South Africa urged to emulate Turkey's research-military integration in defence sector

During a presentation at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Conference, Mphahlela James Thaba, who runs the CSIR’s technology for special operations programme, argued that Turkey’s defence success stems from tight connections among researchers, the military and manufacturers rather than isolated corporate achievements. He pointed to Baykar’s drones, ASELSAN’s electronics, Turkish Aerospace Industries’ aircraft and ROKETSAN’s missiles as products of this ecosystem.

Turkey has raised its domestic arms share from about 20% in the early 2000s to over 80% today, becoming the world’s 11th-largest arms exporter. Thaba urged South Africa to study the “missing middle” - the prototype development, testing and integration phase - to turn its existing aerospace expertise into sustainable production. He noted that controlling strategic components, software and intellectual property is essential to manage, not eliminate, foreign dependence. Examples such as the A-Darter missile programme with Brazil and the local firm Paramount illustrate how international cooperation and military-driven design can build capability.