Business Day website, Johannesburg,
22 Dec 06
COMMENTATOR SAYS TURKEY WILL REJECT SOUTH AFRICAN ARMS DEAL
by Gunvant Govinjdjee
"Why South Africa’s Rooivalk dreams just will not fly"
If Denel clinches the Rooivalk deal with Turkey, it will be a miracle
– and I do not believe in miracles.
A decision of the French lower house of parliament on 12 October, and
the Turkish government’s reaction to this decision, have virtually
ruled out any possibility of Denel selling the Rooivalk attack
helicopter to the Turkish air force.
Yet last month, Denel’s CEO was still putting a positive spin on the
deal. So what does the decision of the French parliament have to do
with the prospect of selling the Rooivalk to Turkey? On 12 October,
the lower house of the French parliament passed a bill making it a
crime to deny the Armenian genocide. The bill is unlikely to become
law as the French Senate is not contemplating proceeding with the
bill.
Nevertheless, the controversial decision of the French MPs was
sufficient to raise the ire of the Turkish government, which severed
military ties with France. The severing of military ties means that
Turkey will no longer purchase French weaponry. The Rooivalk relies
on French engines, and it is highly unlikely the Turks will be
prepared to buy a French arms component that comes via South Africa
in the form of a completed weapon system.
Denel and AgustaWestland of Italy have been the two short-listed
companies bidding for the tender to manufacture 30 attack helicopters
for the Turkish air force. Notwithstanding the draft bill of the
French parliament, AgustaWestland has the clear advantage over Denel
not only for technical reasons, but for political reasons as well.
One reason that AgustaWestland’s A129 Mangusta is a stronger
contender than the Rooivalk is that it carries the US-made Hellfire
missile, which Denel was unable to use for its attack helicopter
because of an apartheid-era spy scandal. But it is more likely that
political considerations will determine the outcome of the
competition between the two bidders.
Turkey has been seeking European Union (EU) membership for many years
and Italy has expressed itself as a strong supporter of Turkey’s
right to join the EU. Furthermore, signing the Mangusta deal with an
Italian company will be a continuation of long-established arms
industry cooperation. South Africa has yet to initiate any meaningful
cooperation in this field.
It is clear that Denel has already lost the helicopter race. It is
time both Denel and the South African government disabuse themselves
of the illusion that they can successfully market and sell their
so-called state-of-the art war machine.
Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin needs to face Denel’s Rooivalk
failure, which has cost the South African taxpayers billions of rand.
When, not if, Turkey formally rejects South Africa’s tender, Turkey
will join a long list of countries that were touted by Denel as
potential customers of the Rooivalk. Some of these are: Spain,
Sweden, South Korea, Greece, Malaysia, Australia and China. Despite
the massive vote of no confidence in the Rooivalk, both Denel and
Erwin continue to pin their hopes on the Rooivalk coming to the
rescue of the bankrupt parastatal arms industry.
There is just one solution to Denel and Erwin’s profligacy and
daydreaming: scrap the Rooivalk, which has become South Africa’s
albatross.