Follow us on:   

SA defence firm signs R157mn deal with Airbus
June 28, 2013, 9:26 am

[Getty Images]

The first finished parts will be shipped to Airbus’ manufacturing plant in Germany this August [Getty Images]

South African state-owned defence equipment manufacturer Denel has signed a 157 million rand agreement with Airbus to manufacture tail plane parts for the A400M strategic airlifter.

The contract will last eight years and production is set to start shortly, with the first finished parts to be shipped to Airbus’ manufacturing plant in Germany this August.

It demonstrates the confidence that international manufacturers have in South Africa’s aerospace industry, according to Denel Group CEO Riaz Saloojee.

“We have proven ourselves to be a reliable and innovative top tier supplier to one of the most sophisticated aircraft manufacturing programmes in the world,” he said in a statement last week.

“Airbus’s decision to place a third major order with Denel shows satisfaction with the quality of our design and manufacturing processes and our ability to deliver on time and within budgets.”

The deal includes the manufacturing of vertical beams known as spars, horizontal composite machinings called ribs and a connecting plate at the bottom known as the sword.

“The new contract places the company at the core of the global aerospace manufacturing industry,” said Denel Aerostructures CEO Ismail Dockrat.

Source: Agencies