South Africa has showcased its growing defence capabilities, displaying locally developed military technologies at an aerospace and defence exhibition in Tshwane.
The event featured helicopters, fighter jets, armoured vehicles and simulated combat demonstrations, attracting families, aviation enthusiasts and defence experts.
Among the technologies on display were mobile surveillance radar systems developed to address operational challenges faced by the country’s military.
Kopano Peter Lebelo, Chief Director of Materiel Governance, said the exhibition was aimed at challenging the perception that South Africa and the wider African continent lacked the capacity to develop indigenous defence technologies.
Lebelo highlighted a multi-role surveillance radar developed by his office in partnership with Waytech Defence. According to him, the mobile system can monitor distances of between 200 and 300 nautical miles.
He, however, identified budgetary constraints as a major challenge to the development and deployment of defence technologies.
Lebelo explained that many of the projects showcased were initiated in response to specific operational difficulties identified by military leaders.
“Chiefs tell us what difficulties they have, and we convert those difficulties into projects,” he said.
South Africa is home to one of Africa’s most developed defence industries, with companies such as Denel, Paramount Group and Milkor involved in the production of military equipment, including armoured vehicles, aircraft, missiles, ammunition and drones.
