The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is increasingly using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as part of measures to keep the border under surveillance.
This is according to the SANDF’s Major-Gen Barney Hlatshwayo, Chief Director of Operations Development. He said the defence force had adopted a multi-pronged approach to patrolling the border.
UAS have been brought into operation to reduce costs, given the sheer extent of terrain that would otherwise be covered by vehicle patrols.
South Africa has a border with six countries, and 2,798km of coastline.
The defence force is also using UAS to combat rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park.
In April, the state-owned manufacturer of missiles and UAS, Denel Dynamics, defended the sale of its technology to countries approved by the United Nations and the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, amid claims that it was co-operating with countries such as Saudi Arabia to develop drones that can carry missiles.
Denel Dynamics has developed two types of UAS, one of which has attracted the attention of several foreign armies.
At the Land Forces Africa Conference in Pretoria last week, Major-Gen Hlatshwayo said unlike recent reports that the US was using UAS to spy abroad, South Africa sought to ensure that the technology was used for good and did not infringe privacy.
Michael Marshall, International Business Development Manager at Boeing, said surveillance aircraft and unmanned aerial patrols provided a cost-effective solution for monitoring coastlines, hostile force build-up and other beyond line-of-sight capabilities.
Source: BD Live