21 septembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

How a defense expo reflects troubles for South African military

By:

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is one of the continent's biggest defense spenders but its military is increasingly stretched as the country faces recession and a weakening currency.

This week's biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition is a showcase for the country's military, which is one of the top 20 contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions and helps with anti-piracy operations off Mozambique's coast.

Concerns also are growing about possible corruption linked to state-owned defense conglomerate Denel, part of a wider inquiry into the alleged plundering of state resources under former President Jacob Zuma.

South Africa's military "has got a lot on its plate," said Guy Martin, editor of defenceWeb, an industry news site.

The country has a defense budget of more than $3 billion. However, the weakening South African currency and the economic recession are making it harder for the military to acquire new equipment and training.

President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the fair this week with a speech acknowledging the "economic reality" and pledging support for the defense industry, a key earner of foreign currency.

Despite the problems, soldiers at the five-day trade fair were enthusiastic.

Capt. T.G. Netshineulu encouraged a group of schoolchildren to consider joining the military after they finish their studies.

“I can die for this country,” he said. “And I'm willing to do so.”

https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2018/09/20/how-a-defense-expo-reflects-troubles-for-south-african-military

Sur le même sujet

  • Army leans on scientists to push the boundaries of munitions range, precision, lethality

    9 octobre 2018 | International, Terrestre

    Army leans on scientists to push the boundaries of munitions range, precision, lethality

    By: Todd South Army researchers are speeding up development on key conventional munitions, from field artillery to long-range missiles, and making them more deadly when they land. At a panel hosted by Defense News at the annual Association of the United States Army annual meeting, commanders with the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command, Program Executive Office-Ammunition and the Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team gave a few updates on those efforts. Brig. Gen. Alfred Abramson III, head of PEO Ammo and Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, told audience members that his researchers are finding the quickest ways to go after extending ranges, saying that the XM1113 round will be “critical” for the conventional artillery in the Extended Range Cannon Artillery program, a centerpiece of artillery modernization. Abramson noted that the existing M795 High Explosive artillery round, the base of the 155mm munition portfolio, includes about 614,000 rounds in the nation's stockpile. But those rounds only reach out to about 30 kilometers. The problem developers face in pushing the ranges of conventional rounds is keeping them both accurate and having a real effect when they strike, he said. “You want to push it out to 70 kilometers and ensure it's not just a long-range paintball,” Abramson said. The XM1128 pushes those ranges to about 40 kilometers currently. But work with “lithographic fragmentation technology,” Abramson said, makes the round more lethal on target. Col. John Rafferty, director of the LRPF CFT, said that recent testing has gotten 155mm artillery rounds to the 60-kilometer range at the Yuma, Arizona, testing facility. Abramson said that his organization has seen a significant spike of about $2.5 billion for fiscal years 2017 to 2022 funding for ammunition and armament systems products. Another $1.5 billion has been allotted to update the aging ammunition manufacturing plants across the Army, he said. Recent Overseas Contingency Operations funding for 2019 was marked at about $4.1 billion simply to replenish munitions consumed during combat. What's being done to advance the science? Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, commanding general of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, said that over the past year, $900 million was realigned for science and technology development for the LRPF initiatives, and another $500 million was also realigned for the Air Missile Defense CFT. His organization just completed a six-month study of energetics propulsion that included a detailed study of adversary capabilities and advancements over the past two decades. It also looked at how those advances were achieved and what gaps exist in the United States' armaments, he said. While the study has not yet been released to the public, he said two non-technical gaps that the United States must correct are in their ability to collaborate with global partners and science, chemistry and energy experts within government. Further down the development pipeline he said was a shortfall in transitioning the research to the PEOs for development and fielding. One tech challenge is the existing stockpiles. As the developers push the capacities of conventional rounds and their systems they must also maintain “backwards compatibility” with the substantial munition stockpiles, he said. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/10/08/army-leans-on-scientists-to-push-the-boundaries-of-munitions-range-precision-lethality

  • Interoperability with U.S. will be Key Feature of Japan's F-X Fighter Jet

    26 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

    Interoperability with U.S. will be Key Feature of Japan's F-X Fighter Jet

    Interoperability with U.S. will be Key Feature of Japan's F-X Fighter Jet

  • Tinker Air Force base readies for B-52 upgrades as engines tested

    20 février 2024 | International, Aérospatial

    Tinker Air Force base readies for B-52 upgrades as engines tested

    "The clock's ticking" on the B-52's current engines, an official said, so the Air Force wants to upgrade the bombers as fast as possible.

Toutes les nouvelles