Having just concluded a successful DSEI exhibition in the United Kingdom, global electronic countermeasures (ECM) specialist Allen-Vanguard has confirmed its attendance at Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2024, as the African market is a strategic focus area.
Stuart Wilson, Business Development Director at Allen-Vanguard, told defenceWeb the company will be exhibiting at the booth of its local partner (ECM Technologies) at the September 2024 edition of AAD outside Pretoria. “Allen-Vanguard will continue to promote our man-portable and vehicle-mounted ECM capabilities which have been widely deployed and highly successful in the region,” he said.
African growth
The African market is one of Allen-Vanguard’s strategic areas for growth “and we want to build upon a growing footprint across the continent,” Wilson said. “Allen-Vanguard continues to explore opportunities to either show or attend defence exhibitions on the continent. Our plan is to continue to identify markets and attend shows in order to demonstrate Allen-Vanguard’s capabilities and forge relations where we can get our lifesaving equipment into the hands of those who need it most. Aside from formal commercial based exhibitions we are always keen to provide demonstration of our capabilities to an end user.”
Somalia in particular remains a focal point for Allen-Vanguard’s capabilities and deployment of the company’s hardware continues to grow there. “In 2024 alone, our fleet size in Somalia is expected to nearly double. This is due in no small part to the high degree of confidence our end users have in our hardware and the fact that it is saving lives every single day,” Wilson explained.
“We have a number of deliveries due in 2024 on the continent and a number of small to large opportunities that are most likely to come to fruition next year. Africa continues to be a market with high growth potential and our proven equipment is in high demand there.”
Allen-Vanguard has been working in Somalia supporting national security forces and working with other peacekeeping nations since 2018, helping to defeat radio frequency (RF) threats by supplying ECM protection, such as its SCORPION ECM manpacks and 3XXX static and vehicle-mounted counter-radio controlled improvise explosive device (RC-IED) systems.
A successful DSEI
These products have done well internationally, but at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023, Allen-Vanguard showcased its future generation of systems which include the Remote Radio Head, EQUINOX NG-X, and SCORPION-NG. “Each of these systems will be the cornerstone capability of our major programmes for man-portable, vehicle and advanced future vehicle capabilities for years to come,” Wilson told defenceWeb.
As DSEI is one of the world’s leading defence shows and attracts thousands of key stakeholders from around the globe, Allen-Vanguard felt it was essential to maintain its presence in the market space by exhibiting, “ensuring we are always at the forefront of industry and that the customer base is acutely aware of the capability offerings Allen-Vanguard can deliver to defeat the range of radio frequency-based threats such as RCIEDs (remotely controlled improvised explosive devices) and unmanned aerial systems/drones. DSEI is also vital for meeting with key clients, partners, and suppliers, in a central location.”
Wilson said DSEI is always busy, “but we found this year it was exceptional. Engagements with defence, industry, partners and clients were at an all-time high and exceeded expectations. We found the show to be very well attended and, more importantly, with many decision-makers and delegations walking the floor in numbers. This ensured that Allen-Vanguard’s objectives were met for the show and far exceeded.”
One of the key takeaways is a shift in the requirements of a number of nations and their ECM requirements in direct response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We continue to work with our defence and business partners to meet those requirements and ensure that their forces and ready to combat any future threats. Ukraine remains an area that Allen-Vanguard is keen to support and ensure the safety of those forces placed in danger from drones and, to a lesser extent, IEDs,” Wilson told defenceWeb.
Globally, the combined use of IEDs and drones has become a major issue. Allen-Vanguard’s software-defined equipment allows end users to configure their hardware and software to address both the IED and unmanned aerial system threats.
