Germany-based Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security, currently a business unit of Airbus Defence and Space (itself part of Airbus Group) wants to expand its activities in South Africa. The entity has its biggest foreign operation in South Africa. "Our second biggest site is in South Africa," highlighted company media relations senior manager Lothar Belz. "It's our second biggest footprint and of course we want to grow it.”

The South African operation is composed of two entities: Airbus Defence and Space (DS) Optronics South Africa (SA) and GEW Technologies (Tech – previously Grintek Ewation). Both companies have local shareholders. Denel owns 30% of Airbus DS Optronics SA, while the Kunene Finance Company holds 25% of GEW Tech. Both South African operations have achieved Level 4 black economic empowerment.

One of the companies, Optronics SA, is descended from what was Cumulus. "I think what made Cumulus famous in the early years was its stabilised sights," noted director of sales for East and Southern Africa Thomas Lutz. It was well known for its turret-mounted LEO airborne optronic airborne system. This is still in service and produced by its successor company today, having been continually upgraded. The current version is the LEO-III HD (high definition).

It was, perhaps, even more famous for developing one of the first helmet-mounted sighting systems in the world. Again, the company continues to be involved in this field. Optronics SA employs about 300 people, of whom some 33% are engineers. Its annual turnover is some €50-million.

GEW Tech is one of less than a handful of South African companies able to design electronic warfare (EW) systems, as well as produce them. It operates in the areas of EW, electronic spectrum monitoring (a largely civilian application) and security systems. With regard to the last, it covers everything from bank security to border security.

Keith Campbell visited Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security in Ulm, Germany, as a guest of the company.