The South African Air Force (SAAF) will decide on whether to proceed with the Kentron Agile-Darter high-agility imaging-infra-red (IIR) guided missile by the end of 1999.
Concept development of the A-Darter, unveiled at the Paris air show, began in the mid-1980s, according to Kentron, and testing of the IIR seeker and an advanced rocket motor is already under way (Flight International, 18-24 June).
Captive-carry tests of the first prototype of the IIR seeker have already been carried out, and a second prototype of the scanning-array seeker is almost ready for flight trials. Bench tests of the solid-propellant motor, which has a profiled fuel consumption to optimise manoeuvrability and range, have also been conducted.
Kentron and the SAAF are keen to find at least one development partner for the programme. If full-scale development is approved, the A-Darter would have a service-entry date of around 2005. Proposed SAAF platforms for the missile include its Cheetah-C upgrade of the Dassault Mirage III, and the Denel CSH-2 Rooivalk helicopteron which it would be used for air-to-air self-defence.
Another Rooivalk weapon which would benefit from A-Darter development is its Mokopa anti-tank missile. Kentron intends to offer an IIR version of this, as well as a laser-guided version. The seeker would also be used for a an IIR version of the SAHV surface-to-air missile.
The SAAF and Kentron looked at numerous configurations in developing the A-Darter design, including mid-body wing configurations, before opting for thrust-vectoring and tail-control for the 166mm-diameter missile.
Source: Flight International