Scout of Africa

North African and Middle East countries are said to be considering a revolutionary aircraft for multi-role missions – one that is designed and manufactured in Africa.

The advanced high performance reconnaissance light aircraft (Ahrlac) is the initiative of South African defence and aerospace giant Paramount Group together with technical partner Aerosud, South Africa’s largest aeronautical engineering company.

The companies say this is the first time in Africa’s history that the continent has independently designed and manufactured its own aircraft. The market potential of the aircraft could add up to half a billion US dollars to the industrial output of the South African economy.

Ivor Ichikowitz, executive chairman of the Paramount Group said: “We are anticipating strong interest in Ahrlac from governments across North Africa and the Middle East, primarily because the aircraft meets many of the unique security challenges that these regions face.

“Whether it is patrolling long desert borders, monitoring isolated strategic installations, such as oil pipelines, or taking action against terrorist groups, Ahrlac provides an innovative and cost-effective solution. With countries across the region looking to modernise their forces, I am confident many will regard Ahrlac as a very competitive and attractive solution.”

Ichikowitz described Ahrlac as a cost-effective, flexible, multi-role aviation platform that “bridges the gap between manned and unmanned aircraft”.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to the absence of serious aerial threats in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq. Ichikowitz said these platforms are complex and expensive, lack multi-role flexibility and situational awareness, which could result in collateral damage.

He said: “Ahrlac is a huge technological triumph for South Africa. The reality is that the technology behind UAVs has being oversold and that Ahrlac provides a far more comprehensive solution. For example, Ahrlac has strong defensive capabilities, which mean that it can operate in hostile airspace, as well as the ability to carry out operations in domestic airspace because it is piloted.

“This makes it ideally suited to some of the long-term security issues facing the world, such as drug trafficking control, piracy, patrol of exclusive economic zones, protection of fisheries and rainforests, coast guard and border surveillance and the monitoring of strategic installations such as oil pipelines.”

Paramount expects Ahrlac to make an impact in countries which may not have immediate access to purchase or support equipment from the main Western OEMs.

“The new category of aircraft will challenge the dominant Western manufacturers because of its low acquisition cost, reduced requirement for back-end support, extensive operational capabilities and greater degree of pilot situational awareness,” said Ichikowitz.

The Ahrlac airframe uses a mixture of metal and composite construction and provides maximum visibility for the crew. It is designed to carry an internal 20mm cannon, with additional hardpoints for carrying weapons mounted under the wings, including rocket pods, unguided bombs, and both air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles.

The lower fuselage consists of a variety of interchangeable conformal modular units fitted with a variety of sensor systems, such as infrared and optical cameras, synthetic aperture radar, electronic intelligence gathering and electronic warfare equipment.