Milkor Integrated Systems headlining at AMD 2019 conference

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Milkor’s newest division, Milkor Integrated Systems, will be out in force at the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence (AMD) Conference on 15 November, where it is due to showcase its capabilities and expertise.

The 2019 edition of the AMD Conference will be held at the CSIR’s International Convention Centre in Pretoria and is expected to attract leading industry players from across Africa.

Milkor is the lead sponsor of the Conference and will be showcasing its diverse range of products and capabilities at the event, which range from 40 mm grenade launchers to unmanned aerial vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, patrol boats and cyber solutions.

The Integrated Systems division is the newest Milkor entity, having been launched several months ago. Its area of expertise covers communications, controls, autonomy and navigation, platform integration and integrated mission systems. The company said expanding into these areas is critical as there is huge need at the moment, and technology is developing rapidly, particularly in the fields of weapons and payload systems and automation.

By integrating systems themselves, customers are less dependent on original equipment manufacturers and can easily optimise and scale systems to meet their requirements. CEO of Milkor Integrated Systems Ghaazim Rylands said communications, controls and navigation will be core focus areas of Milkor Integrated Systems. This includes unmanned platform controls and communications.

Milkor has been growing rapidly, moving from solely producing grenade launchers to developing unmanned aerial vehicles, armoured vehicles, cyber security capabilities, patrol boats and small arms. Rylands said the establishment of Milkor Integrated Systems shows that Milkor is committed to growing the defence industry through an entrepreneurial approach and that the company is committed to the defence, aerospace and security sectors.

This commitment is evident through Milkor’s participation in local and international defence and security exhibitions and conferences like the AMD event. Milkor is, for example, the diamond sponsor for the 2020 Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition in Pretoria and has exhibited at trade shows in places like Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Peru, Bahrain and the United Kingdom.

Growing defence industry capabilities is also evident in Milkor’s new product development plans, with an 8×8 armoured vehicle in the pipeline, amongst others.

Integrated systems will come under the spotlight at the AMD Conference, when Rylands is due to give a talk on the rise of an integrated systems export market in South Africa and the economic and other implications thereof.

Other speakers lined up for the conference include the Secretary for Defence, Dr Sam Gulube, who will be delivering the keynote address, and a delegation from the United Nations Peacekeeping and Procurement office in New York, who will be talking to delegates about procurement opportunities that the UN has for South Africa.

Other highlights include a presentation on the South African defence industry and the creative economy by Professor Richard Haines from the Nelson Mandela University, a panel discussion on the South African defence industry and the 4th Industrial Revolution and an update on Denel’s turnaround and what this means for the local Economy by Denel Group CFO Carmen la Grange.

Other presentations and discussions will look at the realignment of the South African defence industry in a time of budget austerity and international competition, defence research and development, South African satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle technology and defence exports.