Maxpane
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https://loveknowledgeandart.blogspot.com/2019/08/soth-africa-flying-high.html?m=1
August 2019 #377ne of the earliest South African UAVs was the Champion, developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Kentron under Project Gharra to provide the South African Army with a battlefield surveillance system. This was a twin-boom design powered by a two-stroke pusher-propeller engine. It was first flown in 1977 but only four were built, for evaluation. Some of these were deployed to Rhodesia, and then used by the South African Air Force (SAAF).In 1980 the SAAF acquired a number of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) RPV-2B Scouts for battlefield surveillance under Project Cobalt (at least five were acquired, plus possibly 13 more). These were used extensively in the Border War in Mozambique and Angola from 1981 – three were shot down in the process.The CSIR and Kentron kept working on UAVs and produced the first successful local design, the Seeker. It was first deployed by the SAAF in southeast Angola in 1987, being flown by 10 Squadron at Air Force Base (AFB) Potchefstroom, which was re-formed in 1986, initially with a single Champion.
August 2019 #377ne of the earliest South African UAVs was the Champion, developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Kentron under Project Gharra to provide the South African Army with a battlefield surveillance system. This was a twin-boom design powered by a two-stroke pusher-propeller engine. It was first flown in 1977 but only four were built, for evaluation. Some of these were deployed to Rhodesia, and then used by the South African Air Force (SAAF).In 1980 the SAAF acquired a number of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) RPV-2B Scouts for battlefield surveillance under Project Cobalt (at least five were acquired, plus possibly 13 more). These were used extensively in the Border War in Mozambique and Angola from 1981 – three were shot down in the process.The CSIR and Kentron kept working on UAVs and produced the first successful local design, the Seeker. It was first deployed by the SAAF in southeast Angola in 1987, being flown by 10 Squadron at Air Force Base (AFB) Potchefstroom, which was re-formed in 1986, initially with a single Champion.
