SA_F_2015_04_

28 FlightCom Magazine

Defence

Words: darren oLivier

A history of

South African UAVs

O

f particular interest is

that a number of African

countries have begun

producing their own

UAV designs, kick-

starting nascent aerospace

industries and raising the possibility of a

whole new set of home-grown specialised

designs optimised for more specific

missions than standard export UAVs.

This is the first of a two-part article

that will firstly explore the history of UAV

development in South Africa – the first

country in Africa and one of the very first

in the world to design, build and deploy the

type of modern UAVs in use today – and

secondly look into the use of UAVs (armed

and unarmed) by African militaries today.

In the mid-1970s the Council for

Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

in Pretoria began work with Kentron on a

small light-weight surveillance UAV called

the Champion, which first flew in 1977. Four

were built, a pre-production model and three

production models numbering 101-103.

They were deployed to Zimbabwe (then-

Rhodesia) in 1978 for operational trials

while providing surveillance assistance in

the country’s civil war. The aircraft were

subsequently acquired by the South African

Air Force (SAAF) and renumbered to

serials in the 0XX range. At least two, 018

and 019, served the SAAF all the way up

until the late 1980s as training aircraft – a

remarkable service life for such an early

design. Today 019 remains preserved at

the SAAF Museum in Pretoria as the first

indigenously-produced modern-style UAV

in Africa.

Fresh from the experience of operating

the Champion and facing a growing war

in Angola, in 1980 the South African Air

Force acquired the first five of what would

eventually become a fleet of around a dozen

Israeli Aircraft Industries Scout UAVs

of various marks and differing engine

options. The aircraft were all given RPV-

designations in SAAF service, ranging from

RPV-1B for the first five aircraft, to RPV-1C

for the first IAI Scout 700s with the Dyad

Africa has become the next frontier for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations in the

aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with both foreign militaries and African

countries deploying them in larger numbers and wider missions than ever before.

The SAAF has apparently approved the acquisition

of a number of Denel's Seeker 400s and intends re-

establishing 10 Squadron to operate them.

An innovative launch

and recovery system

made the Vulture UAV

system appealing.