South Africa-late 80s

[rhthetourist]

I am working on a mission set in the late 1980s on a fictional island off the coast of South Africa where the Natal township rebellions between ANC and Inkatha troops have spread.  Set against this backdrop, the player is a US operative investigating "suspicious" activities by the South African govt. regarding Nuclear research. (There was afterall a few suspicious flashes recorded by US satellites in the South Indian ocean during this time).  I am curious: are there any South African units (or close look-alikes) out there? Also, are there any other African militia units or civilians.  (If not, how do you change the civilian faces to make them all African? or female Africans?)  One more thing: I am using Nogova at this time, but I know it is entirely unrealistic for that region of the world...any suggestions?

[rhthetourist]

"South Africa was isolated from interactions and activities with most of the developed countries for many years because of its nuclear weapons development program and the practice of apartheid. This isolation was especially true in the areas of nuclear energy and its applications. South Africa developed a complete nuclear fuel cycle, including advanced waste management techniques. South Africa operates two nuclear power reactors (built by the French, but based on a Westinghouse design) at Koeberg near Cape Town.

South Africa also acquired the technology to build nuclear weapons. South Africa developed at least six nuclear warheads, which it later acknowledged, along with a variety of missiles and other conventional weapons. These projects were undertaken with some cooperation from Israel -- another technologically advanced, militarily powerful, nuclear-capable nation surrounded by hostile neighbors.

Beginning in 1975 two test shafts over 250 meters deep for conducting nuclear tests were drilled at the Vastrap military base in the Kalahari Desert. A Soviet surveillance satellite detected these test preparationss in August 1977, and the Soviets notified the US of their discovery. South Africa was forced to cancel the tests in the face of diplomatic pressure from America, the Soviet Union, and France.

A flash over the Indian Ocean detected by an American satellite in September 1979 was suspected of being a nuclear test, possibly conducted by either Israel or South Africa, alone or in combination. the Carter administration assembled a panel of scientists from academia to review the data. After their review, the panel concluded that, lacking independent collaborative data to support a nuclear origin of the signals, the original interpretation of the satellite data could not be justified. The panel said the flash could have been caused by a combination of natural events, specifically a micrometeorite impact on the detector sunshade, followed by small particles ejected as a result of the impact.

The international fear of nuclear proliferation made South Africa the focus of intense concern during the 1980s. Cape Town academic Renfrew Christie was jailed for passing details of South Africa's nuclear power program to the African National Congress [ANC] in 1980."--Federation of American Scientists,
http://fas.org/nuke/guide/rsa/nuke/index.html

[rhthetourist]

"In October 1989, NBC News reported that a missile produced by ARMSCOR (Armaments Corporation of South Africa) was launched on July 5, 1989, and flew 900 miles southeast over the Indian Ocean. (1) It was subsequently reported that "knowledgeable U.S. officials" confirmed the NBC report that an intermediate-range missile "was constructed and flown by South Africa July 5 using technology acquired from Israel." (2) The "apparently successful test is regarded by U.S. experts as the first of several needed for the white-minority government of South Africa to have a reliable missile force." (3) The missile was launched from a facility named Arniston by the CIA, but locally known as the "RSA" from its Overberg test site at the southern tip of Africa.

Reportedly this first test was followed by a second on 19 November 1990. A third test-firing of South Africa's intermediate-range missile was expected in the spring of 1991 but was never reported to have occurred. The South Africa government's official statement was that the missiles were booster rockets for a peaceful space program.

South Africa's large industrial and scientific base indicates that indigenous production of ballistic missiles would not be difficult to achieve. The possible mission of such a weapon, however, was somewhat of a mystery, as South Africa enjoyed a vast military superiority over its neighbors. The ascribed 1,450 km/1,000 kg capability of the Aniston would enable the South African armed forces to hit targets in all the "front-line states": Angola, Mozambique and Namibia. There was little doubt that South Africa had the technical capability and experience to produce nuclear warheads as well: On March 25, 1993, Prime Minister P.W. DeKlerk announced that six of a planned seven atomic bombs had been built, but then dismantled in 1990. (4) This is the first case of a country voluntarily scrapping its nuclear weapons. (Later examples are Belarus, Kazahkstan, and Ukraine.) South Africa signed the NPT in 1991. With the advent of the Mandela government, the Arniston has been cancelled, nuclear weapons development has been repudiated, and South Africa has joined the MTCR in October 1995. In February 1999, South Africa's first satellite, Sunsat was launched into space on board a US Air Force Boeing Delta II rocket."--Federation of American Scientists
http://fas.org/nuke/guide/rsa/missile/index.html

[Messiah]

bibmi has made some african militia.... check out the addons section at www.ofp.info to get them

[rhthetourist]

Thanks, Messiah.  I already have d/led those troops.  What I am really looking for are some South African military vehicles and such.  Becuz during Apartheid South Africa was ostracized by the international community and they didn't have any outside military assitance...so they developed their own hardware.  I don't know if anybody has made any of those units.

[Bibmi]

To my knowledge there are no South African addons...although I have some soldier units sitting on the backburner but they wear the new soldier 2000 camo. I would love to see the versatile Ratel ingame as well...BTW which island are you planning on using for the mission? also have you given any thought to creating some missions based on any of the border conflicts?

[rhthetourist]

I am not certain which islands to use for the campaign (I have too many ideas for one mission and a great story is being worked on connecting several missions together, each with reasonable goals, of course.)  Also I have not found any islands with the Med. climate that SA has.
The basic premise of the story is that the player is part of some United States group (Special Weapons Enforcement Group; SWEG) which is tasked with aiding friends and denying enemies or their friends from developing an NBC capibility.  The group operates under the CIA/NSA infrastructure and along with her sister organization (COVOPS, Covert Ops) also is tasked with performing other highly covert/deniable missions.  The player operates either alone or in a small group.  Recon, smuggling, assassinations, etc. fall under their territory.
In this campaign, the player is investigating an island(s) in the Indian ocean off the coast of South Africa.  The search leads the player to witness a test explosion of a nuclear device by SA w/ the help of other states.  The ensuing investigation takes the player into ??UNITA Angola??, Israel, and the Ukraine (USSR connection?).  It is similar in some ways to Sum of All Fears but that is only becuz the players on the stage are who they really are in the real world at this time (mid 80s).
I am also interested in UNITA, and other African (as well as all third world) conflicts in the past century...looking forward to OFP2 as well!

[rhthetourist]

Yes! The Ratel would be amazing!!! The Ratel is a range of infantry combat vehicles which has been truly tested in battle and has shown itself to be a most cost-effective system in terms of both operational purpose and cost. In its primary role the Ratel is fitted with a 20 mm or 90 mm gun. Variants include an armoured command vehicle, equipped with a 12,7 mm machine gun or a 20 mm gun, a missile launcher, a 60 mm and 81 mm mortar as well as logistic and recovery vehicles.
http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/ratel.htm

[Bibmi]

Now I'm getting homesick  ;D

[max_killer_payne]

Don't the South Africans use a weapon smiliar to the AK47? I am not sure correct me if I am wrong.

[Bibmi]

Yup...they are very similiar to the Ak-47...in fact during isolation the weapon that was created is a hybrid between the ak47 and ghalil....it is usually designated as the R-series and comes in a variety of configurations (not unlike the ak series). Personally, I would argue that they are some of the most ruggardly dependable weapons one could find.....

[max_killer_payne]

You could also do a possible mission where you are the leader of a South African squad (If you manage to find any addons) and do a mission where you must stop drugs from coming over the border or someinthg.

[rhthetourist]

Thanks all, I like your ideas.  I don't know about the anti-drug ops, Payne, but I am definately getting ready to start on my campaign very soon.  I think I will just use the AK for now since I cannot find the R-series anywhere and since they are so similar it seems (thanx Bibmi).  Too bad though...I would love to find a Ratel for my missions!