Defence Export Agency hopeful of Latin American orders (251 words)

Published: 5/18/2001

Plans to upgrade former South African Air Force Mirages, initiated the late eighties by Promexport in a joint venture with South Africa's Armscor and recently revived, are still being developed under the care of Rosoboroneksport, the new defence export agency. The scheme, unveiled at last year's Africa Aerospace Defence, offers potential customers an aircraft re-equipped with an RD-33 engine, giving 16% greater thrust, higher rate of climb and a 25% improvement in range climb, combined with a Russian avionics and weapons package, including the R-73 AAM. It is claimed that the overhauled aircraft has the capability of a fourth generation fighter, at a cost substantially below (30%) that of a new fighter. According to Rosoboroneksport, representatives from a number of Latin American countries attended the recent arms fair in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, South Africa sold 60 ex SAAF Mirages to Chile and Brazil. To date, two aircraft: a Mirage F1 and the South African version of the Mirage III, the Cheetah, have been fitted with the new engines and are reported to have undergone extensive flight tests. For Anatoliy Isaykin, Deputy General Director of Rosoboroneksport, who headed the Russian delegation to the Rio de Janeiro, the Latin American market is one that Russia is keen to develop. It has relatively little presence there, outside of Peru, and considers that it has been actively excluded to date by the application of US pressure on potential Latin American buyers.

Article ID: 2541