Africa aerospace and defence 2008: given its suburban Ysterplaat airbase with large hangars and proximity to the city's harbour facilities, South Africa's Cape Town is an ideal location for a tri-service defence equipment show. This year Russia and China came in force.

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Shows & exhibitions

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Africa aerospace and defence 2008: given its suburban Ysterplaat airbase with large hangars and proximity to the city's harbour facilities, South Africa's Cape Town is an ideal location for a tri-service defence equipment show. This year Russia and China came in force.

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The new (post-1994) South Africa decided in its first round of defence equipment purchases to deal with the major European nations, arguing that these countries were most likely to benefit local industry through offset programmes, technology transfer and investment.

European companies consequently featured strongly at AAD 2008, as did Russian and Chinese marketing entities, perhaps reflecting not only broader African needs, but also pre-1994 Communist links with South Africa's freedom fighters, now in charge. The host nation has special southern hemisphere links with both India and Brazil, and the former was once again strongly represented. The latter's Embraer was also present, mainly to promote the EMB-145 with Saab Erieye AEW&C radar.

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