South Africa, Brazil ready for A-Darter missile test

[Marxist]

A South African Air Force Saab Gripen D fighter is expected to perform the first live firing of an A-Darter short-range air-to-air missile later this month, advancing a joint project with Brazilian industry.

Launched in April 2007 under a 66-month development and production programme co-funded by the Brazilian and South African air forces, the A-Darter is intended to arm the services' respective Northrop F-5EM/FM and future F-X2 fighters, and Gripen and BAE Systems Hawk 120 aircraft.

Worth $130 million, the project involves Denel Dynamics and a group of Brazilian companies headed by Mectron. Production activities should start in 2013, with Brazil's air force expecting the missile to enter service the following year.

Launch trials with the new weapon are scheduled to take place at South Africa's Overberg test range. Ground seeker tests concluded in January and captive carriage flight trials were completed in March, following the delivery of a first test missile to Saab in Sweden last September.

Nearly 50 Brazilian civilian and military engineers are supporting development work in South Africa, and Avibras and Mectron sources have pinned high hopes on the A-Darter's export potential.

Avibras chief executive Sami Hassuani believes an initial 100-200 units could be sold to international users, with Pakistan viewed as a prime candidate. Mectron delivered its first MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles to the nation last month, and Islamabad has also signed a letter of intent to purchase B-version Piranha-2s.

South Africa, Brazil ready for A-Darter missile test

 

[Marxist]

The A-Darter is a fifth generation air-to-air missile meant to be the successor of proven U-Darter in the short range air-to-air engagement segment within the South African Air Force. It will feature high maneuverability, imaging IR seeker, countermeasures-resistance and extended range. In late September 2006 Denel Aerospace Systems selected BAE Systems' SILMU02 solid-state inertial measurement unit for midcourse guidance of the A-Darter missile.

In April 2007, Denel Dynamics officially launched the A-Darter missile program for the South African National Defence Force and Brazilian Air Force at LAAD 2007. Both countries agreed to co-develop the missile. The A-Darter program was valued at more than R1 billion with export orders expected to add at least R2 billion.

A-Darter

 

[Jigs]

IMO the A-Darter is one of the top missiles right now(Similar to the AIM-132). I hope it does well and i hope Pakistan considers it for integration on future thunder blocks.

 

[ice_man]

Avibras chief executive Sami Hassuani believes an initial 100-200 units could be sold to international users, with Pakistan viewed as a prime candidate. Mectron delivered its first MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles to the nation last month, and Islamabad has also signed a letter of intent to purchase B-version Piranha-2s.


this is very interesting we got these AAMs without anyone knowing no official declaration or ceremony!! i like the way we procure weapons with modesty & no show off! & this shows our intent is to keep a minimum deterrence & no aggressive aims!! or any power projection in the region....!!

 

[araz]

A South African Air Force Saab Gripen D fighter is expected to perform the first live firing of an A-Darter short-range air-to-air missile later this month, advancing a joint project with Brazilian industry.

Launched in April 2007 under a 66-month development and production programme co-funded by the Brazilian and South African air forces, the A-Darter is intended to arm the services' respective Northrop F-5EM/FM and future F-X2 fighters, and Gripen and BAE Systems Hawk 120 aircraft.

Worth $130 million, the project involves Denel Dynamics and a group of Brazilian companies headed by Mectron. Production activities should start in 2013, with Brazil's air force expecting the missile to enter service the following year.

Launch trials with the new weapon are scheduled to take place at South Africa's Overberg test range. Ground seeker tests concluded in January and captive carriage flight trials were completed in March, following the delivery of a first test missile to Saab in Sweden last September.

Nearly 50 Brazilian civilian and military engineers are supporting development work in South Africa, and Avibras and Mectron sources have pinned high hopes on the A-Darter's export potential.

Avibras chief executive Sami Hassuani believes an initial 100-200 units could be sold to international users, with Pakistan viewed as a prime candidate. Mectron delivered its first MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles to the nation last month, and Islamabad has also signed a letter of intent to purchase B-version Piranha-2s.

South Africa, Brazil ready for A-Darter missile test

I still think PAF should have invested some money in the project to ensure that we get the TOT to build them in house. If A darter is a 5th gen SRAAAM, then it would be good to have it on the thunder and even f16s. I hope they buy it with inhouse building rights.
MAA1A is a bit out of date , but I suspect we bought it for some in house tinkering and start point to establish a base to build some more advanced ones in house. I suspect Piranha2s may well end up in our arsenal perhaps built in house.
Araz

 

[MZUBAIR]

PAK would be using AIM-120C with F-16's
H-4 Home made BVR's with Mirages.
SD-10 with JF Block-I
and Darter could be with JF-Block-II

 

[Arsalan]

PAK would be using AIM-120C with F-16's
H-4 Home made BVR's with Mirages.
SD-10 with JF Block-I
and Darter could be with JF-Block-II

come on now,,,
the H-4 is not a BVRAAM,
why compare it with air-toair missiles while it is penetration glid bomb for precesion strikes.

regards!

 

[araz]

PAK would be using AIM-120C with F-16's
H-4 Home made BVR's with Mirages.
SD-10 with JF Block-I
and Darter could be with JF-Block-II

A darter is Short range AAM. As such there is a need for a 5th generation AAM of this sort in PAF
Araz

 

[PlanetWarrior]

Denel has some really great projects in the pipeline. They work closely with most leading weapon manufacturing nations such as Brazil and Tel Aviv to create advanced weapon technology. The irony is that when the new democratic South African government took over from the former apartheid government, they planned on shutting down Denel as there were claims that Denel was intergral in the making of SA nukes. The apartheid generals however approached the government and convinced them that Denel was a money maker for the military and shutting them down would be a mistake. It is this kind of project which I believe would make the democratic government of South Africa realise that they were not mistaken in retaining Denel. Proud to say that I worked for Denel for 2 years some time ago

 

[Patriot]

It would be a great choice for JF-17 provided it is not too heavy.IIRC few sources of pakdef.info have indicated that PAF has been eagerly waiting for this missile and will acquire it.They also wanted to acquire HMS for JF-17 from this firm as it would work with this missile.There was also a video in which a PAF Pilot was wearing HMS built by this firm.

 

[ice_man]

ok a question Pakistan bought MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles and no one objected??? ofcourse the indians knew about it so must have the israelis,the french,the russians and everyone in between! and yet PAF got them without anyone making a commotion about it!! strange.....

 

[Arsalan]

what about the BVR,
if PAF can get its hand on to something in range of 120 Km it will be a great asset for our air force.

regards!

 

[razgriz19]

IMO the A-Darter is one of the top missiles right now(Similar to the AIM-132). I hope it does well and i hope Pakistan considers it for integration on future thunder blocks.

im pretty sure this would be PAF's first choice for future short range missile.....

 

[razgriz19]

ok a question Pakistan bought MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles and no one objected??? ofcourse the indians knew about it so must have the israelis,the french,the russians and everyone in between! and yet PAF got them without anyone making a commotion about it!! strange.....

well they didn't make a fuss probably because Brazil would tell them again that "we are doing businees with pakistan not terrorists" =D

 

[Zarbe Momin]

Its nice move by PAF to buy A2A missels from Brazil but how much range it have.