South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Capital: Pretoria

Historical

Chaka Zulu

1879 Anglo-Zulu War

The Battle of Isandlwana

1899-1902 Boer War

1977 U.N. weapons embargo against South Africa. Sometimes western nations adhered to the embargo, sometimes they didn't.

The white ruled apartheid era South Africa fought against SWAPO guerrillas in Namibia (called South West Africa at that time) from 1966-1989. Fought against African National Congress (ANC) forces during this same time frame.

South Africa, under a racist white minority government, invaded Angola in 1984.

Had U.N. arms sanctions imposed upon the white ruled government during the apartheid era. The apartheid regime cavorted with israel during that time frame, and the two nations developed weapons together.

The ANC had military camps in a few nations in Southern Africa.

Umkohonto we Sizwe or “Spear of the Nation” was the armed wing of the African National Congress. Often just called “MK”.

African National Congress (ANC) guerrillas were integrated into the South African Defense Forces after the ANC came into power in 1994.

The racist apartheid South African regime had a nuclear weapons program.

The white South Africans during the apartheid era also had a biological weapons program aimed at the black population of southern Africa.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

South African military forces

South African National Defense Force (SANDF)

62,082 active duty military forces

15,071 reserve forces

12,383 paramilitary forces

Air Force
Approximately 11,245 personnel

Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft (22)

BAe Hawk trainer/light attack aircraft (24)

Pilatus PC-7 Mk II trainer/light attack aircraft (52)

C-130 transport aircraft (7)

Douglas C-47 transport aircraft (10)

Pilatus PC-12 transport aircraft (1)

CASA C-212 Aviocar transport aircraft (1)

CASA CN-235 transport aircraft

Falcon 900 transport aircraft (1)

Falcon 50 transport aircraft (2)

Cessna 208 (10)

Super King Air (4)

Cessna 550 Citation (2)

IRIS-T air-to-air missiles

A-Darter air-to-air missile being jointly developed by South Africa and Brazil.

Impi light air-to-ground missile currently under development.

Raptor glide bomb. Made by Denel.

Raptor II glide bomb.

Denel Rooivalk attack helicopters (11)

Atlas Oryx (40)
South African made transport helicopters 

Agusta A109 helicopters (27)

Westland Super Lynx helicopters operated from South African Navy Valour Class frigates. (4)

The Atlas Cheetah (upgraded Mirage III) aircraft were retired from service in South Africa in 2008


AHRLAC 
light reconnaissance and counter-insurgency aircraft. Joint venture between the Paramount Group and Aerosud. Still under development.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Seeker II Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Made by Denel

Seeker 400 armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Made by Denel. Possibly armed with the Impi or Mokopa air-to-ground missile. 

Bateleur unmanned aerial vehicle. Made by Denel.

Hungwe unmanned aerial vehicle

Kiwit unmanned aerial vehicle

Vulture unmanned aerial vehicle

Aircraft Retired From Service

Mirage F1

Mirage III

Cheetah (upgraded Mirage III)

Navy
Approximately 6,100 personnel

SAS prefix to vessel names

Frigates (4)

Submarines (3)

Fast Attack Craft (2)

Mine Warfare vessels (8)

Patrol Boats

Fast Attack Craft with Scorpion (Gabriel Mk 2) anti-ship missiles?

MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles

Scorpion (Gabriel Mk 2 variant) anti-ship missiles

Umkhonto vertically launched surface-to-air infrared homing missile. Radar homing version as well. On South African Valour Class frigates. Made by Denel.

SUT torpedoes for Heroine Class submarines

Maritime Reaction Squadron

Army

30,500 active duty personnel

11,000 reserve personnel

4,500 civilian employees

Army Aviation

Denel AH-2 Rooivalk- South African made attack helicopters.

Mokopa- South African made air-to-surface missiles used mostly for anti-tank role. Available with anti-ship warheads. Fired from helicopters, but different platforms have been successfully tested. 10km range.

Olifant- South African upgraded Centurion tank with 105mm gun. (250)

Rooikat 76 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. South African made. (240)

Ratel 90 infantry fighting vehicles armed with 90mm cannon. South African made.

Ratel 60 infantry fighting vehicles armed with 60mm mortar. South African made.

Ratel 20 infantry fighting vehicles armed with 20mm cannon. South African made.

Ratel ZT-3 with Ingwe anti-tank guided missiles. South African made. (53)

Mamba Mk III South African made. (538)

RG-32 Nyala South African made. (400)

RG-31 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made.

RG-12 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers South African made. (500)

RCV-9 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made. (50)

Buffel 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made. (2,400)

Casspir mine resistant armored personnel carriers. South African made. (390)

Ingwe 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made.
Bulldog 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made.

Wolf 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers.

Hornet (or Wasp) 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carriers. South African made. (25)
Gecko 8x8 wheeled amphibious all terrain vehicle.

Samil 20 4x4 wheeled trucks

Samil 50 4x4 wheeled trucks

Samil 100 6x6 wheeled trucks

MAN heavy duty German made trucks

Artillery

Valkiri Mk1

South African made 127mm self propelled multiple rocket launchers. 24 round launcher.

Canopy covering the launcher on the truck makes the Valkiri look like a regular SAMIL 20 4x4 light truck. Canopy taken off during firing. Minimum smoke signature from launches.

Valkiri Mk II (Bateleur)

South African made 127mm self propelled multiple rocket launchers. 40 round launcher. Mounted on a fully armored SAMIL 100 truck.

G6

South African made 155mm self propelled howitzer

G5

South African made 155mm towed howitzer. Made by Armscor.

Krasnopol-M

Russian made cannon launched anti-tank missile for 155mm guns.

Starstreak surface-to-air missiles LML version with three missiles.(8)?

Cactus- South African copy of the Crotale surface-to-air missiles.

Bofors towed 40mm anti-aircraft guns
GDF 005 towed 35mm anti-aircraft guns (48)

GDF 002 towed 35mm anti-aircraft guns (102)

ZU-23 towed 23mm anti-aircraft guns. Truck mounted as the Zumlac.

Oerlikon GAI-BO-1 towed 20mm anti-aircraft guns

Oerlikon GAI-CO-4 towed 20mm anti-aircraft guns

Oerlikon GAI-CO-1 towed 20mm anti-aircraft guns Truck mounted as the Ystervark.

ZPU-4 towed 14.5mm anti-aircraft guns

Brandt M120 120mm mortars

M3 81mm mortars

M1 60mm mortars

MILAN 3 anti-tank guided missiles

Ingwe anti-tank guided missiles (South African made)

RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers

FT-94 light anti-tank rocket launchers (South African made)?

M40 106mm recoilless guns

M67 90mm recoilless guns

Denel Y3 Mk 1 40mm automatic grenade launcher. South African made.

Y2 Mk 1 (Milkor MGL Mk 1) 40mm grenade launchers. 6 round cylinder. South African made.

M2HB Browning .50 cal machine guns

FN MAG machine guns

Vektor SS-77 7.62x51mm machine guns (South African made)

Vektor Mini SS 5.56x45mm light machine guns

Vektor CR-21 or Combat Rifle 21 assault rifles. Marketed for export.

Vektor R4 5.56mm assault rifle. Licensed copy of the israeli Galil. (South African made)

Vektor R5 5.56mm carbine version of the R4.

Denel BXP 9mm sub-machine guns (South African made)

Vektor Z88 pistols (Beretta 92 copy)

Vektor SP1 pistols

Striker 12 gauge shotgun- 12 round rotary magazine. Originally produced by Armsel. Now produced under license by another South African company named Reunert Technology Systems.

44^th Parachute Regiment- Brigade sized Paratroop regiment 

3^rd Parachute Battalion- Battalion sized reserve paratroop force

6^th South African Infantry Battalion- Air Assault unit

2 reserve air assault units

9^th South African Infantry Battalion (9 SAI Bn)- Seaborne motorized infantry unit

Special Forces brigade

The Commandos system has been done away with as of 2008. The Commando system served as a territorial militia force. Each commando was responsible for the defense of a specific community, both urban and rural.

The South African Military Health Service is actually a separate branch of the South African National Defense Force, along with the Army, Navy, and Air Force.




South African Police Service (SAPS)

South African Intelligence Agencies

South African Secret Service

South African National Defence Force pictures

Mercenaries

Executive Outcomes (EO)

South African based Executive Outcomes were hired by the government of Sierra Leon to train Sierra Leon government forces and to fight RUF guerrilla forces. Helicopters. Executive Outcomes was disbanded in 1999, but members of disbanded mercenary groups seem to only move on to newly created mercenary groups. Quite often the same people under a different name.

Companies that were formed by Ex-members of Executive Outcomes include:

Alpha 5

Stabilco

Omega Support Ltd.

Panasec Corporate Dynamics

Bridge Resources

COIN Security

Corporate Tracking International

Safenet

Southern Cross security

Some of Executive Outcomes (or the umbrella company Strategic Resources Corporation) subsidiaries are:

Saracen International

Bridge International

Shibata Security

Teleservices International

Lifeguard

Ibis Air

Companies

Milkor

Armscor

Denel

Armsel

Paramount Group (Makers of the Matador and Marauder armored vehicles)
Land Mobility Technologies (LMT)
Atlas Aircraft Corporation (now part of Denel Aviation)
T-Craft

Debeers