President Cyril Ramaphosa has opened the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition at the Waterkloof Air Force base in Pretoria, on Wednesday.
The exhibition boasts over 300 exhibitors from 30 countries and is set to showcase military products in air, sea and land technologies.
Over 75 000 people are expected to attend this year’s five-day event.
Ramaphosa has highlighted the importance of a developmental defence force.
He says; “South Africa views the role of the military in the modern context as a developmental force, both nationally and continentally. In terms of internal security, the Defence Force must always be ready to provide additional capacity to maintain order and stability within the relevant governance framework.”
“A Defence Force that is a developmental force does unlock substantial peace dividends for states and effectively reduces the investment required in defence over time,” says Ramaphosa.
