South African Army

The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. The Army is commanded by the Chief of the Army, who is subordinate to the Chief of the SANDF.

South African Army

1912 (1912)^[a]

South Africa

Army

Land warfare

47,500 (Active)^[1]
15,300 (Reserve)

South African National Defence Force

Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

For The Motherland!

10 May

Thandi Modise

Lt Gen Lawrence Mbatha

Maj Gen Michael Ramantswana

Senior Chief Warrant Officer P.T. Tladi

Formed in 1912, as the Union Defence Force in the Union of South Africa, through the amalgamation of the South African colonial forces following the unification of South Africa. It evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by Boer Commando (militia) forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies.^[2] Following the ascension to power of the National Party, the Army's long-standing Commonwealth ties were afterwards cut.

The South African Army was fundamentally changed by the end of Apartheid and its preceding upheavals, as the South African Defence Force became the SANDF. This process also led to the rank and age balance of the army deteriorating desperately, though this has greatly improved.

During its history, the South African Army has fought in a number of major wars, including the First and Second World Wars, Rhodesian Bush War, and the long and bitter Border War. The South African Army has also been involved in many peacekeeping operations such as in the Lesotho intervention, Central African Republic Civil War, and multiple counter-insurgencies in Africa; often under the auspices of the United Nations, or as part of wider African Union operations in Southern Africa. It also played a key role in controlling sectarian political violence inside South Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Chief of the SA Army Force Structure - To structure the SA Army in order to provide the SA Army component of the Landward Defence Capability.

[41]

Chief of the SA Army Force Preparation - Responsible for directing, orchestrating and controlling the combat readiness of SA Army Forces

Chief of the SA Army Corporate Services - Directing corporate resources, services and advice directed towards operationalising the SA Army strategy.

Inspector General - Provides an internal audit service within the Army strategy.

Chief of the SA Army Reserves - To give specialist advice to Chief of the SA Army and his staff in all Reserves related issues

- To enhance discipline in the SA Army and enforce standards of discipline.

Sergeant Major of the Army

Budget[edit]

A budget of approximately R15.7 billion was allocated for fiscal year 2023.

The vast majority of army equipment is nearing the end of its service life, with some items (like the Olifant main battle tank) dating from decades ago.

The South African National Defence Force has however started to remedy the situation with the procurement of 244 Badger infantry fighting vehicles under the Hoefyster programme. Other procurements are planned and should follow in line with the guideline document – Army Vision 2020. The SANDF has launched a project called "African Warrior" which is aimed in modernising the equipment and weapons of the SANDF. The project has been very successful in recent years and the South African Army has now put in service a 21st-century R4 assault rifle.^[54]

Project AORTA: A scheme for a new main battle tank. The operated up to a 168 Olifant Mk1B and Mk2 MBT, modified Centurion cruiser tanks. The Centurion tank in its early versions first saw action in Germany in the closing weeks of the Second World War (three were rushed to Northern Germany but failed to arrive in time to see action). Between 90 and 110 MBT were to have formed part of the government's ongoing Strategic Defence Package but fell by the wayside for a variety of reasons.

South African Armoured Corps

Project HOEFYSTER: Partial acquisition of a new generation infantry fighting vehicle. 244 on order at a cost of R8.4 billion. Denel Land Systems awarded contract.

Badger Infantry Combat Vehicles

Project MUSUKU: Development and partial acquisition of an advanced multi-role light artillery gun capability in the form of the 105 mm "Light Experimental Ordnance".

Project OUTCOME (GBADS III): Planned acquisition of the Umkhonto all weather surface-to-air-missile (AWSAM). No dates as yet.

Project PROTECTOR (GBADS II): Development and partial acquisition of a mobile ground-based air defence system. Possible R3bn budget for land-based Umkhonto IR missile.

Project SEPULA: A new generation armoured personnel carrier for the SA Army to replace the 440+ Mamba and 370+ Casspir that remain in service. The thinking is the Sepula vehicle should have a high level of commonality with the Vistula choice and at least share the drive train to form a "family" of vehicles. Assuming about 90 vehicles a motorised infantry battalion and multiplying that with the number of regular units as well as "some" Reserve Force regiments, about 1000 will be required at a cost of about R3 to R4 million each.

Project TLADI: "Zone 1" anti-tank. New generation portable infantry A/T rocket launcher to replace RPG7 and FT5.

Project VISTULA: A drive to acquire up to 3000 new tactical 5t and 10t trucks for the SA Army and its sister Services. To replace the SAMIL series.

Project WARRIOR: Dismounted soldier system. Acquisition study for low risk items completed 2006. Development plan for complex sub-systems underway.

Source^[55]

South African military ranks

List of South African military chiefs

Frankel, Philip (2000). (paper). Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-3747-0. LCCN 00032102. OL 6782707M.

Soldiers in a Storm: The Armed Forces in South Africa's Democratic Transition

Garcia, Antonio (2018). . Baltimore, Maryland: Project Muse. ISBN 9780797496866. OCLC 1154841748.

South Africa and United Nations Peacekeeping Offensive Operations : Conceptual Models

Hamann, Hilton (23 July 2007). Days of the Generals: The Untold Story of South Africa's Apartheid-era Military Generals (1st ed.). Struik Publishers. 978-1868723409.

ISBN

Nelson, H.D. (1981). South Africa: A Country Study. U.S. Department of the Army Pamphlet. Vol. 550–93. (also possibly is a 1971 edition)

Siegfried, Stander (1985). Like the Wind, The Story of the SA Army. Cape Town: Saayman & Weber.

Volker, W. Victor (2010). Army signals in South Africa: the story of the South African Corps of Signals and its antecedents. Pretoria: Veritas Books.

Volker, W. Victor (2010). Signal units of the South African Corps of Signals and related signal services. Pretoria: Veritas Books. 978-0620453455.

ISBN

Volker, W. Victor (2010). 9c - Nine Charlie!: Army Signallers in the Field: The Story of the Men and Women of the South African Corps of Signals, and Their Equipment. Pretoria: Veritas Books. 978-0620453462.

ISBN

Vrdoljak, Mary Kathleen (1970). The history of South African regiments: A select bibliography (Thesis). Cape Town: Libraries.

University of Cape Town

Wessels, André (2013). . Journal for Contemporary History. 38 (1): 229–254.

"South Africa's Land Forces, 1912-2012"

Official South African Army Website

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the . Country Studies. Federal Research Division.

South African Army