Fulcrum Defence System (FDS) has been accredited by MBDA Germany (LFK) as the South African manufacturing, maintenance and support laboratory for the MILAN ADT firing post.
FDS and their industrial partners are able, as part of an agreement with MBDA to locally produce mechanical components as well as electronic PC Boards for the MILAN ADT, currently being introduced into the SA Army as part of Project Kingfisher.
The accreditation process included the establishment of a full-capability maintenance, test and integration laboratory at FDS’s Faerie Glen facility and the training of key personnel in Germany.
FDS CEO Andre Wolmarans says certification will now enable Fulcrum to supply MILAN firing post components to not only the local South African Customer but also to MBDA for onward supply to their international customers.
“The commitment to establishing this capability at Fulcrum by MBDA is one of the success stories with regard to … offset requirements for doing military business in South Africa,” says Wolmarans.
It is the establishment of a real capability “and expertise has been achieved … not merely window dressing.”
This commitment was recently demonstrated when FDS won a contract to supply key components of the MILAN Firing Post to MBDA Germany, he adds.
“This is no mean feat. Missilery requires impeccable and consistent attention to detail. It is a feather in South Africa’s cap that a world leader such as MBDA is sufficiently confident in our skills and standards – and by implication that of this is country – to outsource such critical work here. This initiative reiterates the depth of the SA defence related industry’s capability and is a fine compliment for the country.”
The ADT (Advanced Technology) firing post fires the MILAN (Missile d’Infanterie Leger ANtichar) light infantry antitank missile that is currently in use by 44 nations with in excess of 360 000 missiles and approximately 10 000 firing posts sold.
MBDA says some 10 000 missiles have been fired in operations and out of a total of over 100 000 firings the hit rate has been confirmed at 95%.
