From 14 to 18 September 2026, Exercise CERBERUS THUNDER 2026 was conducted by the Netherlands Armed Forces at the NAMFI Firing Range. The activity was carried out as part of a National Evaluation of the Dutch Ground-Based Air Defence units in accordance with NATO evaluation criteria and included both Tactical Firing Training (TFT) and Tactical Firing Evaluation (TFE).
During the exercise, live surface-to-air missile firings were conducted with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and STINGER weapon systems. In particular, the systems engaged remotely piloted aerial targets provided by the company QinetiQ. The targets simulated realistic aerial threats by executing complex attack scenarios.
The exercise scenario, together with the administrative and operational support required to train and validate all evaluation criteria, was strongly supported by the multinational Tactical Firing Evaluation (TFE) Section of NAMFI, staffed by Greek and German Air Defence personnel.
Both the Tactical Firing Training (TFT) and Tactical Firing Evaluation (TFE) were successfully completed. The live firings of NASAMS and STINGER missiles were conducted safely and in full compliance with NAMFI’s safety regulations and procedures, once again demonstrating the range’s capability to support complex Ground-Based Air Defence training and activities.
