Mapo-MiG has spread its wings to South Africa and offers huge opportunities to local contractors, reports Karen Harverson
RUSSIA’S oldest aircraft manufacturer, the Moscow Aircraft Production Organisation — Mikoyan and Gurevich (Mapo-MiG), has opened an office in South Africa.
Director Peter Malan says the office’s main function will be to provide technical support, training and replacement parts for Southern African countries which operate MiG 21 and 23
He estimates the potential replacement market in Southern Africa at millions of US dollars a year, with most of the requirements in terms of training, repairs and parts being supplied from South Africa.
“Initially, the components and parts are being imported but we are negotiating to subcontract Atlas Aviation and other suppliers to manufacture these parts locally,”says Malan.
If required, Denel subsidiary Atlas Aviation has the plant in place to manufacture the MiG aircraft and the technology will be supplied by Mapo-MiG of Russia.
The Russian aircraft company only has offices in three other countries besides South Africa, namely Malaysia, India and Germany — all of which operate MiG aircraft or border a country that does. The opening of an office last month in South Africa may have wider implications than supplying other sub-Saharan countries.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) is looking to replace its ageing Impala trainer jets by the end of the century and aircraft manufacturers worldwide will bid for the multi-million-rand contract which is believed to be likely to take the form of a counter- trade type contract as opposed to a cash
A spokesperson for the SAAF says the process to obtain authorisation for the replacement of the Impala has already started. “Once approval has been granted, a comprehensive evaluation programme will be launched to guide the SAAF in the decision on a final choice.”
The proposed White Paper on Defence as well as the Defence Review, which are expected this year, will play an important role in the decision-making process. A project study to determine the cost of the replacement programme will only be undertaken once the White Paper on Defence and Defence Review have been approved by the government.
“Should the SAAF consider the MiG aircraft, then a major portion of the contract would be manufactured in South Africa,”says Malan, adding that South African avionics would also be used.
He believes the MiG-AT training jet is far more advanced than its counterparts such as Britain’s Hawk trainer jet — recently advertised in the local press.
“Although the avionics used in the Hawk and Impala training jets are top-of-the range, the design and framework is 20 years old, unlike the MiG-AT which will take the user into the year 2020.”