Saab Skeldar V-200 in Cape Town

An unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) exhibition hosted by Business Area Aeronuatics does well to increase the South African Navy’s awareness of available products.

Following a successful showing at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2010 (AAD), Saab Aeronautics hosted a smaller separate exhibition of its UAV solutions at the Institute for Maritime Technology (IMT) in Simons Town on 29 September 2010. The exhibition – called UAV Day – was aimed at demonstrating the Skeldar technology to key members of the SA Navy and other maritime agencies, in the hope of being able to secure future business.

Positive discussions

The event was attended by senior Navy officials and opened with a presentation that incited positive discussions and questions. This was followed by demonstrations of the Skeldar V-200, the Skeldar control station, as well as a Gripen Desktop Training Simulator.

Well received

“Skeldar is a versatile system for a wide range of applications”, says the General Manager of Aeronautics in South Africa, Peter Engberg. “It represents a new generation of UAV system prepared for certification according to airworthiness regulations, and is therefore the next logical step in advancing the competence of agencies like the SA Navy”.

The overall objectives of the exhibition were met and while it may still be a while before the fruits of this exercise are felt, the initial seeds have been planted with Skeldar being very well received.