DefenseNews, The South African Army will upgrade part of its Olifant Mk1B main battle tank fleet in a deal with local contractor Alvis OMC, according to an Oct. 13 company statement. The first phase of the contract is valued at around 124 million rand ($17 million).
The major part of the upgrade will include fitting the tanks with a target designation engagement system (TDES) consisting of a fire control system, a commander observation system and a gunner video sight. The TDES, developed by South African firm IST Dynamics, will provide the commander and gunner with an enhanced all-weather day-and-night target detection and engagement capability.
Other improvements will cover a 15 percent increase in performance from the powerpack, various operational modifications required by the South African Army and logistics enhancements, the Alvis OMC statement said. Other South African companies involved in the program include Delkon and Reutech Defence Logisitics.
The deal initially covers only 13 vehicles, but industry sources in South Africa say the total requirement is likely to expand to the upgrade of 44 tanks, subject to the cash-strapped Army having the required funding. Delivery of the first upgraded tank is scheduled for May.
The Olifant, armed with 105mm guns, first entered service in the late 1970s, although the 1B variant was introduced in 1991. The last upgrade was completed in 1995. There are about 168 Olifant 1As and 1Bs in the South African fleet. Last year, the South African Army admitted that only 30 tanks were in service with regular forces, six of those at a training school.
Alvis OMC says the upgrade is the largest single order received by the company since it was acquired by Alvis as part of its takeover of Vickers Defence in 2002.
