South Africa has asked for bids to supply a short-range heat-seeking air-to-air missile for use by its new JAS39 Gryphons and other aircraft. They want a missile with high off-boresight capability slaved to a helmet-mounted sight. In particular, they want local contractors to have a share of the missile's production and technology. Likely bidders including the Israeli Python 4, the French/British ASRAAM, and European IRIS-T, and the Kentron A-Darter. Kentron is the South African missile company. It would need a foreign partner with access to advanced technology to produce such a missile.--Stephen V Cole