BY : SAAB PR

Today, on the first day of the biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence show, being staged at AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town, South Africa, history was made when Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota officially handed over the first of the country’s fleet of new generation Gripen fighters to Lt. Gen. Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the South African Air Force.

The occasion was marked in style with a fly past of four of South Africa’s fleet of twenty-six Gripen fighters, with the spectacular backdrop of Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain providing some memorable photo opportunities.

BY : Creamer Media



The joint programme between South Africa and Brazil to develop the A-Darter fifth-generation infrared homing air-to-air missile (AAM) is, for Brazil, a launch pad for a lasting relationship with South Africa. It is also important as a chance to regain expertise that Brazil once possessed, but has since lost.

“We see this as a good opportunity to start a long-term relationship with a country that is very similar to us in terms of technology, culture – almost everything; we have a lot in common,” affirms Brazilian Air Force A-Darter programme project officer Colonel Nelson Silveira. “I see this as a landmark in the relationship between

BY : BBC



The Panorama TV programme tracked down Chinese army lorries in the Sudanese province that came from a batch exported from China to Sudan in 2005.

The BBC was also told that China was training fighter pilots who fly Chinese A5 Fantan fighter jets in Darfur.

China's government has declined to comment on the BBC's findings, which contravene a UN arms embargo on Darfur.

The embargo requires foreign nations to take measures to ensure they do not militarily assist anyone in the conflict in Darfur, in which the UN estimates that about 300,000 people have died.

BY : Independent Online

It was the end of an era for the SA Air Force (SAAF) on Wednesday when the Cheetah fighter jets were decommissioned.

The Cheetahs are to be replaced by Gripen fighter jets, which will arrive between now and 2012.

At the height of its military power, South Africa had 58 Cheetah fighter jets.

BY : Reuters Africa

A spat between Russia and Algeria over fighter jets has given the West a chance to open up a new market and shows the challenge facing Russian arms sales to developing countries as they grow more prosperous.

Few expect a dramatic shift in arms purchases by OPEC member Algeria, the developing world's fifth largest market for weapons in 2006, following its unusual decision to return 15 MIG warplanes it says contained some substandard parts, experts say.

But the initial rebuff reflects a recognition that traditional Russian arms buyer Algeria and fellow north African oil exporter Libya, can afford to shop around with state

BY : LEON ENGELBRECHT , ITWEB SENIOR WRITER

SA's growing fleet of BAE Systems Hawk 120 lead-in fighter trainers will shortly receive a key software upgrade. Midrand-based Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE) developed the Hawk's avionics and software in SA.

A company source says the fleet – fast approaching its contracted size of 24 aircraft – will shortly receive a critical software upgrade. “We're a week away from installing a certificated version of the software with full functionality,” the source says.


The current, developmental, software has allowed the SA Air Force (SAAF) to use t

BY : Xinhua


Algeria will acquire, in the next few weeks, six Russian-made Sukhoi-30 jet fighters, local media reported Wednesday.

The six Sukhoi aircrafts are part of a comprehensive purchase order of Russian arms by Algeria concluded in 2006, worth nearly 4 billion U.S. dollars. This order also includes Mig jet fighters, anti-air missiles and T-90 tanks, according to the Algerian daily newspaper "El Watan."