Through the establishment of the new Denel Integrated Systems and Maritime (DISM) division, State-owned Denel was adding to its existing strengths in the landward and aerospace arenas, while also opening up new markets for the company, group CEO Riaz Saloojee reported earlier this month.

The creation of the maritime division would also enable Denel to meet the recommendations of the Defence Review 2014, which called for the company to develop sovereign capabilities in strategic areas such as command-and-control and electronic warfare.

“The creation of DISM is the next step in the evolution of Denel as a company. We are opening up a new strategic area of business that will ensure Denel’s activities cover the broader spectrum of defence and security markets and enable us to meet the needs of our primary client, the South African National Defence Force, more effectively,” Saloojee said.

He added that establishing a presence in the maritime environment was a natural next step for Denel.

“Denel’s biggest strength is to integrate different systems and to provide our client with a complete and comprehensive solution. Modern defence forces require the different branches to interact with each other and use systems that can be easily integrated into a single command-and-control network.

“With DISM, we now close all the gaps and offer the South African and global security markets a single point of entry into an all-inclusive defence solution,” Saloojee said.

He added that the new business opportunities that would emanate from the division would also strengthen Denel’s business model, create new job opportunities in the high-technology sector and lead to more investment in research and development.

Denel stated that the DISM division would develop local South African capacity through research and investment in maritime systems, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber warfare and security, integrated defence and security systems and civil security.

Former Denel Aerostructures CEO Ismail Dockrat had been appointed DISM CEO, with Denel Aerostructures deputy CEO Theo Kleynhans taking over from Dockrat.