South African defence group Denel to extend command and control products

The Centurion-based company said it will increase its presence in the systems engineering and command-and-control domains, with products and services that can be used in both the defence and civilian-security sectors.

Jan Wessels, the CEO of the Denel Dynamics Division says these new moves are part of Denel’s strategy to grow its revenue through the penetration of new markets and finding new business opportunities for its well established, existing core-systems capabilities.

“Denel has an enviable record for the delivery of quality products, systems and support services in the aerospace and landward defence sectors,” says Mr Wessels “We will now extend this into the maritime environments.”

Maritime security is growing in importance for South Africa and Africa, in general, with increasing demands to counter the growth of piracy in southern waters and protect the country’s marine resources along the 2 500 km long coastline.

Wessels says the state-owned company has identified a number of niche focus areas in which it has proven systems-level experience and can add value to, and strengthen, the reach of the existing maritime sector. The goal will be to supplement and not duplicate what is already established and working well.                                                                                           PICTURED: Jan Wessels  - (c) Defence Web

Denel will grow its contribution in the “C4I” sector of the defence environment – namely, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence.

Wessels says Denel constantly looks for opportunities to diversify from its core technological basis, whether to combat rhino poaching, detect drugs and prevent contraband smuggling, to the improvement of training of security and para-military personnel. 

Denel has initiated discussions with key stakeholders in both the local and international defence industries to explore models of co-operation and participation that will be to the benefit of South Africa, in both the command-and-control and the maritime environments, Wessels said.