Should the South African Army (SA Army) chose to upgrade its anti-aircraft artillery, Swiss defence company Rheinmetall Air Defence has a proposal to include local content in such a project. Advances in technology mean that there is now a gap in the SA Army's air defence capability.

The SA Army currently operates twin 35 mm air defence guns acquired from Rheinmetall ancestor company Oerlikon. Reportedly, the army acquired 169 of these guns, along with 75 Superfledermaus fire control units (FCUs) in 1963. In 1990, 48 of these Mark (Mk) I guns were upgraded to Mk V status and the Superfledermaus FCUs replaced by Italian LPD20 radars.

Since then, a whole new category of land-based air defence capability has emerged, which focuses on destroying not just aircraft, but also missiles, rockets, shells and bombs. It is known as C-RAM, for Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar. This is a spin-off from the anti-missile missiles and guns developed for naval warfare, and which have been in operation on naval vessels for some 30 years.

The development of C-RAM systems was stimulated by the need for US-led Coalition forces in Iraq, in the Second Gulf War, to defeat stand-off rocket and mortars attacks on their bases. The Phalanx naval anti-missile gun was successfully adapted for this role. Since then, other countries and companies have developed such systems. One of these companies is Rheinmetall Air Defence.

Meanwhile, the SA Army has a contingent assigned to the United Nations intervention brigade in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is conceivable that rebel forces could fire rockets and mortars into South African bases. However, the SA Army currently has no C-RAM capability.

The German Army developed the Rheinmetall C-RAM system for use in Afghanistan. "Acquiring components of a proven system saves time and money and de-risks the project," highlighted company marketing VP Fabian Ochsner. The Rheinmetall system involves the latest version of the twin 35 mm gun, the Mk VII, the company's latest ammunition type, the Ahead round, the Skyshield FCU and a command post (CP). "Small rockets and mortar bombs can be detected at 6 km."

The FCU and the Ahead ammunition would have to be supplied by Rheinmetall, and the Swiss company would have to be involved in upgrading South Africa's current Mk V mounts to Mk VII status, owing to the need to fit certain key technologies.  There is, however, still the CP.

"In the CP, there are only two elements of OEM [original-equipment manufacturer] design," he reported. "All the rest could be local design. It could be an indigenous CP. You only need to integrate the operations panels for the Skyshield FCU. You could integrate South African systems, including Link ZA [the locally developed South African military datalink]. The CP would be [almost] completely local."

"To develop and field indigenous systems and interfaces supports the programme with minimum risks," he continued. "The involvement of trusted local partners optimizes the programme and creates meaningful Dip [defence industrial participation]."

Ochsner was speaking at the 2013 South African Joint Air Defence Symposium. This was held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research International Convention Centre in Pretoria.