Denel Overberg Test Range

Updated on Nov 19, 2023

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Type Missile test range In use 1980s– Operator Denel		Status Active Area 430 km²

The Denel Overberg Test Range is a weapons systems testing facility in the Overberg region on the south coast of South Africa, near Arniston, Western Cape. It includes launch pads and tracking systems.

It was used to test the RSA series of Israeli-South African missiles until cancellation in 1992, since then it has been used by a variety of countries and clients.

Denel Overberg Test Range Denel Overberg Test Range

Until 31 March 2011 it was known as simply the Overberg Test Range or OTB (Afrikaans abbreviation for Overberg Toetsbaan).

Denel Overberg Test Range Clients Denel Overberg Test Range

Facilities

Facilities at the site include missile launch pads, tracking radar, optical missile tracking systems, cinetheodolites as well as use of Overberg Air Force Base, home of the South African Air Force Test Flight and Development Centre. The layout appears to mirror the testing site at Palmachim, suggesting Israeli input in the design process.

Instrumentation includes:

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IRIG timecode telecommand transmission

Precision instrumentation radars with velocity measurement and ability to track up to three objects simultaneously

Fixed and mobile doppler radar receivers to track missile velocities with 3 cm/s accuracy

Mobile cine theodolites (5-300 frame/s) and a tracking pedestal with film (25–1000 frame/s) and video (50 Hz) capability

Fixed and mobile telemetry stations for receiving real-time flight data

16mm, 35mm and 70mm high speed cameras for photographic documentation of launches, flights and impacts

Film and video processors for data reduction

Multiple redundant receiving PCM on FM channels

Real time data manipulation and display capabilities

Quick-look and post test processing

Atomic clock for accurate timing

Multiple interfaces including IRIG-B, IRIG-A, a variety of slow codes, pulses as well as PC parallel and serial.

Sophisticated command and control infrastructure, including a central control centre, a mobile control centre and a central computer.

Clients

Denel Overberg Test Range Denel rebrands to Denel Overberg Test Range defenceWeb

The site was notably used for test launches of the RSA series of missiles, including the joint Israeli-South African RSA-3 Intermediate-range ballistic missile in 1989 and 1990. Development of this military programme was cancelled 1992 however. Testing for the South African civil space programme continued at the site for another year before also being cancelled in 1993.

Since then the facility has served a number of foreign clients, including:

Germany for testing Exocet, Sea Sparrow, Taurus and IRIS-T missiles

Czech Republic

Singapore for testing Igla missiles

UK for evaluation of the Denel Rooivalk helicopter

Sweden for testing the RBS15 MK3 and CAMPS

Spain for integration of the Taurus missile on the F-18.

Turkey, the Turkish Navy held a live fire exercise in May 2014 during which two frigates and a corvette fired various missiles and guns.

Testing

Testing at the site focuses predominantly on flight performance rather than the destructive capability of weapon systems. Consequently missile test flights are typically conducted with dummy warheads or instrument packs rather than live weapons.

The following types of tests can be performed:

Air-to-air tests

Air-to-surface (land or sea) tests

Surface-to-surface (land or sea) tests

Anti-tank tests, including from helicopters

Aircraft performance, carriage and release clearance and avionics evaluation

while the following types of data are provided to clients:

Trajectories

Telemetry recording

Photographic documentation

Meteorological profiles