SANDF Exercise VUK’UHLOME 2022

With Exercise VUK’UHLOME already been on the way for the last month at Combat Training Centre Lohatla in the Northern Cape of South Africa, the exercise concluded with a visitors day showing the might of the South African National Defence Force with a total of 13 000+ troops being involved in the exercise!

Many distinguished guests attended the visitors day including the media, local municipal members, military attaché from a number of Countries, military veterans members of the defence industries, Chiefs of Navy, Air Force, South African Military Health Service and Army from the South African National Defence Arms of Service. The event was also attended by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise

This years live firing and capability demonstration took place on Mount Huxley Hills a different range and view point from where the 2021 exercise was closer to the central surroundings of Lohatla.

The visitors got to see different phases of the demonstration, a township unrest, counter insurgency, a demolition from the SANDF Army Engineer Formation.

It was time for some fast movers that were operating out of Air Force Base Overburg in the Western Cape with two 85 Combat Flying School BAE Hawk MK120 jet aircraft dropping MK81 bombs onto certain targets on the range.

A demonstration of a vehicle carrying armed individuals showing force of harm to innocent passengers onboard, with members of the military police and Special forces bringing the assailants to a stop.
With a Agusta A109LUH providing top cover that scenario.

A closing contact was then in effect with Ratel 90 and Rooikat armoured vehicles with the assistance of Olifant Tanks.

Behind the simulated enemy battle ground 23mm and 35mm anti-aircraft guns kept the skies sterile with no enemy aircraft coming into the airspace, while mortar, howitzers and the 127mm Bateleur echo’s into the hills beyond.

Rotary assets with a 19 Squadron Agusta A109LUH, 87 Helicopter Flying School Oryx Helicopter and a 16 Squadron Rooivalk Combat Support Helicopter provided top cover and delivering troops into the battleground.

44 Squadron with the form of a Casa 212 and a 41 Squadron Cessna C208A Caravan dropped a number of parachute members from different airborne battalions.