Johannesburg - Arms manufacturer Denel will work with GEW Technologies, owned by Airbus, on future electronic warfare programmes for South Africa, the parastatal said on Tuesday.
Electronic warfare technology has been singled out in the 2014 defence review as a “key technology domain” and a “sovereign capability” which must be under the control of local South African companies, Denel said in a statement.
“We are combining the experience, reputation, and resources of Denel with the specialist technology and expertise offered by GEW Technologies to create an alliance that will best serve the strategic interests of South Africa,” Denel group chief executive Riaz Saloojee said.
Electronic warfare is defined as the military use of electronics to prevent or reduce an enemy's effective use of, and to protect friendly use of, electromagnetic radiation equipment.
GEW Technologies CEO Carel van der Merwe said his company was looking forward to working with Denel on a new era in electronic warfare programmes in South Africa.
Denel's integrated systems and management (ISM) would manage implementation of the agreement and drive the projects and programmes.
CEO Ismail Dockrat said Denel ISM was created to be a partner of the defence and security sectors in the design, management, integration, and through-life support of systems.
“Electronic warfare will be a primary future area of focus for the SANDF (South African National Defence Force) to rapidly expand its current capabilities and implement counter-measures to combat potential threats to the security of the country,” he said.
Sapa