South African aerospace and defence company Denel has displayed its Torgos long-range stand-off precision guided munition for the first time. The weapon is one of a variety of South African weapons in development by Kentron to equip the South African Air Force's (SAAF) recently ordered Saab/British Aerospace Gripens.
Denel's Kentron division has developed the 300km (160nm)-range Torgos from its multipurpose stand-off Weapon (MUPSOW) technology demonstrator programme. MUPSOW was designed as a long-range sub-munition dispensing system, while the Torgos will be fitted with a penetrating warhead, although fragmentation warheads and dispenser systems could be developed.
Kentron international business development manager Chris Haines says the Torgos has systems common to MUPSOW, including its turbojet engine, flight control and guidance. The composite fuselage, low radar cross section, technology is also borrowed from MUPSOW. It weighs 980kg (2,165lb), with a 450-500kg warhead, depending on the application.
Haines says that, although subsystems have been tested, the weapon has not been flight tested as development is self-funded by Denel. It is pursuing joint-venture opportunities with an "overseas company", says Haines.
The Kentron Kenis third-generation, 3-5 micron imaging infra red camera is used as the basis of the seeker. Haines says it is optimised for hot and humid conditions.
Kentron will offer man-in-the-loop control or its own automatic target recognition software, and the weapon will also be able to attack moving targets, says Haines.
The Kenis is the basis for a navigation and attack forward looking infrared (FLIR) system, being developed by Kentron, and the Goshawk payload used in the Seeker unmanned air vehicle. Kentron is proposing its navigation/attack FLIR to the SAAF for its Gripens and British Aerospace Hawks.
Haines says the Kenis has 30% more pixels than equivalent FLIRs and that it will be applied to other applications, such as a naval mast mounted observation system.
Source: Flight International
