Home port for all the vessels is Wilhelmshaven in Germany. The Hamburg is perhaps the most modern in the German Marine with advanced systems of which the self protection equipment provides impressive capabilities in detecting and mapping the area around the battle group with ultra high tech radar of the latest design.  On 23 February 2006 the group arrived in Simonstown – head quarters of the South African Navy.

The Hamburg arrived at Simonstown on 23 February 2006.

Over the following days in separate small groups,  a total of six Tornados from AG 51 “Immelman” Squadron near Jagel (the most northern air base in Germany), arrived at South Africa’s most southern centre for flight testing at TFDC (Test Flight and Development Centre), near Bredasdorp. For the ferry flight a stop over in Chad was required followed by in-flight refuelling from a KC-135 for the flight to SA. Support personnel were transported aboard an Airbus A310 of the Luftwaffe. In total the visitors numbered 120 for the Air Force and more than 700 for the Navy.

Around the same time South Africa’s most famous fighter Sqdn, no 2 Sqdn, the “Flying Cheetahs” completed final preparations for the shorter deployment distance from ironically SA’s most northern air base (AFB Makhado) to TFDC for Good Hope II. Support aircraft is the  Lockheed C-130. The exercise for the SAAF also included live firing of air-air missiles. In total five Cheetah Cs and one Cheetah D deployed to TFDC.

Upon arrival at TFDC, personnel from both squadrons snapped into action and within a very short time frame both Sqdns were fully operational for exercise “Good Hope II” – a testament to the professionalism of both units. For the first few days both German frigates with a SA Navy frigate, the SAS Amatola patrolled the exercise area to ensure the target area was clear of civilian vessels.  From the onset the exercise was a huge success as Tornado pilot Major Ingo Flizikowski and his WSO (weapon system officer), Major Peer Koellmann announced on 28 February 2006, the successful firing of the Kormoran anti-ship missile. Within 1hour another Tornado crew, pilot Major Gernot Senkbeil and WSO, Major Ralf Potthoff fired the second Kormoran missile of the exercise. Both missiles were launched at rubber floating targets (launched by the WESTERWALD) of 25 square meters in size which were successfully destroyed by the Kormoran missiles. AG 51 operated their original Tornados in the reconnaissance role - with the newly allocated aircraft from the Marine and the successful firing of the Kormoran missiles, the Sqdn proved itself more than capable in the new anti-ship role. This aspect also confirms the competency of the Luftwaffe in mounting and directing anti-ship operations. It was the first live firing of the Kormoran missile by an aircraft from the Luftwaffe.  The Sqdn maintain its original recce role with the additional task of anti-ship operations. The exercise concluded at the end of March with the return of AG 51 to Germany while the EAV component sailed for Brazil.