Denel Dynamics

Denel Dynamics

Company type	Division of proprietary limited company
Industry	weapons development and manufacturing
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa
Area served	World-wide
Products	Missiles, ATGMs, Bombs, Glide bombs, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Parent	Denel SOC Ltd (100% state-owned)
Website	DenelDynamics.co.za
Footnotes / references Previously Kentron, a division of Denel (Pty) Ltd

Denel Dynamics, formerly Kentron, is a division of Denel SOC Ltd, a South African armaments development and manufacturing company wholly owned by the South African Government. It underwent a name change from Kentron to Denel Aerospace Systems in early 2004 and later to Denel Dynamics. Denel Dynamics is located in Centurion, South Africa. Several sites are operating according to ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified.

Key products

Category	Type	Name
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
		Hungwe - Tactical Aerial Reconnaissance
		Seeker - Tactical Aerial Reconnaissance
		Bateleur - MALE Aerial Reconnaissance
		Skua - Target Drone
Guided Missiles
	Air-to-air
		A-Darter – short range infrared homing
		R-Darter – radar-guided beyond-visual-range missile (BVR)
	Air-to-surface
		MUPSOW – multipurpose stand-off weapon air-launched cruise missile
		TORGOS – (cruise missile) air-launched cruise missile
	Surface-to-air	Umkhonto – multi-range infrared homing missile series
Anti-tank guided missile
		Mokopa – long-range laser-guided anti-tank missile
		ZT3 Ingwe – multi-role laser-guided anti-tank missile
Guided bombs
		Raptor – precision-guided glide bomb series
		Umbani GPS/INS guidance kit for Mk.82, Mk.83 and Mk.84 bombs
Seekers		Brazilian MAA-1 Piranha
Weapons management systems
		Arachnida-1/2 weapons management system

Kentron developed the ARD-10 loitering drone for the South African Defence Force in the 1980s, however with the end of the South African Border Wars it did not enter service. Kentron sold the designs to Israel Aerospace Industries which used them to develop the IAI Harpy which was first tested in 1989. The designs were sold to Iran Aviation Industries Organization in 2004/5 and used by Shahed Aviation Industries to develop the Shahed 131 and Shahed 136 drones.^[1]

UN arms embargo violation

Main article: Coventry Four

Four South Africans working for Kentron were arrested in March 1984 in Coventry and charged with violation of the UN arms embargo – which outlawed the export of arms and military equipment to apartheid South Africa.

The Coventry Four were granted bail against a deposit of £200,000 and a guarantee by a diplomat from the South African embassy who waived his diplomatic immunity. They were allowed to return to South Africa on condition that they appeared at their trial in England in August 1984. In the event, South African foreign minister, Pik Botha, refused to allow them to return for their trial.

See also

• Armscor (South Africa)
• Military of South Africa
• Military history of South Africa
• South African Air Force
• List of aircraft of the South African Air Force
• Advena (formerly Kentron Circle)

References

1. "South African heritage". Air Forces Monthly. December 2022. p. 23.

External links

• Denel Dynamics Official Site