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What would it be doing here?

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Luftwaffe undertaking tests of Taurus missiles in South Africa


This past week six Luftwaffe Tornados have been conducting extensive tests at Denel’s Overberg Test Range (OTR) near Aniston supported by more than 200 people the Luftwaffe is undertaking extensive testing on one of the air-to-ground missiles in its inventory. This is not the first the time German air force has made use of the facilities in the southern Cape. The German defence attaché Commander Kai Brand said “We have been coming to Overberg every second year since 2001 and the air force has spent billions of Rands over this time.” The Tornados, supported by a Luftwaffe A310 MRTT in a transport aircraft arrived in South Africa last weekend. The Tornados are from 33 Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader, based at Büchel Air Base. A US Air Force KC-10 provided air-to-air refuelling for the journey through Africa to the Cape.

The Taurus tests are expected to include live firing and missile quality assurance with close air support and low flying manoeuvres an integral part. A wide spectrum of instrumentation systems will be deployed for the evaluation and command and control will ensure operational evaluation criteria are met, as was done during previous missile testing done by the Germans at Denel OTR. The Luftwaffe testing campaign confirms the test range’s reputation as an internationally recognised centre for testing and evaluation.
In pursuit of safer African skies through adequate aviation training

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