR). When carrying two payloads it is known as the Enhanced Seeker 400. The aircraft can be armed with two Impi/Impi-S missiles manufactured by Denel Dynamics. These are derived from the company’s 6-mile range (10km) Mokopa laser-guided anti-tank missile. The 33lb (15kg) Impi-S is inertial/semi-active laserguided and has a range of 4 miles (6km). The Seeker 400 first flew from the Alkantpan test range in February 2014. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was the launch customer, with the Defence Intelligence division taking delivery of its first aircraft in late 2015, although handover was only in the 2017-18 financial year and that was for operational test 64 Left: The CSIR Indiza CSIR hand-launched, rugged mini-UAV has been used for border patrol by the SANDF and has likely been deployed on operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Guy Martin Below: The Cape Town-based S-Plane offers the Swift, seen here, as well as the smaller Nightingale, originally developed to airdrop medical samples. S-Plane and evaluation. Finalisation of the military type certificate was only due to be completed by March this year, marking the completion of the programme. The SANDF’s Seeker 400 contract is worth R339m (£17m), according to Denel. The first and to date only Seeker 400 export order has come from the UAE. The contract covers six aircraft, two ground control stations, six electro-optical payloads, as well as the integration of other sensors, such as SAR, satellite communications and weapons. The weapon of choice is the P2, recently designed on behalf of the UAE’s Tawazun Dynamics (now Barij Dynamics). A promising design from Denel Dynamics was the Bateleur medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) UAV, revealed in 2004 as a company-funded initiative. However, the firm failed to find partners willing to continue development. The Bateleur would have had an approximately 20-hour range with a 440lb (200kg) payload. It appears that the Bateleur may live on through the Saqr 1, which is built by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Bearing a striking resemblance to the Bateleur, this was unveiled in 2017. Milkor designs A relative newcomer to the South African UAV market is Milkor Aerospace, which over the space of a couple of years has developed three new UAVs. For decades Milkor built 40mm grenade launchers but has recently expanded its product range to include vessels and armoured vehicles. The smallest Milkor Aerospace UAV is the 6ft-wingspan (1.8m) hand-launched MA18, which can be folded up and put in a backpack. Range of the electrically powered aircraft is 18 miles (30km) and endurance is 90mins. An airbag is deployed for a deep-stall landing. Milkor’s other two UAVs are much larger, T-tail designs. The 840lb (380kg) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) MA380 has a payload of 175lb (80kg) and fully retractable landing gear for maximum performance and efficiency – top speed is 135mph (220km/h), while cruise is 90mph (150km/h). Maximum endurance is 20hrs, with a range of 1,250 miles (2,000km) with satellite communications link. The larger UAVs are flown by a ground control station that can control up to six aircraft at once. A wide variety of payloads can be carried, including SAR, infrared/optical (including Hensoldt and Epsilon solutions), communications intelligence, signals intelligence and ELINT equipment in a payload bay. An optional laser designator/ illuminator can be fitted as well as weapons. The 176lb (80kg) MTOW MA80 is the smaller version (20ft/6m wingspan), with a range of 155 miles (250km) (limited by line of sight) and endurance of approximately 24hrs. Payloads include SAR and electro-optical/ infrared up to a weight of 33lb (15kg). Milkor is developing a 26lb (12kg) smalldiameter unpowered laser-guided bomb for its UAVs. Completion is expected at the end of the year, by which time moving target tests will have concluded. The MA380 will be able to carry two of these weapons.
From ATE to PAT In the 1990s, Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE, now PAT) developed the Vulture, ordered by the South African Army for artillery spotting and fire control. Series production began around 2006. The Vulture can be launched via a truck-mounted zerolength vacuum system and does not need a runway for recovery as it is captured with a net and inflatable airbag. The aircraft has a MTOW of 300lb (135kg) and a cruise speed of 70mph (115km/h). Range is up to 125 miles (200km) and endurance three hours. The 66lb (30kg) payload can include a near infrared or forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera. After experiencing financial difficulties, ATE subsequently became Paramount Advanced Technologies (PAT), which offers the handlaunched and battery-powered Kiewit, which has been exported. PAT also developed the Mwewe, Civet and Roadrunner UAVs and Persistent Surveillance Tethered Drone. The Roadrunner is a rhomboid-wing design while the Mwewe is a 25% scale version of its manned Ahrlac (Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft). In a change of strategy, PAT has decided to focus less on creating its own airframes and more on developing mission systems. As a result, it is partnering with other companies on airframes, such as Aerial Monitoring Solutions, Threod Systems and SkyX. One of PAT’s partners is the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This covers the production of a singlefuselage version of CSIR’s Long Endurance Modular UAV (LEMU) using Paramount mission computers and autopilot. The LEMU is an extended-range version of CSIR’s Modular UAV research platform, which first flew in 2009. The twin-engine aircraft features a modular payload pod under the centre of the fuselage with a payload mass of 44lb (20kg). The LEMU is planned in several versions, including those with electric, fuel cell and combustion engines. Three airframes have been built: the electric version will fly first, with the petrol version flying later this year. The internal-combustion variant of the LEMU has a take-off weight of 140lb (65kg) and maximum speed of 105mph (170km/h). Endurance is up to eight hours dependent on payload. Performance for the electric model is slightly inferior. CSIR has built other UAVs, including the Sekwa 5ft-wingspan (1.7m) blended wing-body UAV used for research, and the 6ft-wingspan (2m) Indiza. The latter is a hand-launched, rugged mini-UAV that can fly for more than an hour at distances of up to 6 miles (10km). The airframe can house a number of generic camera pods weighing up to 1lb (500g), including day and night cameras. The Indiza has been flown extensively and tested on border safeguarding missions with the SANDF. It is in production for what CSIR says is an undisclosed client but is almost certainly the SANDF – the Indiza was spotted in March being operated by soldiers on a pre-deployment exercise to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last year a SANDF official said the military was testing a UAV for potential deployment with the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC but did not specify which model.
Most of South Africa’s UAV industry is concentrated in Gauteng but a big player in the local industry, S-Plane, is based in Cape Town. The company specialises in UAV flight control units, avionics, ground control stations, communications and simulation systems. It has produced two aircraft: the 23ft-wingspan (7.5m) Swift and smaller Nightingale – the latter was originally developed to airdrop medical samples. The 550lb (250kg) MTOW Swift supports a variety of payloads including automatic identification system (AIS), optical, infrared (such as L3 WESCAM MX-10 and MX-15), multi-spectral and signal/electronic intelligence. A satellite data link enables beyond-line-of-sight operation, with an endurance of up to 12hrs. A UEL AR-741 rotary engine provides a maximum operating speed of 110mph (180km/h). S-Plane’s avionics have been installed on a number of aircraft, including the Ultimate Unmanned Viper 1000C, based on the Stemme S15 motor glider. This was launched in 2016. Endurance is 28hrs with external and internal extended-endurance tanks. Multiple payload options on two wingmounted hardpoints include high-definition cameras, FLIR and night-vision systems. Johannesburg-based Ultimate Unmanned also offers the smaller Viper 100 UAV with an endurance of more than 20hrs and operational radius exceeding 60 miles (100km). The aircraft can be fitted into a van and launched and recovered independent of a runway using a parachute/airbag combination. It has a wingspan of 11ft (3.3m) and MTOW of 50lb (22.5kg).
Optionally piloted vehicles several different small fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs. One of its most noteworthy projects is the Skunk crowd control multicopter, initially equipped with four paintball guns. These were subsequently replaced by less-lethal grenades. This unique aircraft is being sold to mining companies and other customers. Aside from UAVs, South Africa also manufactures target drones, with Denel Dynamics producing the Skua rocket-launched, jet-powered high-speed drone. This is used extensively at Denel’s Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape and has also been exported. Similarly, Denel Vehicle Systems manufactures the LOCATS (Low Cost Aerial Target System) for the South African Army. Although in danger of being overtaken by competitors elsewhere around the world, South Africa’s niche UAV industry is relatively robust, offering a wide array of different aircraft for almost every imaginable purpose. South Africa is notably one of the few countries in the world that offers armed UAVs and the fact that its aircraft are free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controls is a strong selling point. AFM In 2016 S-Plane launched its xKIT system, which converts manned aircraft into optionally piloted vehicles, and has been utilised in the Stemme S6/S15-based CADG Helix. The aircraft is equipped with an Argos II camera and two hardpoints for other systems (each can carry 175lb/80kg, including external fuel tanks). Data from the camera is sent to the ground control station and viewed in real time out to a lineof-sight range of 125 miles (200km). The basic Helix-1 system can be flown with a single pilot while the mission equipment is controlled from the ground station, while the Helix-2 can take the pilot out of the cockpit entirely. Singapore-headquartered CADG is linked to South Africa-based Ultimate Unmanned Systems and offers intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services, among others. A new entrant on the market is Tellumat, which launched its Astus UAV at the 2018 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition after 30 years as a UAV subsystems supplier. The Astus has a 17ft (5.2m) wingspan with 200lb (92kg) MTOW including payload. Endurance is eight hours and range 125 miles (200km), but the aircraft can be handed over to different ground control stations. Hydrogen fuel The South African UAV industry features a large number of companies designing, developing, assembling and importing UAVs for commercial and security applications. A local company, FlyH2 Aerospace, is even working on a hydrogen fuel cell UAV, the 155lb (70kg) UA Alpha. Another manufacturer that stands out is SteadiDrone, which is developing the 26lb (12kg) Alti Transition, which can transition from vertical to horizontal flight, and the larger Reach UAV with a 140lb (65kg) MTOW. Focussed mostly on the surveillance and security side is Desert Wolf, which offers
several different small fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs. One of its most noteworthy projects is the Skunk crowd control multicopter, initially equipped with four paintball guns. These were subsequently replaced by less-lethal grenades. This unique aircraft is being sold to mining companies and other customers. Aside from UAVs, South Africa also manufactures target drones, with Denel Dynamics producing the Skua rocket-launched, jet-powered high-speed drone. This is used extensively at Denel’s Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape and has also been exported. Similarly, Denel Vehicle Systems manufactures the LOCATS (Low Cost Aerial Target System) for the South African Army. Although in danger of being overtaken by competitors elsewhere around the world, South Africa’s niche UAV industry is relatively robust, offering a wide array of different aircraft for almost every imaginable purpose. South Africa is notably one of the few countries in the world that offers armed UAVs and the fact that its aircraft are free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controls is a strong selling point.
1987, one was shot down, but it took a dozen surface-to-air missiles to finally destroy it.After the Border War ended, the Seeker was the first UAV in the world to be operated in civil-controlled airspace when it was used for surveillance during the 1994 elections. By the time democracy came to South Africa, 10 Squadron had been disbanded and Kentron was operating the Seeker on behalf of the SAAF.New SeekersThe Seeker was subsequently developed into the more advanced Seeker II by what became Denel Dynamics, with increased range – 160 miles (250km) – and improved ground control. Additional payloads, such as electronic surveillance systems, were added to the electro-optical/thermal options. The Seeker II achieved a number of export sales, notably to Algeria (ten systems in the late 1990s under a US$20m deal) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which received 11 systems in three batches between 1996 and 2010. The Seeker II has successfully been utilised under United Nations command in Afghanistan, where the UAE deployed the type in 2009. The UAE also used it over Yemen, where one was shot down in July 2015.Denel Dynamics improved the design, to create the Seeker 200. This features a multi-sensor payload combining a Hensoldt Goshawk II observation camera, laser designator and laser rangefinder as well as numerous enhancements to the ground station, mission control unit and new secure data link. The payload can include an electronic intelligence (ELINT) package to detect radar emissions from 0.5 to 20GHz. The Seeker 200 operates at ranges of up to 155 miles (250km) from base and has an endurance of up to ten hours with a 90lb (40kg) payload (separate ground stations can be placed 250 miles/400km apart).Although not ordered by the South African military, the Seeker 200 was briefly deployed to the Kruger National Park to assist with counter-poaching operations. Its first export order came from the UAE, which ordered AED48.1m (£10m) worth of aircraft in a deal
announced in November 2017 to replenish the country’s Seeker II fleet. It appears the UAE’s Seekers have been armed, as Denel Dynamics has delivered its 30lb (14kg) P2 unpowered GPS-guided weapon to “a client in the Middle East” and has qualified the weapon on the Seeker 200. In 2010-11 Denel Dynamics began development of the larger Seeker 400, designed for a wide range of military and civilian missions including maritime surveillance and disaster reconnaissance. It has an endurance of up to 16hrs at altitudes up to 18,000ft (5,500m). The UAV’s line-of-sight range is 155 miles (25km) from its ground station, but this can be doubled by using a forward ground station. The Seeker 400 can carry two sensor payloads (weighing a combined 220lb/100kg), such as the Hensoldt Argos II and LEO III with gimbal diameters up to 20in (53cm) and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR). When carrying two payloads it is known as the Enhanced Seeker 400. The aircraft can be armed with two Impi/Impi-S missiles manufactured by Denel Dynamics. These are derived from the company’s 6-mile range (10km) Mokopa laser-guided anti-tank missile. The 33lb (15kg) Impi-S is inertial/semi-active laserguided and has a range of 4 miles (6km). The Seeker 400 first flew from the Alkantpan test range in February 2014. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was the launch customer, with the Defence Intelligence division taking delivery of its first aircraft in late 2015, although handover was only in the 2017-18 financial year and that was for operational test 64 Left: The CSIR Indiza CSIR hand-launched, rugged mini-UAV has been used for border patrol by the SANDF and has likely been deployed on operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Guy Martin Below: The Cape Town-based S-Plane offers the Swift, seen here, as well as the smaller Nightingale, originally developed to airdrop medical samples. S-Plane and evaluation. Finalisation of the military type certificate was only due to be completed by March this year, marking the completion of the programme. The SANDF’s Seeker 400 contract is worth R339m (£17m), according to Denel. The first and to date only Seeker 400 export order has come from the UAE. The contract covers six aircraft, two ground control stations, six electro-optical payloads, as well as the integration of other sensors, such as SAR, satellite communications and weapons. The weapon of choice is the P2, recently designed on behalf of the UAE’s Tawazun Dynamics (now Barij Dynamics). A promising design from Denel Dynamics was the Bateleur medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) UAV, revealed in 2004 as a company-funded initiative. However, the firm failed to find partners willing to continue development. The Bateleur would have had an approximately 20-hour range with a 440lb (200kg) payload. It appears that the Bateleur may live on through the Saqr 1, which is built by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Bearing a striking resemblance to the Bateleur, this was unveiled in 2017. Milkor designs A relative newcomer to the South African UAV market is Milkor Aerospace, which over the space of a couple of years has developed three new UAVs. For decades Milkor built 40mm grenade launchers but has recently expanded its product range to include vessels and armoured vehicles. The smallest Milkor Aerospace UAV is the 6ft-wingspan (1.8m) hand-launched MA18, which can be folded up and put in a backpack. Range of the electrically powered aircraft is 18 miles (30km) and endurance is 90mins. An airbag is deployed for a deep-stall landing. Milkor’s other two UAVs are much larger, T-tail designs. The 840lb (380kg) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) MA380 has a payload of 175lb (80kg) and fully retractable landing gear for maximum performance and efficiency – top speed is 135mph (220km/h), while cruise is 90mph (150km/h). Maximum endurance is 20hrs, with a range of 1,250 miles (2,000km) with satellite communications link. The larger UAVs are flown by a ground control station that can control up to six aircraft at once. A wide variety of payloads can be carried, including SAR, infrared/optical (including Hensoldt and Epsilon solutions), communications intelligence, signals intelligence and ELINT equipment in a payload bay. An optional laser designator/ illuminator can be fitted as well as weapons. The 176lb (80kg) MTOW MA80 is the smaller version (20ft/6m wingspan), with a range of 155 miles (250km) (limited by line of sight) and endurance of approximately 24hrs. Payloads include SAR and electro-optical/ infrared up to a weight of 33lb (15kg). Milkor is developing a 26lb (12kg) smalldiameter unpowered laser-guided bomb for its UAVs. Completion is expected at the end of the year, by which time moving target tests will have concluded. The MA380 will be able to carry two of these weapons.
From ATE to PAT In the 1990s, Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE, now PAT) developed the Vulture, ordered by the South African Army for artillery spotting and fire control. Series production began around 2006. The Vulture can be launched via a truck-mounted zerolength vacuum system and does not need a runway for recovery as it is captured with a net and inflatable airbag. The aircraft has a MTOW of 300lb (135kg) and a cruise speed of 70mph (115km/h). Range is up to 125 miles (200km) and endurance three hours. The 66lb (30kg) payload can include a near infrared or forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera. After experiencing financial difficulties, ATE subsequently became Paramount Advanced Technologies (PAT), which offers the handlaunched and battery-powered Kiewit, which has been exported. PAT also developed the Mwewe, Civet and Roadrunner UAVs and Persistent Surveillance Tethered Drone. The Roadrunner is a rhomboid-wing design while the Mwewe is a 25% scale version of its manned Ahrlac (Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft). In a change of strategy, PAT has decided to focus less on creating its own airframes and more on developing mission systems. As a result, it is partnering with other companies on airframes, such as Aerial Monitoring Solutions, Threod Systems and SkyX. One of PAT’s partners is the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This covers the production of a singlefuselage version of CSIR’s Long Endurance Modular UAV (LEMU) using Paramount mission computers and autopilot. The LEMU is an extended-range version of CSIR’s Modular UAV research platform, which first flew in 2009. The twin-engine aircraft features a modular payload pod under the centre of the fuselage with a payload mass of 44lb (20kg). The LEMU is planned in several versions, including those with electric, fuel cell and combustion engines. Three airframes have been built: the electric version will fly first, with the petrol version flying later this year. The internal-combustion variant of the LEMU has a take-off weight of 140lb (65kg) and maximum speed of 105mph (170km/h). Endurance is up to eight hours dependent on payload. Performance for the electric model is slightly inferior. CSIR has built other UAVs, including the Sekwa 5ft-wingspan (1.7m) blended wing-body UAV used for research, and the 6ft-wingspan (2m) Indiza. The latter is a hand-launched, rugged mini-UAV that can fly for more than an hour at distances of up to 6 miles (10km). The airframe can house a number of generic camera pods weighing up to 1lb (500g), including day and night cameras. The Indiza has been flown extensively and tested on border safeguarding missions with the SANDF. It is in production for what CSIR says is an undisclosed client but is almost certainly the SANDF – the Indiza was spotted in March being operated by soldiers on a pre-deployment exercise to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last year a SANDF official said the military was testing a UAV for potential deployment with the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC but did not specify which model.
Most of South Africa’s UAV industry is concentrated in Gauteng but a big player in the local industry, S-Plane, is based in Cape Town. The company specialises in UAV flight control units, avionics, ground control stations, communications and simulation systems. It has produced two aircraft: the 23ft-wingspan (7.5m) Swift and smaller Nightingale – the latter was originally developed to airdrop medical samples. The 550lb (250kg) MTOW Swift supports a variety of payloads including automatic identification system (AIS), optical, infrared (such as L3 WESCAM MX-10 and MX-15), multi-spectral and signal/electronic intelligence. A satellite data link enables beyond-line-of-sight operation, with an endurance of up to 12hrs. A UEL AR-741 rotary engine provides a maximum operating speed of 110mph (180km/h). S-Plane’s avionics have been installed on a number of aircraft, including the Ultimate Unmanned Viper 1000C, based on the Stemme S15 motor glider. This was launched in 2016. Endurance is 28hrs with external and internal extended-endurance tanks. Multiple payload options on two wingmounted hardpoints include high-definition cameras, FLIR and night-vision systems. Johannesburg-based Ultimate Unmanned also offers the smaller Viper 100 UAV with an endurance of more than 20hrs and operational radius exceeding 60 miles (100km). The aircraft can be fitted into a van and launched and recovered independent of a runway using a parachute/airbag combination. It has a wingspan of 11ft (3.3m) and MTOW of 50lb (22.5kg).
Optionally piloted vehicles several different small fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs. One of its most noteworthy projects is the Skunk crowd control multicopter, initially equipped with four paintball guns. These were subsequently replaced by less-lethal grenades. This unique aircraft is being sold to mining companies and other customers. Aside from UAVs, South Africa also manufactures target drones, with Denel Dynamics producing the Skua rocket-launched, jet-powered high-speed drone. This is used extensively at Denel’s Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape and has also been exported. Similarly, Denel Vehicle Systems manufactures the LOCATS (Low Cost Aerial Target System) for the South African Army. Although in danger of being overtaken by competitors elsewhere around the world, South Africa’s niche UAV industry is relatively robust, offering a wide array of different aircraft for almost every imaginable purpose. South Africa is notably one of the few countries in the world that offers armed UAVs and the fact that its aircraft are free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controls is a strong selling point. AFM In 2016 S-Plane launched its xKIT system, which converts manned aircraft into optionally piloted vehicles, and has been utilised in the Stemme S6/S15-based CADG Helix. The aircraft is equipped with an Argos II camera and two hardpoints for other systems (each can carry 175lb/80kg, including external fuel tanks). Data from the camera is sent to the ground control station and viewed in real time out to a lineof-sight range of 125 miles (200km). The basic Helix-1 system can be flown with a single pilot while the mission equipment is controlled from the ground station, while the Helix-2 can take the pilot out of the cockpit entirely. Singapore-headquartered CADG is linked to South Africa-based Ultimate Unmanned Systems and offers intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services, among others. A new entrant on the market is Tellumat, which launched its Astus UAV at the 2018 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition after 30 years as a UAV subsystems supplier. The Astus has a 17ft (5.2m) wingspan with 200lb (92kg) MTOW including payload. Endurance is eight hours and range 125 miles (200km), but the aircraft can be handed over to different ground control stations. Hydrogen fuel The South African UAV industry features a large number of companies designing, developing, assembling and importing UAVs for commercial and security applications. A local company, FlyH2 Aerospace, is even working on a hydrogen fuel cell UAV, the 155lb (70kg) UA Alpha. Another manufacturer that stands out is SteadiDrone, which is developing the 26lb (12kg) Alti Transition, which can transition from vertical to horizontal flight, and the larger Reach UAV with a 140lb (65kg) MTOW. Focussed mostly on the surveillance and security side is Desert Wolf, which offers
several different small fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs. One of its most noteworthy projects is the Skunk crowd control multicopter, initially equipped with four paintball guns. These were subsequently replaced by less-lethal grenades. This unique aircraft is being sold to mining companies and other customers. Aside from UAVs, South Africa also manufactures target drones, with Denel Dynamics producing the Skua rocket-launched, jet-powered high-speed drone. This is used extensively at Denel’s Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape and has also been exported. Similarly, Denel Vehicle Systems manufactures the LOCATS (Low Cost Aerial Target System) for the South African Army. Although in danger of being overtaken by competitors elsewhere around the world, South Africa’s niche UAV industry is relatively robust, offering a wide array of different aircraft for almost every imaginable purpose. South Africa is notably one of the few countries in the world that offers armed UAVs and the fact that its aircraft are free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controls is a strong selling point.
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