More details emerge on 2015 SA defence exports

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More details have emerged on South Africa’s defence exports for 2015, which were worth R2.7 billion.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation submitted its 2015 annual report on conventional arms exports and imports in accordance with the Arms Trade Treaty, which revealed that South Africa exported dozens of armoured vehicles in that year.

According to the report, South Africa exported 11 Casspir armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Angola; five Matador and two Marauder APCs to Azerbaijan, 12 Ratels to Cameroon, three Maverick Internal Security Vehicles to Ghana’s Ministry of Interior, seven Marauders to Malawi, five Marauders to Oman’s police force, 38 LM13 APCs to the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, and eight Marauders to Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.

In addition three “missile, surface targets” were exported to Tawazun Dyamics in the United Arab Emirates.

The report also notes that seven Patria APCs were imported from Finland for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), under the Hoefyster project that is supplying the Badger vehicle to the SA Army (the Badger is based on the Patria 8×8 APC). Other imports included 20 guided missiles and 20 guided missile practice rounds from the UK to the SANDF (presumably Starstreak missiles).

According to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), in 2015 125 South African companies registered as arms exporters – up from the 107 registered in the 2014 calendar year. The number of export permits authorised for 2015 was 2 743 to the value of R2.7 billion involving 86 countries. Again this was higher than the previous year when 2 418 permits valued at R2.9 billion to 86 countries were authorised.

The report for the Arms Trade Treaty only mentioned heavy equipment, but it is understood from the 2015 NCACC report that South Africa also exported 40mm guns, sniper rifles, anti-materiel rifles, turrets and light machinegun turrets to Azerbaijan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

More than 2 700 bombs were exported to the UAE with 27 676 mortar bombs of various calibres exported to the UAE, Oman and The Netherlands. Grenades of various unspecified types were sold to Oman and Namibia.

South Africa also exported ammunition, electronics and sensors to over a dozen countries.