Denel Overberg Test Range
| Denel Overberg Test Range | |
|---|---|
| Near Arniston in South Africa | |
 Denel Overberg Test Range
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| Coordinates | 34°36′9.92″S 20°18′9.74″E / 34.6027556°S 20.3027056°ECoordinates: 34°36′9.92″S 20°18′9.74″E / 34.6027556°S 20.3027056°E |
| Type | Missile test range |
| Area | 430 km2 (170 sq mi) |
| Site information | |
| Operator | Denel |
| Status | Active |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1980s– |
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.
Until 31 March 2011, it was known as simply the Overberg Test Range or OTB (Afrikaans abbreviation for Overberg Toetsbaan).
Facilities at the site include missile launch pads, tracking radar, optical missile tracking systems, cinetheodolites as well as the 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:
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:
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:
while the following types of data are provided to clients:
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