South African defence company BAe Systems Land Systems South Africa (LSSA), which is composed of three divisions – OMC, Dynamics and Gear Ratio – is actively promoting its products and capabilities across a wide range of international markets. Each of the three divisions is a specialist in its own field, but all complement one another. OMC designs, develops and manufactures armoured and mine-protected vehicles, Dynamics does the same for turrets, remotely operated weapons stations and related products (such as control and sighting systems), while Gear Ratio does likewise for drivetrains (including axles, transaxles, power shift transmissions, torque converters, traction gears, transfer gearboxes and wheel stations).

“We don’t have any contracts close to signing, but we’re very actively working in at least three European countries as well as in South America and the Middle East,” says LSSA business development and communications director Natasha Pheiffer with regard to OMC. “These are specific campaigns, involving the RG12, RG31 and RG35.”

The RG12 is an armoured multipurpose security vehicle optimised for police and paramilitary forces. The RG31 is a mine-protected armoured personnel carrier, but better known by its US classification as a mine-resistant ambush- protected, or Mrap, vehicle (over 2 000 were delivered to the US armed forces). The RG35 is the company’s latest multirole armoured vehicle family, with three variants (two 4 × 4 and one 6 × 6 – see Engineering News June 6, 2014). Other OMC products are the RG32 family of mine- protected patrol and light tactical vehicles, the RG34 multipurpose mine-protected vehicle and the RG41 8 × 8 armoured combat vehicle.

“We’re still marketing the RG31, despite the possibility of the US disposing of a large number of their Mrap RG31s, but the future demand will not be as great as before,” she states. “Regarding the RG32, there is still widespread demand and interest, but individual orders involve small numbers. We are also marketing our heavier and multirole vehicles – the RG34, RG35 and RG41. But our main focus is on the RG35. The market is poor for 8 × 8 vehicles [like the RG41] at the moment. We see growing interest from police forces for RG12-type vehicles.”

The Dynamics division has been relocated from its original base in Pretoria to LSSA’s main site in Benoni. This was part of a restructuring to create an integrated site, saving money. Even so, Dynamics has its own area with its own laboratory. This division’s main products are the SD-ROW self-defence remotely operated weapon station and the TRT gun turret.

“The Dynamics division is doing well,” she reports. “We’re working on very exciting opportunities in Europe and the Middle East and we expect to see a turret order early next year. It would be the launch order for our TRT. We can’t yet reveal the country concerned.” Dynamics also supplies key components for turrets to other companies for integration on their turrets. These include such essentials as sights for the vehicle commander and sights for the gunner.

Gear Ratio is a very stable business. “We recently got a brand-new customer – Ricardo, a UK engineering house,” highlights Pheiffer. “They’re very big and operate with a lot of commercial vehicle companies, but they’re also involved in defence and railways. Gear Ratio won a small but very strategic contract for a railway component, which was recently fulfilled. Ricardo has now sent us a request for information for a new order. This could lead to important business worldwide.” Further, the division is vigorously marketing its capabilities to the companies that won the Transnet orders for diesel and electric locomotives earlier this year. “We believe we can supply them with the local content that they desire.”