Originally Posted by Der absolute Hammer
It's that last little bit ["BAE SYSTEMS PLC has dispatched a team of technical experts to assist] about should they be required that might cause the skeptical a little unease. Is there any possibility that BAE would not be required to assist?
ICAO Annex 13 very thoroughly documents the protocol and etiquette associated with accident investigations. In the context of your question above, the regulatory authority of the state of manufacture (in this case, the UK) has the right to have an 'accredited representative' observe the accident investigation, but this right is rarely invoked. More commonly, the state in which the accident takes place (in this case, South Africa) will contact the state of manufacture and ask them to send appropriate specialists to assist with the investigation. These representatives are then offered accreditation by the state leading the investigation.
In other words - it is almost a sure thing that the UK CAA informally phoned the SA CAA and said "May we help you in any way with this?" and the SA CAA said "Yes, we would be grateful if you could sent some experts from the manufacturer".
That's how things normally go.