The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has awarded a contract for mobile containerised kitchen systems to aerospace, defence and security group Saab. The contract will be executed by Saab at its facility in Centurion, just south of Pretoria. The value of the contract has not been released, but it will be carried out over a period of about two years.
“Saab is committed to supporting world-class capabilities for the SANDF,” affirmed Saab Grintek Defence (Saab’s South African subsidiary) president and CEO Trevor Raman. “This contract represents our efforts in strengthening our partnerships with military veterans and small and medium-sized enterprises – in line with national imperatives in South Africa.”
The group has an established record in the provision of totally packaged multi-function field facilities and portable modules and shelter systems for many operational uses for military forces. Formally referred to as a Mass Field Feeding Capability, the programme for the SANDF entails 24 × 50-man systems and 11 × 200-man systems.
The 200-man system is composed of a Utility Unit (for potable water, waste water and diesel), a Storage Unit, a Reefer Unit (cold storage of food) and a completely outfitted expandable Kitchen Unit. The 50-man system has a completely outfitted expandable unit, with bladders to deal with the potable and waste water.
The boiling pans, convection ovens and grillers with which the systems are equipped all employ modern diesel-fired technology. This is a part of the SANDF’s programme to reduce the use of liquefied petroleum gas.
The units can draw power from an existing power gird. Alternatively, they can operate as a standalone system producing its own power from a generator in the Kitchen Unit.