The Armaments Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (Armscor) is an acquisition agency for the South African Department of Defence (DOD), and other organs of state. Armscor’s mandate is to provide the armed forces with state-of-the-art defence matériel, delivering innovative defence solutions efficiently and effectively. The organisation manages the strategic capabilities of the DOD, producing research and vanguard technological solutions required to provide safety and security for South Africa, its citizens and the continent. Its technologies have evolved from the defence sector to both commercial and domestic sectors.

Armscor’s core business:

• Acquisition – its key functions include requirements analysis, technology development, design and development of products and product systems, the industrialisation and manufacturing of mature products and product systems that fully meet user requirements. It also entails procurement of existing and qualified products, as well as the acquisition of product system support for user systems during the operational lifetime of the systems.

• Research and Development – entails conducting defence-related and scientific research, test and evaluation services, technology management, analysis and industrialisation and intellectual property management services. The organisation has capability to perform independent, centralised coordination and management role for technology acquisition and technology commercialisation.

• Naval Dockyard – it is one of South Africa’s strategic national capabilities, where the country’s naval defence maintenance, repair and overall capabilities are housed. Other services include manufacturing low to medium-precision components through additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies.