The first A-Darter 5th generation short range air-to-air missile, designed to meet the challenges of future air combat, was successfully launched from a South African Air Force Saab Gripen fighter jet on 17 June 2010. “After months of successful ground tests, this launch from the air is highly significant in A-Darter’s developmental life as an air-to-air missile,” says Denise Wilson, the Executive Manager of Air-Air Missile Systems at Denel Dynamics. “This test-firing is both a crucial achievement and a progressive milestone into the joint missile development programme between South Africa and Brazil.” Saab is equally pleased. Saab Project Manager for the integration test campaigns of A-Darter, Magnus Reineholm, was recently quoted as saying: “The A-Darter and the Gripen aircraft have worked beyond our expectations and we are extremely pleased with the test firing results.”
The missile development programme is in its third year, over halfway into the five-and-a-half year programme which is due for completion mid-2012. Deon Olivier, the A-Darter Product Manager at Denel Dynamics, says that only a hand-full of countries in the world is capable of developing missiles in this class and this programme has gone a long way to assist Denel Dynamics to maintain and grow the technical skills in its engineering environment. The relationship with the Brazilian Air Force and Brazilian Industry on the Development Programme has strengthened the ties between the two countries and may lead to more cooperation opportunities. The initial fighter aircraft for integration are the Gripen for the South African Air Force, and the F-5BR for the Brazilian Air Force. Significant export opportunities exist for this product into further markets.
In May 2010, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu announced to the South African Government National Assembly that A-Darter was “a very important project of the Department of Defence (DoD)”. She emphasised that the programme is co-funded by the South African DoD and the Brazilian Air Force and represents the first cooperative defence program under the trilateral IBSA agreement. The Minister highlighted that, “this programme is set to become a model for cooperation and joint development by South Africa and other developing nations.”
Job Creation
The A-Darter programme provides 200 direct jobs (highly skilled engineers and technical support personnel) within Denel Dynamics, and up to 1 200 indirect jobs in the wider SA industry. In a sector that is currently experiencing a global skills shortage, this impact on job creation from Denel Dynamics is an important South African contribution. This successful A-Darter/Gripen flight test campaign demonstrates a high level of technical capability in the South African local defence industry and the ability to cooperate with leading international defence companies such as Saab Aerospace in
Sweden.
Test Snapshot
This first launch test in June was executed by Saab from the Gripen Flight Test Centre at the SA Air Force Test Flight and Development Centre on Air Force Base Overberg in South Africa. By the end of 2010, all further tests will be airborne with the next major milestone being a guided missile test against an aerial target.
“At the start of this programme there was every intention that this concept would fly, but Denel Dynamics was well aware of the road we’d have to take to provide conclusive proof. We are now at a point where testing is going well and the missile is performing better than expected in certain areas. We still have a lot to achieve in the next two years, but we are running to schedule and look forward to moving from the development stage to the implementation phase in 2012,’ said Denise Wilson.
At the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition to be held in Cape Town in September 2010, the A-Darter will be showcased on the Gripen for the first time in South Africa. AAD is a premier event on the international aerospace and defence calendar.
Background on the missile/aircraft integration process
This first A-Darter/Gripen separation trial coincided with the first aircraft/missile avionics integration flight test campaign. A high level of digital integration between the aircraft and missile is characteristic of 5th generation missiles and requires extensive aircraft/missile functional integration testing to ensure the aircraft and missile communicate as intended. . Tests were conducted with an A-Darter System Avionics Test Missile containing a fully functional seeker to verify sensor fusion between the aircraft and missile.
The high level of aircraft-missile digital integration together with the agility and extended range of the missile will ultimately afford the pilot a significant tactical advantage.
The programme to integrate the A-Darter on Gripen started in 2007 and is currently being implemented in sync with the missile development programme by Saab Aerospace and Denel Dynamics. The aircraft/missile integration flight test campaign is being performed by Saab in partnership with Denel Dynamics, Denel Overberg Test Range, Incomar Aeronautics and the South African Air Force Test Flight and Development Centre.
The A-Darter is designed to be highly agile missile (hence the prefix in its name), able to manoeuvre at very high G-forces. Its imaging IR seeker is designed to have very high angles of view. With a mass of under 100kg, the missile is powered by a boost-sustain rocket motor with thrust vector flight control.
About Denel Dynamics
Proud Innovators of Competitive Missile and UAV Solutions
The company forms part of the South African State-owned Denel defence industrial group. Denel Dynamics is a leader in systems technology. Its core business covers tactical missiles, precision-guided weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A wide range of products along with world-class facilities, excellent customer support record and a formalized quality control system (e.g. ISO 9001 and 14000), add up to an impressive capability in the design, development, manufacture, supply and provision of services.
