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Defence & Aerospace

Mboweni moots referendum on rescuing State-owned companies on Twitter

By: African News Agency 17th February 2020 After a short hiatus from Twitter, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is once again posting prolifically, using the platform at the weekend to call for a public debate, possibly a referendum, on the use of taxpayers' money to bail out failing State-owned enterprises. "We must develop a democratic... →

Latest Airbus airliner gains certification from both Europe and the US

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th February 2020 Europe-based global aerospace group Airbus has announced that its A330-800 widebody airliner has been jointly certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration. This joint Type Certification followed 132 flights totalling 370 test flying hours,... →

Photo by Airbus
The Airbus A330-800

Denel’s outlook upgraded by Fitch Ratings

By: Rebecca Campbell 11th February 2020 South Africa’s State-owned defence industrial group Denel on Tuesday welcomed the decision by Fitch Ratings to affirm its long- and short-term ratings for the group, and to upgrade its outlook. Fitch affirmed Denel’s national short-term rating at “B(zaf)” and its national long-term rating also at... →

Photo by Rebecca Campbell/Creamer Media
Denel’s flagship product: the Rooivalk combat helicopter

Rolls-Royce has started making the world’s largest aeroengine fan blades

By: Rebecca Campbell 11th February 2020 UK industrial technology group Rolls-Royce announced on Tuesday that it has started manufacturing the world’s largest aeroengine fan blades. These are for its UltraFan demonstrator power plant, which will unprecedentedly efficient and sustainable. A full set of UltraFan blades will have a... →

Correct policies, equipment vital for substance testing

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 7th February 2020 Without the correct drug-testing policies and correct testing equipment in place, companies can face serious legal implications, warns workplace testing company ALCO-Safe MD Rhys Evans, adding that these policies serve as guidelines for employees and employers. “Having policies in place ensures... →

WELL INFORMED Policies ensure employees understand the drug-testing equipment better and eliminate misconceptions

Airbus reaches legal settlements to end bribery and compliance probes

By: Rebecca Campbell 7th February 2020 Europe-based major aerospace group Airbus has issued a brief press release, concerning its negotiations with regulators and law enforcement agencies in three countries. The release stated in full: →

Denel reports it has almost finished closing its aerostructures division

By: Rebecca Campbell 6th February 2020 Denel reported on Thursday that the closing down of “the greater part” of its aerostructures business had reached “an advanced stage”. It gave the assurance that it had taken “major steps” to minimise job losses within the group. The business was being closed because it was not sustainable for... →

Photo by Duane Daws/Creamer Media
Denel Aerostructures workers assembling a fuselage top shell for an Airbus A400M military airlift aircraft, back in 2013

Further postponement announced in Boeing 737 MAX return to service

By: Rebecca Campbell 31st January 2020 US aerospace giant Boeing has reported that its 737 MAX single-aisle airliner would remain grounded for longer than the company had hoped. The grounding of the aircraft was imposed after two fatal crashes, in late 2018 and early 2019, which killed a total of 346 people. A system fitted to the 737... →

Airbus reports agreement with authorities regarding various charges against it

By: Rebecca Campbell 28th January 2020 Europe-based major aerospace group Airbus issued a brief press release on Tuesday, concerning its negotiations with regulators and law enforcement agencies in three countries. The release stated in full: “Airbus confirms that it has reached agreement in principle with the French Parquet National... →

SANDF to withdraw from Vaal River intervention project by Friday

By: News24Wire 27th January 2020 The South African National Defence Force will withdraw its personnel and equipment deployed to the Vaal River Project by the end of the week. In a statement issued on Monday, the Defence Department's head of communications Siphiwe Dlamini said: "Regiments under the stewardship of the SA Army... →

Boeing announces further delay in return-to-service of its 737 MAX

By: Rebecca Campbell 22nd January 2020 US aerospace giant Boeing reported on Tuesday that its 737 MAX single-aisle airliner would remain grounded for longer than the company had hoped. The grounding of the aircraft was imposed after two fatal crashes, in late 2018 and early 2019, which killed a total of 346 people. A system fitted... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Grounded 737 MAX airliners parked near Boeing Field, Seattle

Nations dawdle on agreeing rules to control 'killer robots' in future wars

By: Reuters 20th January 2020 Countries are rapidly developing "killer robots" – machines with artificial intelligence (AI) that independently kill – but are moving at a snail's pace on agreeing global rules over their use in future wars, warn technology and human rights experts. From drones and missiles to tanks and... →

Parliamentary committee welcomes probe into SAAF aircraft crash in the DRC

By: African News Agency 13th January 2020 Parliament's defence and military veterans portfolio committee has welcomed the investigation into the cause of the South African Air Force (SAAF) aircraft crash at Goma airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, January 9. The SAAF Lockheed C-130BZ Hercules aircraft, which... →

Ramaphosa discusses peaceful resolution to US-Iran tensions in call to Rouhani

By: African News Agency 10th January 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Iranian president Hassan Rouhani that South Africa is interested in seeing a peaceful and just resolution to tensions between Iran and the United States. According to Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Khusela Diko, the president phoned Rouhani on Thursday while in... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

South African military plane crash lands in Congo

By: Reuters 9th January 2020 A South African military plane crash-landed on Thursday at the Goma airport in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN spokesperson said. Videos on social media showed smoke rising from the airplane but two sources at the airport, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there did not appear... →

Business confidence slowly wanes as PMI edges lower in December

By: Simone Liedtke 8th January 2020 The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged lower to 47.1 index points in December, down from the 47.7 index points recorded in November. The December figure is also about one point below the average recorded through 2019. →

Spitfire restoration project secures high-performance sponsor

By: Rebecca Campbell 13th December 2019 The South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Spitfire Restoration Project is set to take a major step forward, thanks to the announcement of a very significant sponsorship agreement between the Friends of the SAAF Museum association and local automotive company Performance Centre. “The Performance... →

New entity launched to stimulate SA space sector

By: Rebecca Campbell 13th December 2019 Not-for-profit company ZASpace Inc. was recently launched in Pretoria and is intended to stimulate the development of the local space industry and especially the geospatial sector, to meet the rapidly growing needs of South Africa and Africa. This will include skills development and innovative... →

Parliament seeking submissions on the Defence Amendment Bill

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th December 2019 The National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has called for written submissions from “stakeholders and interested parties” on the Defence Amendment Bill (Bill 18 of 2017). The National Assembly is the lower house of the South African Parliament. “The objective of... →

Newly appointed South African army chief dies

By: African News Agency 11th December 2019 The chief of the South African army, lieutenant-general Thabiso Collin Mokhosi, died on Tuesday morning at Unitas Hospital following a short illness. Mokhosi was promoted to the position on November 1. →

SANDF splashes R20.5m on luxury German cars, but says funding shortfall is impacting on maintaining military base in Centurion

By: News24Wire 11th December 2019 While the South African National Defence Force was unable to maintain the Thaba Tshwane military base in Centurion due to "predominantly a lack of funds", it has managed to find the cash to spend R20.5-million on "luxury vehicles", valued at over R600 000 each, for senior management in the... →

Defence & Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

SA defence industry cultivates interest in Egyptian market

By: African News Agency 9th December 2019 South African Aerospace, Maritime, and Defence Export Council (SAAMDEC) CEO Sandile Ndlovu has urged the South African defence industry to cultivate a healthy interest within the Egyptian market, as it is the biggest on the continent, spending well over US4 billion, the trade and industry... →

Regulatory, financing snags curbing SA aviation

By: Rebecca Campbell 6th December 2019 The past few weeks have seen a series of important conferences in South Africa, as far as the aerospace and defence sectors are concerned. And the aerospace and defence sectors are a significant part of the country’s high-technology manufacturing industry. They were the 2019 Aeronautical Society... →

South Africa needs more startups but local space SMEs are competitive

By: Rebecca Campbell 6th December 2019 Start-up companies must not be confused with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), highlighted Co-Open Innovation (COOi) Studios Director Sandiso Sibisi at the South African National Space Agency’s recent 2nd Space for National Development Conference, in Pretoria. She explained that there was a... →

Govt’s demand for in-situ inspections at defence equipment clients damaging local industry - union

By: Rebecca Campbell 3rd December 2019 Trade union Solidarity has appealed to the Government and to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) to withdraw a demand that customer countries of the South African defence industry allow South African officials to visit and inspect their military installations. These... →

London showdown looms for Nato frenemies

By: Bloomberg 2nd December 2019 For movie fans, the words “Brain Dead” usually bring to mind a cult New Zealand zombie splatter flick directed by Peter Jackson. It’s not the verbiage you’d expect leaders to be throwing around when the member states of Nato – Europe’s security umbrella since World War II – meet in London. But... →

Zuma and Thales’ leave to appeal dismissed with costs

By: African News Agency 29th November 2019 The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg has dismissed former president Jacob Zuma's appeal against its decision not to stay his corruption prosecution. Zuma launched a leave to appeal bid, arguing the Supreme Court of Appeal could arrive at a different decision to the High Court. →

Photo by Reuters
Former president Jacob Zuma

Government sets ambitious growth targets for SA defence industry

By: Rebecca Campbell 29th November 2019 The South African Government has set growth targets it hopes that the local defence industry will achieve over the next few years, reported Secretary of Defence and Military Veterans Dr Sam Gulube. He was delivering the keynote address at the recent 2019 Aerospace, Maritime and Defence... →

Future structure of Denel starts to emerge as turnaround plan advances

By: Rebecca Campbell 29th November 2019 Denel Chief Financial Officer Carmen Le Grange has indicated the businesses that the State-owned defence group was exiting or was planning to exit, as part of its turnaround strategy. She did so in an address to the 2019 Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Conference in Pretoria. →

New entity launched to stimulate and coordinate the South African space sector

By: Rebecca Campbell 28th November 2019 Not-for-profit company ZASpace Inc. was launched in Pretoria on Thursday. It is intended to stimulate the development of the local space industry and especially the geospatial sector, to meet the rapidly growing needs of South Africa and Africa. This will include skills development and innovative... →

Merkel rebukes Macron with spirited defence of Nato alliance

By: Bloomberg 27th November 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a spirited defence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), saying Europe is currently too weak to defend itself without the support of the US-led military alliance. Merkel’s comments in a speech Wednesday to the Bundestag were clearly directed at... →

South Africa blocks arms sales to Saudi and UAE in inspection row

By: Reuters 25th November 2019 South Africa is blocking arms sales to countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE in an inspections dispute, endangering billions of dollars of business and thousands of jobs in its struggling defence sector, according to industry officials. The dispute centres on a clause in export documents... →

Hoedspruit air force base solar water heating system proves efficient

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd November 2019 A solar water heating (SWH) installation at the South African National Defence Force’s air force base in Hoedspruit has proven to improve efficiency, as well as act as a catalyst for upskilling personnel from the Department of Defence (DoD). The training has produced 20 artisans, who have... →

Paramount subsidiary powers US firm's first Mirage F1 flight

21st November 2019 Paramount Aerospace Systems, a subsidiary of aerospace and technology company Paramount Group, has provided upgrade and engineering support for US tactical flight services provider Draken International's first regenerated Mirage F1 that took to the skies on its maiden flight over Lakeland Linder... →

SIU investigates possible IP theft from defence firm Denel

By: Reuters 20th November 2019 South Africa is investigating the alleged misappropriation of intellectual property rights belonging to State defence firm Denel, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) confirmed on Wednesday. The IP relates to air-to-air missiles, stand-off weapons, surface target missiles, air defence and... →

Mine workers demanded more protection before deadly Burkina Faso attack

By: Reuters 19th November 2019 Five months before an ambush killed 39 colleagues, local workers at a Canadian-owned gold mine in Burkina Faso pleaded with managers to fly them to the site rather than go by a road that was prone to attacks, two people present at the meeting said. The employees wanted the same protections as... →

Photo by Reuters
Semafo's Burkina Faso headquarters

New shape for Denel beginning to be unveiled

By: Rebecca Campbell 15th November 2019 Denel CFO Carmen Le Grange on Friday indicated the businesses that the State-owned defence group was exiting or was planning to exit, as part of its turnaround strategy. She was addressing the 2019 Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Conference in Pretoria. The turnaround plan had ten elements, she... →

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African Aerospace Conference of the Aeronautical Society of South Africa delivers engaging programme

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