South African products will fly on the German Air Force's Tornado Aircraft
Products developed and produced by Avitronics, a subsidiary of JSE listed
Grintek Limited, will be installed at the heart of the electronic self
protection suite of the upgraded German front-line Tornado aircraft in
contracts worth about R 100 million over the next four years.
Sweden's SaabTech Electronics recently received an order worth R160 million for
the adaptation and qualification of radar warners for the German Armed Force4s
Tornado aircraft. Owing to Avitronics' specific competence and close
relationship with SaabTech Electronics, the South African company will perform
a portion of the work.
Business opportunities created by the cooperation on the Gripen aircraft have
also made it possible for Avitronics to become competitive in the development
and manufacturing of microwave components for the Tornado.
"We have always known that our products were world-class and internationally
competitive, but we needed a European partner in good standing to open the
sophisticated European defence market for our products, where high technology
products out of Africa must still find acceptance," says Sybrand Grobbelaar, MD
of the Grintek Group.
Grobbelaar states that the South African defence industry has already benefited
from industrial participation in the defence package procurement process.
"For example, 70% of Avitronics' turnover now goes to export markets, partly as
a result of the international exposure and industry alliances generated by the
defence packages. Our portion of the work on the German Tornado is a spin-off
from the work contracted to Avitronics for the Industrial Participation
requirements for the arms procurement packages. This additional work placed on
Avitronics by Saab is as a result of the technology and price advantages that
we could provide," he says.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Sybrand Grobbelaar
Managing Director
GRINTEK LIMITED
Tel: (012) 672-8300
E-mail: sgrobbelaar@grintek.com
Avitronics (Pty) Ltd is a leading global supplier of electronic self-protection
equipment and is jointly owned by Grintek Limited of South Africa (51 %) and
Saab AB of Sweden (49 %).
SaabTech Electronics, which is owned by Saab AB, has developed systems for
electronic warfare since the late 1950s and has supplied radar warners to the
Swedish Air Force for successive generations of aircraft. The company is also
one of the world's leading suppliers of passive airborne countermeasures.
Saab is northern Europe's leading high technology company, mainly active in the
defence, aviation and space industry, and offers advanced products and systems
based on sophisticated information technology. Saab, together with BAE SYSTEMS,
manufactures, markets and supports Gripen, the world's first operational
fourth-generation swing-role fighter, which has been ordered by the SA Air
Force to meet its 21st century defence needs. Already in operational service
with the Swedish Air Force, which has ordered 204 aircraft including 28 fully
operational two-seaters, Gripen will enter service in South Africa in 2007.
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