Brazil and South Africa conclude development of A-Darter AAM | World Defense

Brazil and South Africa conclude development of A-Darter AAM

Khafee

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Brazil and South Africa conclude development of A-Darter AAM
Victor Barreira, Rio de Janeiro
02 October 2019

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The A-Darter missile will arm both the F-39E/F Gripen and Gripen C/D fighter jets of Brazil and South Africa respectively
Source: Victor Barreira


The Brazilian Air Force has accepted the data package and type certificate of Denel Dynamics' A-Darter air-to-air missile (AAM), signaling the closure of the project's development cycle.

The data package that contained the material that included all the knowledge that was produced was handed over by the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR) to the Brazilian Air Force's Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) at the end of September.

The certificate issued by DCTA's Institute for Industrial Development and Coordination (IFI) and the Directorate System Integrity (DSI) of the South African Air Force (SAAF) to Denel Dynamics acknowledges that the technical, operational, logistical, industrial and safety requirements were met.

The end of development is expected to lead to the first production orders of the missile for Brazilian F-39E/F Gripen and SAAF's Gripen C/D fighter jets.

The A-Darter project began in October 2006, through a contract between the Brazilian Air Force and ARMSCOR, with work carried out by Denel Dynamics, was for the development of a state-of-the-art ITAR-free wingtip 5-generation short-range air-to-air missile with lock-on after launch (LOAL) and memory tracking capabilities.
 

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Brazil and South Africa conclude development of A-Darter AAM
Victor Barreira, Rio de Janeiro
02 October 2019

View attachment 10451
The A-Darter missile will arm both the F-39E/F Gripen and Gripen C/D fighter jets of Brazil and South Africa respectively
Source: Victor Barreira


The Brazilian Air Force has accepted the data package and type certificate of Denel Dynamics' A-Darter air-to-air missile (AAM), signaling the closure of the project's development cycle.

The data package that contained the material that included all the knowledge that was produced was handed over by the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR) to the Brazilian Air Force's Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) at the end of September.

The certificate issued by DCTA's Institute for Industrial Development and Coordination (IFI) and the Directorate System Integrity (DSI) of the South African Air Force (SAAF) to Denel Dynamics acknowledges that the technical, operational, logistical, industrial and safety requirements were met.

The end of development is expected to lead to the first production orders of the missile for Brazilian F-39E/F Gripen and SAAF's Gripen C/D fighter jets.

The A-Darter project began in October 2006, through a contract between the Brazilian Air Force and ARMSCOR, with work carried out by Denel Dynamics, was for the development of a state-of-the-art ITAR-free wingtip 5-generation short-range air-to-air missile with lock-on after launch (LOAL) and memory tracking capabilities.
The bold part is extremely important. ITAR-free = free of any US component. The A-Darter is now a real option for the JF-17 Block-3.
 

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A-Darter AAM formally qualified
Helmoed-Römer Heitman, Cape Town
06 October 2019

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Denel Dynamics completed the formal qualification review of the A-Darter IIR short-range air-to-air missile in August. Source: Denel

Denel Dynamics completed the formal qualification review of the A-Darter imaging infrared (IIR) short-range air-to-air missile (SRAAM) in August, followed by certification in September by the South African Air Force's (SAAF's) Directorate Systems Integrity and the Brazilian Institute for Industrial Development and Coordination. The two Type Certificates were handed over to Denel Dynamics in Brasilia on 29 September, with South Africa's Armscor simultaneously formally handing over the A-Darter data pack to the Brazilian Department of Aerospace Science and Technology.

The A-Darter has already been integrated, qualified, and cleared on the Saab JAS39 Gripen C/D fighters that are used by the SAAF, and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will now work with Saab to similarly integrate the missile with its Gripen E/F fighters. It is understood that at least one other country has already expressed interest in the A-Darter.

The A-Darter is a fifth-generation 23 km range SRAAM that weighs 93 kg and has a length of 2.98m, diameter of 16.6cm, and a wingspan of 48.8 cm across the tail fins. The missile features a multi-element, two-colour thermal imaging infrared seeker with a 180° look angle and 120°/second track rate. High agility - 100 G - is provided by using body lift and thrust vector control. The IMU will handle up to 9,000°/sec (+/- 500°/sec) and linear accelerations up to 30 G. The motor composition and design have been optimised to minimise the launch signature. It has a laser proximity fuze and multi-mode ECCM using digital processing and the latest available hardware and software.

The guidance system offers lock-on-before-launch and lock-on-after-launch modes, and can be cued onto a target using the aircraft's radar, an infrared search and track (IRST) system if fitted, or through pilot's helmet sight.
 

BATMAN

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The bold part is extremely important. ITAR-free = free of any US component. The A-Darter is now a real option for the JF-17 Block-3.
Lately, Pakistan's airforce chief had visited South Africa and some MoU for joint co-operation were signed.
 
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I wonder if Sidewinder could be reverse engineered by a Middle Eastern country like Egypt where motor, and airframe are copied and manufacturing knowhow is copied while using seeker from South Africa.

Also, couldn't older missiles like Hawk, and Soviet missiles have their electronics replaced with modern equivalents from South Africa as well? For countries like Egypt it would be much easier than taking the Turkish path and using all new designs from scratch.

All it would need would be new seeker, new electronics, and of course new software which isn't really that hard with modern day technology.
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