109-706: The South African National Defence Force ( SANDF ) comprises the armed forces of South Africa . The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services . They are in turn accountable to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans of the Defence Department . The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first nonracial election in April of that year and
218-602: A Cuban intervention in Angola , and the escalation of the South African Border War convinced the government that it faced a serious external threat. In 1978, the premiership was accepted by PW Botha , a former South African security chief, and defence expenditure spiraled upwards. Armscor, then a relatively new entity, was charged with modernising the arsenal of the South African Defence Force (SADF). This
327-746: A 1970 report, small arms and ammunition were being produced not only at defence ordnance facilities, but also at the South African mint and the African Explosive and Chemical Industries plant, which had previously confined its market to civil mining operations. South Africa began acquiring large quantities of NATO arms in 1960, after the Sharpeville Massacre prompted the African National Congress to abandon its traditional non-violent tactics in favour of armed struggle. The government
436-772: A body that will advise the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on the improvement of conditions of service of members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Members of the Commission include the Chiefs of the service arms, as well as the Chief of Defence Intelligence and the Chief of Joint Operations. Four armed services make up the forces of the SANDF: The Joint Operations Division
545-552: A childhood background of relative socio-economic deprivation . For example, after the US suspended conscription in 1973, "the military disproportionately attracted African American men, men from lower-status socioeconomic backgrounds, men who had been in nonacademic high school programs, and men whose high school grades tended to be low". However, a study released in 2020 on the socio-economic backgrounds of U.S. Armed Forces personnel suggests that they are at parity or slightly higher than
654-583: A civilian job while training under military discipline at weekends; he or she may be called out to deploy on operations to supplement the full-time personnel complement. After leaving the armed forces, recruits may remain liable for compulsory return to full-time military employment in order to train or deploy on operations . Military law introduces offences not recognized by civilian courts, such as absence without leave (AWOL) , desertion, political acts, malingering , behaving disrespectfully, and disobedience (see, for example, offences against military law in
763-450: A debilitating effect on Denel and consequently the country's defence capability. In 2014 some 62% of the SANDF's facilities and housing were deemed to be in unacceptable condition, of which 4% were hazardous, another 2% fit to be demolished, and some occupied by squatters. This contributed to low soldier morale and poor discipline. Equipment became largely obsolete due to inadequate maintenance, while renewal stalled with devastating effect on
872-440: A decade to extend the vessels' service lives beyond 2035. It is expected that the guns, combat management suite and radar system will be upgraded, amongst other items. All four branches of the South African National Defence Force are receiving new digital tactical communications equipment for complete interoperability between services under Project Radiate. Initial production orders for the complete system were placed with Reutech in
981-515: A huge influence on Asian military doctrine, and from the late 19th century, on European and United States military planning . It has even been used to formulate business tactics, and can even be applied in social and political areas. The Classical Greeks and the Romans wrote prolifically on military campaigning . Among the best-known Roman works are Julius Caesar 's commentaries on the Gallic Wars , and
1090-564: A larger and more sophisticated variant of the Panhard AML armoured car. Armscor oversaw a vast military, industrial and technological empire that consumed tens of billions of dollars. It was able to draw on both civilian and military resources, and had both legitimate and clandestine networks as a means of obtaining defence technology. Armscor's powers included the authority to integrate military and civilian industrial projects: this allowed for an ambitious dual-use production effort. According to
1199-595: A military is usually defined as defence of their state and its interests against external armed threats. In broad usage, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include other paramilitary forces such as armed police. A nation's military may function as a discrete social subculture , with dedicated infrastructure such as military housing, schools , utilities, logistics , hospitals , legal services, food production, finance, and banking services. Beyond warfare,
SECTION 10
#17330859777751308-516: A minimum period of service of several years; between two and six years is typical of armed forces in Australia, the UK and the US, for example, depending on role, branch, and rank. Some armed forces allow a short discharge window, normally during training, when recruits may leave the armed force as of right. Alternatively, part-time military employment, known as reserve service , allows a recruit to maintain
1417-421: A number of different variants over the next decade. A contract was placed with Denel Land Systems in 2013 for service entry by 2022. The Badger is intended to be produced in nine different variants including a mortar variant, missile variant, section variant, signal variant, ambulance variant, command variant, fire support variant, and artillery variant. The section and fire support variants will be equipped with
1526-548: A panel of experts, chaired by retired politician and former Minister of Defence, Roelf Meyer . Military A military , also known collectively as armed forces , is a heavily armed , highly organized force primarily intended for warfare . Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state , with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform . They may consist of one or more military branches such as an army , navy , air force , space force , marines , or coast guard . The main task of
1635-531: A partner in the A400M airlifter programme when it purchased eight (with an option for a further eight) of the transport aircraft. The first aircraft was due for delivery to the SAAF in 2010 but this was delayed with the aircraft scheduled to be delivered from 2013 or early 2014 onwards. The contract was terminated in 5 November 2009 due to extensive cost escalation and delays in the contractual delivery time. As of 2023 The SAAF
1744-476: A pilot's licence was also criticized. The SANDF had only 14 infantry battalions consisting of 12,000 soldiers in aggregate, of which five were deployed in peacekeeping and border patrol, leaving only nine to serve as home or rapid response units. In February 2022 the power supply to its Navy headquarters in Pretoria was disconnected when its municipal taxes were in arrears to the amount of R3.2 million. During
1853-464: A sense of military tradition , which is used to create cohesive military forces. Still, another is to learn to prevent wars more effectively. Human knowledge about the military is largely based on both recorded and oral history of military conflicts (war), their participating armies and navies and, more recently, air forces . Despite the growing importance of military technology , military activity depends above all on people. For example, in 2000
1962-606: A significant impact at the strategic level. This concept was pioneered by the German army prior to and during the Second World War . At this level, planning and duration of activities takes from one week to a month, and are executed by Field Armies and Army Corps and their naval and air equivalents. Military tactics concerns itself with the methods for engaging and defeating the enemy in direct combat. Military tactics are usually used by units over hours or days, and are focused on
2071-422: A small arms producing capacity during World War II , and unlike most African states it possessed exceptionally competent scientists and engineers adept at substituting local manufacture for imports. Generally Armscor proceeded by studying specimens of foreign equipment, sometimes through one of its third parties, then applying these skills to their improvement. By the 1990s it could boast of being "a world leader" in
2180-634: A victory more often than that achieved by the Romans in praying to the gods before the battle. Later this became known as military science , and later still, would adopt the scientific method approach to the conduct of military operations under the influence of the Industrial Revolution thinking. In his seminal book On War , the Prussian Major-General and leading expert on modern military strategy , Carl von Clausewitz defined military strategy as 'the employment of battles to gain
2289-470: Is a South African vertical launching system that is being developed for the South African Army's ground-based air defence system (GBADS) requirement under Project Outcome. The missile system is intended to provide all-round protection for the armed forces against airborne threats, including attack aircraft, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Denel Dynamics conducted the first test launch of
SECTION 20
#17330859777752398-431: Is also an area in which much effort is invested – it includes everything from global communication networks and aircraft carriers to paint and food. Possessing military capability is not sufficient if this capability cannot be deployed for, and employed in combat operations. To achieve this, military logistics are used for the logistics management and logistics planning of the forces military supply chain management ,
2507-474: Is also looking at collaborating with Brazil on a high speed target drone and a vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTOL UAV). Both countries are part of the IBSA Dialogue Forum . India and South Africa have also developed military cooperation, trading arms and joint exercises like IBSAMAR , which started in 2008 between India, Brazil, and South Africa and programs to train forces. During
2616-407: Is arguably one of the most complex activities known to humanity; because it requires determining: strategic, operational, and tactical capability requirements to counter the identified threats; strategic, operational , and tactical doctrines by which the acquired capabilities will be used; identifying concepts, methods, and systems involved in executing the doctrines; creating design specifications for
2725-405: Is conducted by determining a military budget , which is administered by a military finance organization within the military. Military procurement is then authorized to purchase or contract provision of goods and services to the military, whether in peacetime at a permanent base, or in a combat zone from local population. Capability development, which is often referred to as the military 'strength',
2834-466: Is deciding whether to upgrade its C-130BZ Hercules fleet or accept retired C-130Hs from the United States which would also need to be upgraded. The United Kingdom had offered to sell South Africa surplus C-130J Super Hercules while the US was offering excess C-130Hs. The South African Air Force plans to upgrade its current Rooivalk Mk I fleet to Mk II status. Around 2015, Denel has been promoting
2943-571: Is in the nature of the secrecy of the information they seek, and the clandestine nature that intelligence operatives work in obtaining what may be plans for a conflict escalation , initiation of combat , or an invasion . An important part of the military intelligence role is the military analysis performed to assess military capability of potential future aggressors, and provide combat modelling that helps to understand factors on which comparison of forces can be made. This helps to quantify and qualify such statements as: " China and India maintain
3052-504: Is now less than 1% of GDP against the international average of 2%, the military industry is largely exporting to survive and continues to develop world class military hardware. In 2021 The South African military industry exported R3.3 billion worth of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to 67 countries around the world. Project Hoefyster was launched in 2013 to partially replace the South African Army's ageing Ratel fleet with around 240 new generation Badger infantry fighting vehicles in
3161-579: Is responsible for co-ordinating all Joint Operations involving any or all of the four services. The South African Special Forces Brigade is the only organic unit under the direct command of the Joint Operations division. Unlike most other special forces it is not part of the Army or any other branch of the SANDF. The SANDF publishes (or provides links) to documents describing its strategy, plans, performance, white papers and related government acts. Under
3270-537: Is the largest UAV to be manufactured in South Africa and on the African continent. It has an endurance of up to 35 hours of flight time and a payload capacity of 210 kg. The South African Army is also seeking to acquire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance and target acquisition. The Navy's four Valour-class frigates will receive a mid-life upgrade under Project Syne from 2017-18. Work will take place over
3379-539: Is vested in an officer-designated Chief of the SANDF (CSANDF). Appointed from any of the Arms of Service, they are the only person in the SANDF at the rank of General or Admiral, and is accountable to the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, who heads the Department of Defence . The structure of the SANDF is depicted below: In 2010, a Defence Amendment Bill created a permanent National Defence Force Service Commission (NDFSC),
South African National Defence Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-479: The 1st World War , 2nd World War , Korean War , and establishment of the Union Defence Force 1912 . The SANDF possesses various foreign and domestically produced weapons. Most of its equipment comes from its own domestic military industry and some gear comes from foreign countries. South Africa's arms industry dates back to 1968 and was established primarily as a response to the international sanctions by
3597-483: The A-Darter air-to-air missile project which will be used on both their JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. Both countries are looking to further cooperate in missile development, notably on the 100 km range Marlin radar-guided air-to-air weapon which will feature a radar seeker head and will be developed into an all-weather surface-to-air missile (SAM) that can be used by South African and Brazilian Navies, In addition South Africa
3706-780: The Aermacchi MB-326 . Armscor also purchased systems abroad which were designed to SADF specifications. The most prominent of these were the Mirage III series of fighter aircraft, which were modified in France for South African requirements. Armscor's predecessor, the Munitions Board, had also imported the AML-60 and AML-90 armoured scout cars from France. The vehicles saw action against Cuban T-34-85 tanks in Angola during Operation Savannah , and
3815-461: The IBSA Dialogue Forum . 31 March 2019, the demographics of service personnel On 31 March 2019, the demographics of service personnel were as follows: 31 March 2019, gender split in the SANDF The gender split in the SANDF as of 31 March 2019 is as follows: The target for female recruits increased to 40% in 2010. The South African Defence Review 2012 is a policy review process carried out by
3924-599: The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2000 (PAIA) , the SANDF also provides access to current and historical information the SANDF holds and provides a manual with procedures for obtaining access. Some categories of records are "automatically available" that are "available without a person having to request access in terms of the PAIA. These records can be accessed at the Department of Defence Archives and include operational records of
4033-576: The Roman Civil war – written about 50 BC. Two major works on tactics come from the late Roman period: Taktike Theoria by Aelianus Tacticus , and De Re Militari ('On military matters') by Vegetius . Taktike Theoria examined Greek military tactics, and was most influential in the Byzantine world and during the Golden Age of Islam . De Re Militari formed the basis of European military tactics until
4142-513: The USA , Russia , China and the European Union . The wide-ranging locally-made South African weapons and combat systems include Transport and Attack helicopters , Armoured personnel carriers , Main battle tanks , Missiles , Cruise missiles , Unmanned aerial vehicle , Military aircraft , infantry equipment and ships. Although the South African defence budget has been shrinking over the years and
4251-504: The United Nations against South Africa due to apartheid , which began in 1963 and prevented the country from acquiring foreign combat systems until 1990. South Africa's arms industry is the only arms industry in Africa capable of producing home-grown sophisticated military equipment, as of today it is considered one of the most advanced in the non-Western world rivalling great nations such as
4360-632: The civil unrest following the jailing on corruption charges of former president Jacob Zuma . By 14 July, over 25,000 troops had been deployed. The largest single deployment of the South African National Defence Force since 1994. The SANDF partakes in UN peacekeeping missions , mostly on the African continent. As part of the SADC standby force it partakes in peace missions in the DRC and northern Mozambique . It also provides foreign election security when needed. Overall command
4469-407: The history of war , with military history focusing on the people and institutions of war-making, while the history of war focuses on the evolution of war itself in the face of changing technology, governments, and geography. Military history has a number of facets. One main facet is to learn from past accomplishments and mistakes, so as to more effectively wage war in the future. Another is to create
South African National Defence Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-403: The submarines , while only 46 of 217 fixed-wing aircraft were serviceable (with all VIP aircraft grounded), and only 27 of 87 helicopters . Budget and hardware constraints also compromised flight training and exercises, besides the retention of experienced pilots and personnel. The defence minister 's appointment of an Air Force chief, Wiseman Mbambo , who cannot fly a plane and doesn't have
4687-559: The 1990s South Africa developed the Bhim self-propelled howitzer to meet the Indian Army 's requirements for self-propelled artillery units. South Africa is looking at collaboration with Indian defence companies after a trade visit identified areas of cooperation that include ammunition, landward weapons, particularly artillery, cybersecurity, electronic warfare, unmanned aerial vehicles, robotics and artificial intelligence. Both countries are part of
4796-511: The 2014/15 financial year and the first production equipment was due for delivery in the first quarter of 2016. Various components include HF, V/UHF, short range and intra platform communication systems. Brazil-South Africa military relations have traditionally been close, in 2022 the Brazilian Armed Forces provided military assistance to the SANDF in the form of warfare training and logistics. Brazil and South Africa also collaborated on
4905-433: The 30 mm (30×173 mm) GI-30 cannon locally developed by Denel Land Systems. Deliveries were scheduled between 2019 and 2022 but problems at Denel have caused delay's with no vehicles delivered to the South African Army, Armscor has recommended cancelling the contract and the funds to be spent on Ratel upgrades instead. Paramount Group believes a better alternative is to supply its Mbombe 8 infantry fighting vehicles to
5014-666: The Ammunition Section of the South African Mint became its first full subsidiaries. Over the next few years, Armscor took over various private sector companies, such as Atlas Aircraft Corporation, and established a number of new production and R&D facilities (Cawthra, 1986:98). In 1973, the government established the Defence Advisory Council (DAC) to co-ordinate the private sector's involvement in domestic arms production (Philip, 1989:205). Armscor continued in
5123-614: The British Army declared: "Man is still the first weapon of war." The military organization is characterized by a command hierarchy divided by military rank , with ranks normally grouped (in descending order of authority) as officers (e.g. colonel ), non-commissioned officers (e.g. sergeant ), and personnel at the lowest rank (e.g. private ). While senior officers make strategic decisions, subordinated military personnel ( soldiers , sailors , marines , or airmen ) fulfil them. Although rank titles vary by military branch and country,
5232-600: The French Minister of Armies , Pierre Messmer . The Portuguese contacted Messmer and achieved his written blessing on the condition that the loan was kept secret. Only then could South Africa agree. However, it became increasingly difficult for suppliers to exert control over indigenous weapons produced under licence. Once established, Armscor absorbed the Atlas Aircraft Corporation . The Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa (also known as Atlas Aviation)
5341-475: The MI their true capabilities, and to impress potential ideological recruits. Having military intelligence representatives participate in the execution of the national defence policy is important, because it becomes the first respondent and commentator on the policy expected strategic goal , compared to the realities of identified threats . When the intelligence reporting is compared to the policy, it becomes possible for
5450-668: The Mirage III and F1 interceptors became the mainstay of the South African Air Force (SAAF). Although the French supplied relatively modern and advanced weaponry to South Africa, they imposed some restraint on deployment and training. During the Angolan War of Independence , Portugal's request for a loan of SA.316 helicopters and Panhard armoured cars from South Africa to supplement their own limited resources had to be routed through
5559-720: The Mk II upgrade of the Rooivalk for the South African Air Force . Support came from the South African government as the South African Air Force recognised a need for an upgrade as a result of known obsolescence. Future Rooivalk upgrades would introduce new modern avionics, update the weapon system and increase reproducibility. The next generation Rooivalk would feature better sights, improved firepower, greater payload and better survivability and other improvements. A minimum of 75 Rooivalk Mk II are planned to be produced. The Umkhonto GBADS
SECTION 50
#17330859777755668-571: The SA Navy falls under Project Hotel, Project Hotel was initiated to replace the ageing SAS Protea , the SA Navy's current hydrographic vessel which is more than 50 years old. The delivery of the South African Navy's new Hydrographic Survey Vessel under Project Hotel has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 South African unrest , the vessel is expected to be delivered sometime between
5777-505: The SANDF was involved in multiple corruption scandals totaling R2 billion; one of which involved 56 SANDF personnel two of whom were generals all of whom were suspended. An additional 13 SANDF personal from the Logistics, Joint Operations and Special Forces divisions were convicted for corruption in another incident. As of 2012, the SANDF was involved in several internal operations, including: In 2021, SANDF forces were deployed in response to
5886-658: The Samil 50/100 4×4/6×6 truck fleet and Project Sepula aimed to replace the Casspir and Mamba armoured personnel carrier fleets of the South African Army. Project Biro will supply three new Warrior-class Multirole Inshore Patrols Vessels (MMIPVS) to the South African Navy to take over and replace the maritime coastal patrol function currently executed by the obsolete Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) SAS Isaac Dyobha and SAS Makhanda . The second future acquisition project for
5995-581: The South African Army which is a similar vehicle to the Badger as an immediately available and alternative to the long-delayed Badger vehicle. Project Hoefyster was deferred in November 2024 without any Badgers being delivered. The South African Army has deferred the acquisition of trucks and armoured vehicles to replace its Samil and Casspir fleets under Projects Sepula and Vistula as it explores domestic refurbishment and production. Project Vistula aimed to replace
6104-794: The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling on all states to stop supplying arms to South Africa. In 1968, the Armaments Production Board's name was changed to the Armaments Board . It was tasked with the procurement of armaments for the SADF and ensuring the optimal utilisation of the private sector for arms production (Simpson, 1989:222). In the same year, the government established the Armaments Development and Production Corporation (Armscor) . The Defence Ordnance Workshop and
6213-718: The Umkhonto GBL system for the South African Army in October 2013. The system successfully fired three Umkhonto missiles during the test. In September 2016. The naval variant of the Umkhonto missile system is in service with the navies of South Africa , Finland and Algeria . The South African Air Force is getting the Denel Dynamics A-Darter fifth generation air-to-air missile under Project Assegaai, which will replace
6322-968: The United Kingdom ). Penalties range from a summary reprimand to imprisonment for several years following a court martial . Certain rights are also restricted or suspended, including the freedom of association (e.g. union organizing) and freedom of speech (speaking to the media). Military personnel in some countries have a right of conscientious objection if they believe an order is immoral or unlawful, or cannot in good conscience carry it out. Personnel may be posted to bases in their home country or overseas, according to operational need, and may be deployed from those bases on exercises or operations . During peacetime, when military personnel are generally stationed in garrisons or other permanent military facilities, they conduct administrative tasks, training and education activities, technology maintenance , and recruitment . Initial training conditions recruits for
6431-504: The adoption of a new constitution. It replaced the South African Defence Force and also integrated uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) guerilla forces. In 1994, the SANDF took over the personnel and equipment from the SADF and integrated forces from the former Bantustan homelands forces, as well as personnel from the former guerrilla forces of some of
6540-497: The armed forces, and at all levels of the military hierarchy of command. Although concerned with research into military psychology , particularly combat stress and how it affects troop morale , often the bulk of military science activities is directed at military intelligence technology, military communications , and improving military capability through research. The design, development, and prototyping of weapons , military support equipment, and military technology in general,
6649-513: The civilian population with respect to socio-economic indicators such as parental income, parental wealth and cognitive abilities. The study found that technological, tactical, operational and doctrinal changes have led to a change in the demand for personnel. Furthermore, the study suggests that the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups are less likely to meet the requirements of the modern U.S. military. The obligations of military employment are many. Full-time military employment normally requires
SECTION 60
#17330859777756758-536: The commanding forces and other military, as well as often civilian personnel participate in identification of these threats. This is at once an organization, a system and a process collectively called military intelligence (MI). Areas of study in Military intelligence may include the operational environment, hostile, friendly and neutral forces, the civilian population in an area of combat operations, and other broader areas of interest. The difficulty in using military intelligence concepts and military intelligence methods
6867-454: The concepts and methods used by the command to employ appropriately military skilled, armed and equipped personnel in achievement of the tangible goals and objectives of the war , campaign , battle , engagement, and action. The line between strategy and tactics is not easily blurred, although deciding which is being discussed had sometimes been a matter of personal judgement by some commentators, and military historians. The use of forces at
6976-410: The concerns of military command. Military strategy is more concerned with the supply of war and planning, than management of field forces and combat between them. The scope of strategic military planning can span weeks, but is more often months or even years. Operational mobility is, within warfare and military doctrine , the level of command which coordinates the minute details of tactics with
7085-512: The consumables, and capital equipment of the troops. Although mostly concerned with the military transport , as a means of delivery using different modes of transport; from military trucks , to container ships operating from permanent military base , it also involves creating field supply dumps at the rear of the combat zone, and even forward supply points in a specific unit's tactical area of responsibility . These supply points are also used to provide military engineering services, such as
7194-426: The defence industry. According to the Department of Defence 's 2014 Defence Review, the SANDF was "in a critical state of decline". A series of cuts to its capital and operating budgets compromised a number of capabilities. In 2017 and 2021 respectively, 83 and some 200 to 500 out-of-service military vehicles were destroyed in fires at the Wallmansthal vehicle depot, and a spokesperson was not available to liaise with
7303-429: The demands of military life, including preparedness to injure and kill other people, and to face mortal danger without fleeing. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process which resocializes recruits for the unique nature of military demands. For example: The next requirement comes as a fairly basic need for the military to identify possible threats it may be called upon to face. For this purpose, some of
7412-501: The embargo encouraged South African efforts in diversifying suppliers while assuming indigenous production of some paraphernalia. Availability of Western-style equipment and spares from Israel in particular helped compensate for the military effects of the UN embargo. Armscor officials used aggressive covert techniques to acquire technology, bartering through other public sector enterprises, front companies, foreign agents, and even civil organisations. South Africa had already maintained
7521-466: The end of 2023 or early 2024. The vessel will be equipped with the latest survey equipment which includes multi- and single beam echo-sounders as well as side-scan sonar and a seabed sampler to recover material from the seafloor and underlying sub-strata for detailed analytical and testing purposes. The South African Air Force 's top priority is to acquire new strategic airlift aircraft to replace its ageing C-130BZ Hercules . In 2005 South Africa became
7630-414: The end of war'. According to Clausewitz: strategy forms the plan of the War, and to this end it links together the series of acts which are to lead to the final decision, that is to say, it makes the plans for the separate campaigns and regulates the combats to be fought in each. Hence, Clausewitz placed political aims above military goals , ensuring civilian control of the military . Military strategy
7739-401: The existence of the military is to engage in combat , should it be required to do so by the national defence policy, and to win. This represents an organisational goal of any military, and the primary focus for military thought through military history . How victory is achieved, and what shape it assumes, is studied by most, if not all, military groups on three levels. Military strategy is
7848-556: The field of upgrading obsolete weapons. Thus, Armscor's Olifant Mk1As were rebuilt from elderly British Centurion tanks purchased from India and Jordan . Its Atlas Cheetah interceptors were based on Mirage III airframes and inspired by the IAI Kfir . A French armoured personnel carrier , the Berliet VXB , inspired the six-wheeled Ratel IFV ; Armscor also developed the Eland Mk7 ,
7957-776: The form of military camouflage or misdirection using decoys , is used to confuse the enemy as a tactic. A major development in infantry tactics came with the increased use of trench warfare in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was mainly employed in World War I in the Gallipoli campaign , and the Western Front . Trench warfare often turned to a stalemate, only broken by a large loss of life, because, in order to attack an enemy entrenchment, soldiers had to run through an exposed ' no man's land ' under heavy fire from their opposing entrenched enemy. As with any occupation, since ancient times,
8066-400: The integration process was considered complete, with retaining personnel, structure, and equipment from the SADF. However, due to integration problems, financial constraints, and other issues, the SANDF faced capability constraints. The South African Commando System was a civil militia active until 2008, based upon local units from the size of company to battalion. In its final years its role
8175-522: The interim Diehl Defence IRIS-T short range missile. An order for the 20 kilometre range A-Darter was placed in March 2015, with deliveries of operational missiles scheduled for 2017. Both South African Gripens and Hawk Mk 120s are being fitted with the missile while Brazil, which is a partner in development, may also acquire the weapon for its Gripen E/Fs. At the end of November 2022 the South African Air Force ordered Milkor 380 UCAVs. The Milkor 380 (MALE) UAV
8284-513: The largest armed forces in the World" or that "the U.S. Military is considered to be the world's strongest". Although some groups engaged in combat, such as militants or resistance movements , refer to themselves using military terminology, notably 'Army' or 'Front', none have had the structure of a national military to justify the reference, and usually have had to rely on support of outside national militaries. They also use these terms to conceal from
8393-525: The late 17th century. Perhaps its most enduring maxim is Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum (let he who desires peace prepare for war). Due to the changing nature of combat with the introduction of artillery in the European Middle Ages , and infantry firearms in the Renaissance , attempts were made to define and identify those strategies, grand tactics , and tactics that would produce
8502-482: The level of organization between strategic and tactical is called operational mobility . Because most of the concepts and methods used by the military, and many of its systems are not found in commercial branches, much of the material is researched, designed, developed, and offered for inclusion in arsenals by military science organizations within the overall structure of the military. Therefore, military scientists can be found interacting with all Arms and Services of
8611-426: The management of forces in wars and military campaigns by a commander-in-chief , employing large military forces, either national and allied as a whole, or the component elements of armies , navies and air forces ; such as army groups , naval fleets , and large numbers of aircraft . Military strategy is a long-term projection of belligerents' policy, with a broad view of outcome implications, including outside
8720-630: The manufacturers who would produce these in adequate quantity and quality for their use in combat; purchase the concepts, methods, and systems; create a forces structure that would use the concepts, methods, and systems most effectively and efficiently; integrate these concepts, methods, and systems into the force structure by providing military education , training , and practice that preferably resembles combat environment of intended use; create military logistics systems to allow continued and uninterrupted performance of military organizations under combat conditions, including provision of health services to
8829-497: The military has been distinguished from other members of the society by their tools: the weapons and military equipment used in combat. When Stone Age humans first took flint to tip the spear , it was the first example of applying technology to improve the weapon. Since then, the advances made by human societies, and that of weapons, has been closely linked. Stone weapons gave way to Bronze Age and Iron Age weapons such as swords and shields . With each technological change
8938-436: The military may be employed in additional sanctioned and non-sanctioned functions within the state, including internal security threats, crowd control , promotion of political agendas , emergency services and reconstruction, protecting corporate economic interests, social ceremonies, and national honour guards . The profession of soldiering is older than recorded history . Some images of classical antiquity portray
9047-425: The national leadership to consider allocating resources over and above the officers and their subordinates military pay, and the expense of maintaining military facilities and military support services for them. Source: SIPRI Defense economics is the financial and monetary efforts made to resource and sustain militaries, and to finance military operations , including war. The process of allocating resources
9156-421: The overarching goals of strategy . A common synonym is operational art. The operational level is at a scale bigger than one where line of sight and the time of day are important, and smaller than the strategic level, where production and politics are considerations. Formations are of the operational level if they are able to conduct operations on their own, and are of sufficient size to be directly handled or have
9265-417: The personnel, and maintenance for the equipment; the services to assist recovery of wounded personnel, and repair of damaged equipment; and finally, post-conflict demobilization , and disposal of war stocks surplus to peacetime requirements. Development of military doctrine is perhaps the most important of all capability development activities, because it determines how military forces are used in conflicts,
9374-476: The physicality of armed forces, their personnel , equipment , and the physical area which they occupy. As an adjective, military originally referred only to soldiers and soldiering, but it broadened to apply to land forces in general, and anything to do with their profession. The names of both the Royal Military Academy (1741) and United States Military Academy (1802) reflect this. However, at about
9483-623: The political parties involved in South Africa, such as the African National Congress 's Umkhonto we Sizwe , the Pan Africanist Congress 's Azanian People's Liberation Army and the Self-Protection Units of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). The Azanian People's Organisation's AZANLA was invited but refused to be integrated and to this day remains the only guerrilla force not integrated into the current force. As of 2004,
9592-400: The post-apartheid era. In 1992, with the establishment of Denel , the new South African government dominated military-industrial and technological conglomerate, many parts of Armscor's missions and functions were changed and redirected. With the establishment of Denel the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split from Armscor in order for Armscor to be solely the procurement arm of
9701-538: The power and feats of military leaders . The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC from the reign of Ramses II , features in bas-relief monuments. The first Emperor of a unified China , Qin Shi Huang , created the Terracotta Army to represent his military might. The Ancient Romans wrote many treatises and writings on warfare, as well as many decorated triumphal arches and victory columns . The first recorded use of
9810-521: The press. Notwithstanding, it was reported to parliament in 2022, that technical skills gained from personnel of the Cuban RAF facilitated the preservation and maintenance of over 600,000 infantry weapons. Their mechanical and vehicular skills allowed for the inspection, repair, refurbishment and/or de-activation of vehicles in the special forces and the four arms of service fleets, besides the implementation of stock control and technical support measures, and
9919-445: The rank hierarchy is common to all state armed forces worldwide. In addition to their rank, personnel occupy one of many trade roles, which are often grouped according to the nature of the role's military tasks on combat operations: combat roles (e.g. infantry ), combat support roles (e.g. combat engineers ), and combat service support roles (e.g. logistical support ). Personnel may be recruited or conscripted , depending on
10028-415: The recovery of defective and derelict vehicles and weapons, maintenance of weapons in the field, the repair and field modification of weapons and equipment; and in peacetime, the life-extension programmes undertaken to allow continued use of equipment. One of the most important role of logistics is the supply of munitions as a primary type of consumable, their storage, and disposal . The primary reason for
10137-467: The regime purchased arms from France , West Germany , Italy , Jordan , and Switzerland during the 1964-1977 period. In 1964 a Belgian licence was obtained for South African manufacture of the FN FAL battle rifle; a year later, a modified version of this weapon and its ammunition was being manufactured in Pretoria 's assembly plants. Similarly, Italy granted a licence for production of an advanced trainer,
10246-477: The rehabilitation of army workshops and work stations. After submissions to parliament by Armscor , earlier in 2022, a spokesman for the official opposition , the DA , stated that the country's defence capability had been weakened to the extent that it was unprepared for a serious security challenge. The Navy and Air Force were highlighted as easy targets, as only one of the four frigates were serviceable, and none of
10355-454: The same month Sandu threatened legal action if the dilapidated Air Force headquarters building in Pretoria were not repaired to facilitate acceptable working conditions. In March 2022 the SANDF and Navy were locked out of several office buildings in Pretoria due to rent defaults by the Department of Public Works . 63% of the 2022/23 defence budget was allocated to employee compensation. In 2022
10464-448: The specific tasks and objectives of squadrons , companies , battalions , regiments , brigades , and divisions , and their naval and air force equivalents. One of the oldest military publications is The Art of War , by the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu . Written in the 6th century BCE, the 13-chapter book is intended as military instruction, and not as military theory , but has had
10573-629: The system chosen by the state. Most military personnel are males; the minority proportion of female personnel varies internationally (approximately 3% in India, 10% in the UK, 13% in Sweden, 16% in the US, and 27% in South Africa ). While two-thirds of states now recruit or conscript only adults, as of 2017 50 states still relied partly on children under the age of 18 (usually aged 16 or 17) to staff their armed forces. Whereas recruits who join as officers tend to be upwardly-mobile , most enlisted personnel have
10682-464: The time of the Napoleonic Wars , military began to be used in reference to armed forces as a whole, such as " military service ", " military intelligence ", and " military history ". As such, it now connotes any activity performed by armed force personnel. Military history is often considered to be the history of all conflicts, not just the history of the state militaries. It differs somewhat from
10791-508: The war, most of the wartime arms factories converted to their pre-war civilian activities. During the 1950s and early 1960s, South Africa relied heavily on arms imports (mainly from Britain). However, South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961, and the imposition of a voluntary United Nations arms embargo in 1963, provided the impetus for a shift towards the establishment of a domestic arms industry. The Armaments Production Board
10900-557: The word "military" in English, spelled militarie , was in 1582. It comes from the Latin militaris (from Latin miles ' soldier ' ) through French, but is of uncertain etymology, one suggestion being derived from *mil-it- – going in a body or mass. As a noun phrase, "the military" usually refers generally to a country's armed forces, or sometimes, more specifically, to the senior officers who command them. In general, it refers to
11009-548: Was a difficult task, as a United Nations arms embargo on South Africa, promulgated in 1964, became mandatory in 1977. Some of the SADF's preexisting hardware was trying to maintain, and any national defence establishment would encounter hurdles in keeping these systems operational without access to foreign technical support as well as new deliveries of parts and equipment. Armscor pursued both covert arms deals and black market purchases in an effort to acquire restricted defence technologies as rapidly as possible. The experience of
11118-471: Was established in 1964 to control the manufacture, procurement and supply of all armaments for the South African Defence Force (Simpson, 1989:222). The board also took over the Department of Defence's workshops and the ammunition section of the South African Mint, and was authorised to co-ordinate arms production in the private sector. By the mid-1960s, nearly a thousand private sector firms were involved in various aspects of domestic arms production. In 1967,
11227-417: Was established in 1965 to manufacture sophisticated military aircraft and avionics equipment for the South African Air Force , as well as for export. It was also established primarily to circumvent an international arms embargo implemented in 1963. The development of a domestic arms industry was one of the most significant aspects of the militarisation of the apartheid economy. South Africa's arms industry
11336-508: Was established with British aid just prior to the Second World War , when training aircraft were assembled locally and the Pretoria branch of the Royal Mint manufactured small arms ammunition (Cawthra, 1986:89). During the war, the arms industry manufactured a substantial amount of basic weaponry for the Union Defence Force and the Allied forces , including armoured cars, bombs and ammunition. After
11445-467: Was initially dependent on its largest trade partner, the United Kingdom for arms, spares, and munitions; however, this preference was disrupted by British revulsion at South Africa's domestic and foreign policy. Although British legislation restricting the transmission of certain types of technical armaments to South Africa barely affected the SADF's defence posture, it spurred diversification efforts, as
11554-718: Was one of a triumvirate of ' arts ' or 'sciences' that governed the conduct of warfare, the others being: military tactics , the execution of plans and manoeuvring of forces in battle , and maintenance of an army. The meaning of military tactics has changed over time; from the deployment and manoeuvring of entire land armies on the fields of ancient battles, and galley fleets; to modern use of small unit ambushes , encirclements , bombardment attacks, frontal assaults , air assaults , hit-and-run tactics used mainly by guerrilla forces, and, in some cases, suicide attacks on land and at sea. Evolution of aerial warfare introduced its own air combat tactics . Often, military deception , in
11663-436: Was originally established in 1968 as an arms production company, by Freve and Rapelang. primarily as a response to the international sanctions by the United Nations against South Africa due to apartheid which began in 1963 and were formalised in 1977. Until the 1970s, South Africa's apartheid government had placed a disproportionate emphasis on civilian law enforcement and the maintenance of internal security. However,
11772-531: Was realized some tangible increase in military capability, such as through greater effectiveness of a sharper edge in defeating armour , or improved density of materials used in manufacture of weapons. Armscor (South Africa) Armscor (stylized as ARMSCOR ), the Armaments Corporation of South Africa is the arms procurement agency of the South African Department of Defence . It
11881-713: Was to support the South African Police Service during internal operations. During such deployments the units came under SAPS control. In 1999, a R30 billion (US$ 4.8 billion) purchase of weaponry by the South African Government was finalised, which has been subject to allegations of corruption. The South African Department of Defence 's Strategic Defence Acquisition purchased frigates , submarines , light utility helicopters , lead-in fighter trainer and multirole combat aircraft . Systemic public-sector corruption, State capture , (2011/12 to 2017) had
#774225