South Africa, Brazil ready for A-Darter missile test

[DaRk WaVe]

A South African Air Force Saab Gripen D fighter is expected to perform the first live firing of an A-Darter short-range air-to-air missile later this month, advancing a joint project with Brazilian industry.

Launched in April 2007 under a 66-month development and production programme co-funded by the Brazilian and South African air forces, the A-Darter is intended to arm the services' respective Northrop F-5EM/FM and future F-X2 fighters, and Gripen and BAE Systems Hawk 120 aircraft.

Worth $130 million, the project involves Denel Dynamics and a group of Brazilian companies headed by Mectron. Production activities should start in 2013, with Brazil's air force expecting the missile to enter service the following year.

Launch trials with the new weapon are scheduled to take place at South Africa's Overberg test range. Ground seeker tests concluded in January and captive carriage flight trials were completed in March, following the delivery of a first test missile to Saab in Sweden last September.

Nearly 50 Brazilian civilian and military engineers are supporting development work in South Africa, and Avibras and Mectron sources have pinned high hopes on the A-Darter's export potential.

Avibras chief executive Sami Hassuani believes an initial 100-200 units could be sold to international users, with Pakistan viewed as a prime candidate. Mectron delivered its first MAA-1A Piranha-1 air-to-air missiles to the nation last month, and Islamabad has also signed a letter of intent to purchase B-version Piranha-2s. :happy_2:

South Africa, Brazil ready for A-Darter missile test

 

[LETHALFORCE]

will they sell the missiles alone when they are more interested in selling the whole plane package??

 

[SATISH]

Too many SRAAMs but no BVRs is kind of confusing....

 

[Vinod2070]

Well with a primitive plane like JF-17, BVRs won't really go well.

 

[cobra commando]

Denel readies A-Darter for Gripen NG qualification

Denel Dynamics plans to start pre-qualification flight testing in November of the A-Darter air-to- air missile on the Saab Gripen NG, in anticipation of orders from the Brazilian air force, a company spokeswoman says. After nearly 20 years of development, Denel has fully cleared the flight envelope of the infrared-guided, short-range missile on the Gripen C/D fleet, which is operated by the South African Air Force. Brazil's decision to order the Gripen as a Dassault Mirage III replacement last December opened a new opportunity for the A-Darter programme. The nation had become involved in A-Darter development for integration with its modernised Northrop F-5BRs, but had dropped the missile in favour of the Israel Aerospace Industries Python. Brazil has not yet announced plans to operate the A-Darter on the Gripen NG, but Denel is moving forward on integration testing using a loaded Swedish air force aircraft. Meanwhile, Denel continues to work with engineers of Brazilian missile developer Mectron. "One of the next phases will be industrialisation of the A-Darter in Brazil," the spokeswoman says. Denel is also still awaiting a contract from the South African Air Force to begin delivering operational missiles for its Gripen fleet. Securing the domestic order will allow the company to begin marketing the A-Darter missile to other customers. The company has also launched early studies for a mid-life update programme for the weapon.
Denel readies A-Darter for Gripen NG qualification - 9/18/2014 - Flight Global

 

[Dazzler]

Well with a primitive plane like JF-17, BVRs won't really go well.

 

[pankaj nema]

@Dazzler

Are you the same Dazzler : the THINK tank consultant from the Pakistani Forum

I wanted to know from where you Pakistanis GET so much EGO and ARROGANCE

You know in your heart that JF 17 is crap yet just look at the way you guys compare it with
Su 30 MKI and MIG 29

 

[Dazzler]

@Dazzler

Are you the same Dazzler : the THINK tank consultant from the Pakistani Forum

I wanted to know from where you Pakistanis GET so much EGO and ARROGANCE

You know in your heart that JF 17 is crap yet just look at the way you guys compare it with
Su 30 MKI and MIG 29

mig-29, mki =

 

[rock127]

@Dazzler

Are you the same Dazzler : the THINK tank consultant from the Pakistani Forum

I wanted to know from where you Pakistanis GET so much EGO and ARROGANCE

You know in your heart that JF 17 is crap yet just look at the way you guys compare it with
Su 30 MKI and MIG 29

wtf... "THINK Tank" of pdf???

Do they even think. What a joke.

Even 5 year olds can THINK better than pdf Think Tanks.