Denel shows off Hawks
Date: 19 September 2004
Johannesburg - Production of South Africa's 24 new Hawk lead-in fighter trainer aircraft is well under way at Denel's production facility at Kempton Park.
Denel and BAe Systems officials showed journalists nine of the British designed aircraft on Sunday in various stages of assembly in a large revamped hangar. A tenth aircraft is already flying and will be on display at this week's Africa Aerospace and Defence Show at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Tshwane.
"This is industrial participation in action," BAe Systems vice president for South Africa Jonathan Walton said at a short ceremony to mark the official opening of the production line.
"Production, assembly and flight development of South Africa's new Hawk lead-in fighter trainer is firmly on track and we expect the first of these Denel-assembled aircraft to make its maiden flight early in 2005.
At the same time we are making steady progress in fulfilling all of our defence and civil industrial participation obligations to South Africa."
The first of the aircraft now in assembly will fly in the second week of January next year. It will be handed over to the SA Air Force (SAAF) in mid 2005. Deliveries will then run at a rate of two a month until mid 2006.
The first pupil pilot conversion course is scheduled for January 2006, when the Hawk will replace the antiquated Impala as the SAAF's primary jet trainer.
Denel officials said the Italian-licenced Impala had been built in the very hangar now occupied by the Hawk production line. Speaking at the inauguration, Denel chair Sandile Zungu said the Hawk assembly contract was a major achievement for Denel.
"It underlines the South African aerospace industry's ability and capacity to compete for work on global defence programmes."
Through their DIP obligations, BAe Systems and its partner, Saab, are delivering $1.5bn of new business, skills and technology to Denel and other SA aerospace and defence companies.
"Through these DIP activities, Denel is establishing itself as a key manufacturer and supplier of airframe and wing components, ammunition casing and tactical systems such as the new Cobra helmet mounted display tracking system now standard on Eurofighter and Gripen," said Zungu.
News24
