Unique SAAF Oryx spotted in Cape Peninsula skies
Date: 13 November 2012
A vary rare SAAF Oryx helicopter was operating over Helderberg today.
Oryx 1208 is one of a kind operated by 17 Squadron, and one of a number of SAAF aircraft to be deployed in a COMINT/EW role for the Air Force. Other similar platforms include a mission modified C47TP Dakota of 35 Squadron operated from Cape Town.
Oryx no 1208 of 17 Squadron, has its home base at AFB Waterkloof and is a mission equipped COMINT/EW version of the Atlas Oryx operated by the SA Air Force.
This COMINT/EW platform is able to intercept and interrupt communication during air, land and sea battles and flies with similar sensors which were once used on 60 Squadron's EW Boeing 707s.
Open sources reveal that this airborne platform deploys warflying in the frequency spectrum from 20-1000Mhz, with extension to 1.45Mhz,and can be deployed against voice and data links, such as those found on the SAAF Super Lynx flown by 22 Squadron and the Gripen C and D fighters.
Indeed a rare visitor to Cape skies.
Warflying has evolved so far today that warflying missions can be flown by small remotely controlled drones which are as hard to spot as they are to shoot down.
Source: Skycam Digital Aviation Photography (http://skycam-aviation-photography.blogspot.com/2012/11/unique-saaf-atlas-oryx-spotted-in-cape.html)
