South Africa Denel Aviation
A-Darter
A high-off-boresight, thrust-vectoring short-range air-to-air missile co-developed by South Africa's Denel Dynamics and Brazil, designed to be highly agile against maneuvering fighters and integrated with helmet-mounted cueing systems.
In service since 2014 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
10
km range
4
Mach
8
kg warhead
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to South Africa export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 2014. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 4 Mach |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 10 km |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 8 kg |
|---|---|
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | High-explosive fragmentation |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Imaging infrared homing, Thrust-vectoring |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 2.98 m |
|---|---|
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 90 kg |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Solid-fuel rocket with thrust vectoring |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 2 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Denel Aviation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing AGM-86 ALCM Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Denel Aviation A-Darter? +
The Denel Aviation A-Darter has a maximum range of 10 km.
How much does the Denel Aviation A-Darter weigh? +
The Denel Aviation A-Darter has a combat weight of 90 kg.
What is the Denel Aviation A-Darter used for? +
The Denel Aviation A-Darter is a missile typically used for air superiority.
How many countries operate the Denel Aviation A-Darter? +
The Denel Aviation A-Darter is operated by 2 countries.
Similar systems
Raytheon (RTX)
AIM-120D AMRAAM
Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV)
R-37M
AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
PL-10
MBDA