Africa’s aerospace industry has entered a new era with the launch of a ground-breaking multi-role aviation platform.

This comes at a time of growing threats from terrorism, piracy, cross border incursions, climate change, natural disasters and drug trafficking that has fuelled the worldwide need for a low cost aerial reconnaissance, surveillance and armed patrol system capable of supporting a wide range of operations.

The new category of aircraft will challenge the dominant Western manufacturers because of its low acquisition cost, reduced requirement for back-end support, extensive operational capabilities and greater degree of pilot situational awareness.

The project to develop an Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) is the initiative of South African defense and aerospace Paramount Group together with technical partner Aerosud, South Africa’s largest aeronautical engineering company.

Ivor Ichikowitz, Executive Chairman of the Paramount Group, said: “The launch of AHRLAC marks a major milestone for Africa. For the first time in the history of the continent, Africa will be designing and manufacturing its own aircraft and can benefit from the jobs and economic growth associated with a vibrant domestic aerospace industry.”

The launch occurs as Western governments are under pressure to cut defense spending, and developing nations seek out affordable aeronautical and defense technology to tackle a variety of emerging security challenges including terrorism, the effects of climate change and increased demand for peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations.

“AHRLAC is a cost effective, flexible, multi-role aviation platform that marks the first time a company has successfully bridged the gap between manned and unmanned aircraft,” Ichikowitz added.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to the absence of serious aerial threats in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq. These platforms are complex and expensive, lack multi-role flexibility and situational awareness which could result in collateral damage.

“AHRLAC is a huge technological triumph for South Africa. The reality is that the technology behind UAVs has being oversold and that AHRLAC provides a far more comprehensive solution. For example, AHRLAC has strong defensive capabilities which mean that it can operate in hostile airspace, as well as the ability to carry out operations in domestic airspace because it is piloted”.

This makes it ideally suited to some of the long term security issues facing the world such as drug trafficking control, piracy, patrol of exclusive economic zones, protection of fisheries and rainforests, coast guard and border surveillance and the monitoring of strategic installations such as oil pipelines”, Ichikowitz concluded.