Tag: fact file
Fact file: Classifying armed forces
Classifying armed forces is inherently dangerous and controversial. Retired Rear Admiral (and now consultant) Rolf Hauter says he is "rather sceptical of...
Fact file: 16 Maintenance Unit
16 Maintenance Unit was established on October 16, 1973 at Grootfontein to render 3rd line logistical support to deployed forces in Namibia....
Fact file: 44 Parachute Regiment
44 Para Regt is the successor to 44 Parachute Brigade, established as an integrated fulltime/reserve formation in April 1978.
At its peak,...
Fact file: 21 SA Infantry Battalion
In 1973 the apartheid government decided to train black soldiers. The next January, a team of ten, led by Major MW Pretorius...
Fact file: 15 SA Infantry Battalion
This battalion was established in 1994 from the ranks of the former Venda Defence Force. The unit badge reflects its location. Thohoyandou...
Fact file: 14 SA Infantry Battalion
This battalion was established in 1994 from the ranks of the former Transkei Defence Force.
Current role: Light Infantry
Current base: Mthatha
Battle...
Fact file: 9 SA Infantry Battalion
The Cape Corps was one of the oldest organised military units in South African history, tracing its ancestry back to a "Corps...
Fact file: 8 SA Infantry Battalion
The unit was established at Upington in the Northern Cape in October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees...
Fact file: 7 SA Infantry Battalion
7SAI was established on October 1, 1973 at Bourke's Luck under command of then Commandant (Lt Colonel) Eddie Webb. The RSM was...
Fact file: 6 SA Infantry Battalion
Grahamstown has been home to 6SAI since January 1, 1962. The unit was established at the time to train whites conscripted for...
Fact file: 5 SA Infantry Battalion
5 SAI was established at Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal on January 1, 1962, becoming operational on April 1, 1962. The next year, the unit...
Fact file: 4 SA Infantry Battalion
4 SAI came into being on January 1, 1962, with the first troops arriving that April. Troops were detached on operational duty...
Fact file: 2 SA Infantry Battalion
In its early days, 2 SAI, established on January 1, 1962 at Walvis Bay, with its "temporary accommodation" that stood nearly three...
Fact file: 1 Special Service Battalion
Regarded as the senior regular unit of the SA Army, 1 SSB was formed as a Permanent Force (PF) unit on May...
Fact file: 1 SA Infantry Battalion
Established as 1 SA Infantry Training Battalion1 at Oudtshoorn (hence the ostrich feathers on the unit insignia) on January 26, 19512, the...
Fact file: First City Regiment
Raised on October 7, 1875 and gazetted on November 18, this is the country's senior Scots regiment and wears the Graham of...
Fact file: 1 SA Tank Regiment
The smaller corps for many years economised by co-habituating their schools with a dependent operational unit, in the case of air defence,...
Fact file: M26 fragmentation hand grenade
A hand grenade is an anti-personnel weapon that explodes a short time after release. The wikipedia speculates the term grenade probably comes...
Fact file: 1 SA Corps
1 South African Corps was a sequel to an Active Citizen Force headquarters established in April 1965. This changed its name to...
Fact file: 10 SA Division
This division was created in 1988 from personnel in Sector 10 in northern Namibia to defend against a perceived threat from the...
Fact file: 9 SA Division
9 SA Division was established in 1992 in Cape Town when the SA Army abandoned the conventional order of battle used for...
Fact file: 8 SA Division
8 SA Division was established as an armoured formation on August 1, 1974, consisting of 81 Armoured Brigade, 82 Mechanised Brigade and...
Fact file: 7 SA Division
7 SA Division was founded as an infantry formation on August 1, 1974. As established, it consisted of 71, 72 and 73...
Fact file: 6 SA Armoured Division
This division – the first true armoured division in South African military history – was formed in South Africa on February 1,...
Fact ile: 3 SA Infantry Division
3 SA Infantry Division1 was formed in South Africa on October 23, 1940, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The division never left...
Fact file: 2 SA Infantry Division
The division1 was formed on October 23, 1940 with its divisional HQ at Roberts' Heights (now Thaba Tshwane), Pretoria. Most of the...
Fact file: 1 SA Infantry Division
The division1 was formed on August 13, 1940 at the South African Military College at Roberts' Heights (now Thaba Tshwane), Pretoria....
SANDF operations, February 2010
The South African National Defence Force in February 2010 had 2035 soldiers, airmen, sailors and medics deployed on four peace missions in...
Fact file: Hecla (Protea)-class hydrographic vessel
The SAS Protea is equipped for hydrographic survey and the collection of oceanographic data.
Ships of the class:
...
Fact file: Denel Cheetah multi-role fighter aircraft
The Denel Cheetah was essentially a remanufactured and upgraded French Dassault Mirage III. South African airframes were used for the D and...
Fact file: AgustaWestland A109M light utility helicopter
Project Flange – the AgustaWestland A109M light utility helicopter – was the black sheep of the 1999 Strategic Defence Package and has...
Fact file: OTOMelera 76mm/62 Super Rapid medium automatic cannon
The OTOMelera 76mm/62 Super Rapid automatic cannon is a standard medium calibre gun aboard South African ships, serving as the primary weapon...
Fact file: Denel CSH2 Rooivalk
The Rooivalk may well be a dinosaur that survived its mass extinction. The Rooivalk was conceived in the 1980s as a tank-buster...
Fact file: Drakensberg-class combat support ship
The Drakensberg is the largest ship built in South Africa to date and reportedly the first naval vessel to be completely designed...
Fact file: SAN Mk1 20mm automatic cannon
The SAN Mk1 20mm automatic cannon is a standard light-weight weapon aboard South African ships, serving as the primary weapon of the...
Fact file: Sarah Baartman-class environmental offshore patrol vessel
Equipped with a helicopter deck and refuelling facilities the SA Sarah Baartman is able to accommodate a fully laden Super Puma/Oryx. The...
Fact file: The SA Artillery
One of the more recent branches, the Artillery, often called the ultima ratio regum (last argument of kings), wears the same colours...
Fact file: The Ordnance Service Corps
Until recently – but allowing for the Romans - armies normally lived "off the land", meaning they looted townsman and peasant, stripping...
Fact file: The SA Tactical Intelligence Corps
Commanders have always had a need for intelligence and security, but, like many other functions described in this section, this was provided...
Fact file: The SA Engineering Corps
The engineers are an ancient branch, the name deriving from the operators of the engines used during siege warfare, and later, the...
Fact file: The SA Armoured Corps
The tank was invented, more or less simultaneously, in Britain and France in 1915, to support the infantry in crossing the machine...
Fact file: The SA Air Defence Artillery
During World War One (WW1, 1914-1918), the threat posed by enemy aircraft forced all belligerents to allocate to some artillery and machine...
Fact file: The SA Infantry Corps
The South African Infantry Corps (SAIC) is the single largest professional group within the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), with some suggesting...
Fact file: T-class Inshore Patrol Vessel
This very lightly armed catamaran is used as an inshore patrol boat by the South African Navy.
Vessels of the class:
...
Fact file: Namacurra-class harbour patrol boats
Built in South Africa by Tornado Products in 1980-81 these harbour patrol boats can also be transported by road. Some have been...
Fact file: River-class inshore patrol vessel/minehunter
South Africa acquired these German-designed vessels under the guise of "research vessels". In fact they were very capable minehunters fitted with sophisticated...
Fact file: Lockheed Martin C130BZ Hercules medium tactical transport
The South African Air Force C-130 fleet consists of seven platforms (401 - 407) purchased in 1963 before a US arms embargo...
Fact file: Warrior-class offshore patrol vessel
South Africa contracted with Israel for six of these vessels in 1974 – three to be built in Israel and the rest...
Fact file: Airbus Military A400M medium transport
The Airbus Military A400M is a pan-European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed to replace or supplement aircraft used in the tactical...
Fact file: Valour-class small guided missile frigates
The Valour-class frigate is a multi-purpose and multi-capable vessel suitable for executing various naval missions. Frigates are the workhorses of any navy....
