Ammo & armoured vehicles

Denel came to MSPO for the second year in a row, illustrating a growing role and position not only of those trades held in the city of Kielce, but also of the Central-Eastern defence market. Zwelakhe Ntshepe, who is the Acting Group CEO of Denel, said: “Eastern and Central Europe are important target markets for Denel, especially in the fields of landward defence, armoured vehicles, mine-protected vehicles and infantry weapon systems.”

Denel confirmed that apart from Poland, which has the largest modernization budget among all regional states, the company seeks marketing opportunities for its products and systems in at least eight European countries, including Romania, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Italy and Sweden.

During MSPO 2017 five companies within the Denel Group are present. One of them is Denel PMP (Pretoria Metal Pressing), which is a producer of ammunition, brass products, detonics, power cartridges and mining drill-bits. Denel PMP displayed its small and medium calibre ammunition (such as a family of 30mm x173 medium-calibre rounds for infantry fighting vehicles, for guns such as Bushmaster II and South African GI-30, 9x19mm, 7,62x39mm, 5,56x45mm, 7,62x51mm, 12,7x99mm, 20x42mm, 20x82mm, 20x139mm, 30x113mm, 23x152mm, 35x228mm). During MSPO 2017, the company confirmed that it can offer ammunition for almost all types of standard rifles, guns and cannons used by individual soldiers, navy vessels, fighter aircraft, AA guns, vehicles and helicopters.

Another element of Denel PMP’s offer shown in Kielce is the PAW-20 (Personal Assault Weapon) 20 mm grenade launcher, which is capable of firing grenades over a distance of 400 metres. The launcher, also known as Inkuzi, is now already being produced. Denel PMP is carrying out works on a large family of 20 x 42mm ammunition, including SAPHEI (Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Explosive Incendiary) and HEI (High-Explosive Incendiary).

Denel OTR (Overberg Test Range), another division within Denel Group, came to MSPO 2017 to offer its facilities and services (logistic support, target services) for the testing of aircraft weapon systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Denel confirmed that the range has hosted a number of European forces in recent years, but no names were given.

A third division participating in MSPO 2017 is Denel Land Systems, responsible for the design and production of various systems, ranging from small arms (R4 5,56 x 45mm assault rifle, MiniSS-77 5,56 x 45 mm, NTW 20 x 110 mm anti-materiel rifle) and mortars (M4 60 mm light commando mortar, M6 60 mm long range mortar, M8 81 mm long range mortar), to artillery (G5-45 and G6-45/52 155 mm howitzers, GT 7 low recoil 105 mm gun for light vehicles, T5-52 truck-mounted 155 mm howitzer, T6-52 autonomous 155 mm turret system of the G6-62, 105 mm light-weight towed howitzer) and armoured vehicles (Rooikat armoured car with a 76 mm gun, LMT-105 light medium turret as an upgrade for the Rooikat vehicle).

Denel VS (Vehicle Systems) was also present at MSPO 2017. This division is responsible for a production of armoured vehicles, maintenance, upgrades and repairs of military vehicles. The product portfolio during MSPO 2017 included:
• Main Battle Tank (Olifant).
• Heavy wheeled armoured vehicles (Rooikat, G-6 howitzers)
• Light armoured vehicles (RG-32 patrol vehicle)
• MRAP-class vehicles (Mamba, RG21, RG31, RG35, RG41)
• Police vehicles (RG12 Nyala)
A land domain of Denel’s presentation at MSPO is supported by the fifth entity, LMT, which is partially owned by Denel. The product portfolio consists of armoured cabs (certified to STANAG 4569 Ballistic Protection and STANAG 4569 Landmine Protection) and armoured containers to 4×4 armoured vehicles with very high levels of ballistic, landmine and IED protection. Products currently in service are the LM5, LM8 and LM13 armoured vehicles, with the LM14 MRAP vehicle currently in development.

Dr. Robert Czulda