Global UAV sales boom, but South Africa's UAV sector flounders

of money are being poured into UAVs by the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and many others. There are now, or now under development, nano-, micro-, and mini-UAVs (issued to infantry companies, even platoons, and often hand-launched), battalion-level tactical UAVs (like ATE’s Vulture, designed to provide observation for field artillery units), brigade-level tactical UAVs (Denel’s Seeker would fit here), medium altitude long-endurance (Male) UAVs (for divisions, corps, and armies) and high altitude long-endurance (Hale) UAVs (strategic systems, exemplified by the extremely expensive US Global Hawk). There are fixed-wing and rotary-wing designs, and ducted fan designs that look just like flying saucers. And there are Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs), of which the best known is General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper (previously called the Predator B).

Ironically, South Africa was one of the first countries to develop a stealth UAV design, codenamed Flowchart, but it seems never to have progressed beyond the stage of a wind tunnel model. It was not, however a tailless BWB design. Nor was Denel’s subsequent stealth UAV/UCAV design, designated Seraph.

At the small end off the UAV scale, ATE has developed the hand-launched Kiwit mini-UAV, which has not yet gained any customers (but it was only unveiled last year). Its Vulture system is now being delivered to the South African Army. Denel Dynamics is marketing the latest version of its Seeker family, the Seeker 400, which represents a significant improvement over the Seeker II.

Top of the range in South Africa is Denel’s Bateleur Male UAV — announced in 2003, it has still not progressed past the mock-up, and the company is hoping that Brazil will turn the project into reality by investing in it, just as they have invested in Denel’s A-Darter missile. Brazil, though, is also talking to the Israelis about cooperating on a Male UAV program. The CSIR is seeking to help the local industry keep up with the latest international trends — for example with its Sekwa BWB (although it has upturned wing tips) UAV, to develop local expertise in BWB flight control algorithms.

Despite all the work done on UAVs in South Africa, the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) only operates the original Seeker system — which can now be regarded as obsolete — and the Vulture. The Kiwit, Seeker 400, and Bateleur would all be of enormous value to the SANDF, to support its peacekeeping deployments, and patrol the country’s borders and maritime frontiers. None has been ordered by the SANDF, though, nor is there any sign they will be (Denel is very hopeful for a foreign contract for the Seeker 400, as was the one achieved with the Seeker II).

Nor is there any large-scale local UAV research and development (R&D) program to further develop and promote local capabilities. There are only small projects. Critical mass is lacking. Through lack of investment in both R&D and in finished products, South Africa is abdicating the lead it once held, in a booming high-tech sector it could successfully compete in, globally. “As the Americans say,” Campbell concludes, “go figure.”