South Africa exibits military equipment in North Korea

BritinBritain

Per Ardua Ad Astra


02 August 2009


The crisis in South Africa's arms control regime, and the implications


How South Africa is doing dodgy arms deals with dictators
The Democratic Alliance (DA) called this press conference to expose the crisis in our arms control regime and explain its implications.
There is a crisis at the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) which has resulted in a massive backlog of permits awaiting assessment with contracts worth billions of Rands in the arms industry now on hold, and several dodgy deals appear to have slipped through the cracks after the last meeting of the NCACC in May/June 2008
We are concerned here with six countries and three types of deals - namely:
  • deals that have been "authorised" by the NCACC;
  • deals that are "pending" authorisation by the NCACC; and
  • a case of authorisation to exhibit military support equipment in a country of concern.
The dodgy deals that have been "authorized" by the NCACC include:
  • selling glide bombs that could be used to deliver nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to Libya;
  • selling multiple grenade launchers to Libya;
  • selling multiple grenade launchers to Syria; and
  • selling thousands of multiple grenade launchers and upgraded assault rifles to Venezuela.
The dodgy deals that are "pending" authorization by the NCACC include:
  • attempting to sell thousands of aviator G-suits to Iran;
  • attempting to sell thousands of sniper rifles to Syria; and
  • attempting to sell millions of rounds of ammunition to Zimbabwe.
The dodgy deals also include authorization by the NCACC to:
  • exhibit and demonstrate radar warning receivers for submarines in North Korea.
The DA calls on NCACC chairperson Jeff Radebe to urgently convene a meeting of the new committee in order to:
  • investigate the arms deals that have been authorised by the committee in respect of Libya, Syria and Venezuela, and stop the export of weapons systems or military support equipment if it has not already been delivered;
  • investigate the arms deals that are pending authorisation by the committee in respect of Iran, Syria, and Zimbabwe, and stop the export of the weapons systems or military support equipment; and
  • investigate the issuing of permits to the company that exhibited military support equipment in North Korea .
Deal Status
System
Description
Pending
Aviator G-suits
An Aviator G-suit is worn by pilots who are subject to high levels of acceleration to prevent blackouts and loss of consciousness.


There is a deal pending authorisation by the NCACC to export thousands of aviator G-suits to Iran.

The aviator G-suits are worn by pilots who are subject to high levels of acceleration to prevent blackouts and loss of consciousness.

The suits were not produced in our country, but a company based in our country is attempting to export the aviator G-suits to Iran.

The information at my disposal is that the company in question may be assisting in "busting sanctions". A company based in our country may be being used as a vehicle to export military support equipment for a company based in another country.

We should not be exporting weapons systems or military support equipment to Iran.

The United Nations has placed a partial arms embargo on Iran, while the European Union has placed a total arms embargo on that country.
Moreover, Iran is rated as 6.0 ("Not Free") by Freedom House and its last report to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms was in 1998.
Iran is also considered by the United States to be a "state sponsor of terrorism", meaning that it allegedly "repeatedly provides support for acts of international terrorism".

Deal Status
System
Description
Authorised
Multiple grenade launchers (40mm)
A multiple grenade launcher is capable of firing lethal or anti-riot ammunition and can be used in combat and policing missions.

Authorised

Glide bombs

A glide bomb is a long-range precision guided weapon powered by a booster rocket motor. It can be used to deliver penetration or fragmentation bombs at ranges of over 120 kilometres. There is a concern that these glide bomb can be converted to deliver nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.


The NCACC has authorised the export of a number of 40 mm multiple grenade launchers to Libya.

The NCACC has also authorised the export of an unknown number of glide bombs to Libya.

The multiple grenade launchers are capable of firing lethal or anti-riot ammunition and can be used in combat and policing missions.

The glide bombs are long-range precision guided weapons powered by a booster rocket and capable of delivering penetration or fragmentation bombs at ranges of over 100 kilometres.

There is a concern that these guide bombs could be converted to deliver a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon.

For this reason, these glide bombs are normally fitted with certain "safeguards" to prevent and warn of tampering.

However, according to information at my disposal, these "safeguards" were not fitted to the glide bombs exported to Libya.

Deal Status
System
Description
Authorised
Multiple grenade launchers (40mm)
A multiple grenade launcher is capable of firing lethal or anti-riot ammunition and can be used in combat and policing missions.

Pending
7.62 mm sniper rifles
A sniper rifle is used to ensure accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and employed against human targets.


The NCACC has authorised the export of a number of 40mm multiple grenade launchers to Syria.

There is a deal pending authorisation by the NCACC to export thousands of 7.62 mm sniper rifles to Syria.

The multiple grenade launchers are capable of firing lethal or anti-riot ammunition and can be used in combat, policing or peacekeeping missions.
The sniper rifles are used to ensure the accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than small arms and are normally used against human targets.

Deal Status
System
Description
Authorised
Radar warning receivers for antennae used on submarines.
Radar warning receivers are used to detect emissions from radar systems and can be used by submarines to identify and evade aircraft.


The NCACC approved a marketing permit for a company based in our country that exhibited and demonstrated radar warning receivers for submarine antennae over a period of less than six months in North Korea
 
Well you all know what sort of country South Africa worked so hard to become. Another backward country with strange sympathies like its neighbors.
 
well i am south african and my opinion is mine and like to say this, South Africa need to make some money so we sell our weapons to other countrys. But i dont like it if they sell it to dodgy commie countrys like n- korea
 
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