South African armed forces

[Ash]

Hi all, thought that I would share some pictures of the South African armed forces.

 

[indian_sukhoi]

Adding a few more Valour class ships would very usefull.

 

[Ash]

More Pics. Sorry about the thumbnail sized pics

 

[Ash]

More pics of South African military

 

[Ash]

Pic 1- Proposed new medium- long range UAV. Funding is holding development back.
Pic 2- H.U.E.T (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training)

 

[Ash]

Army training manouvers

 

[Ash]

Last pic is of a G6 mobile artillery gun

 

[Ash]

South African Police Force training

 

[Ash]

Navy commandos

 

[Ash]

Pic 3- Low flying Cheetah...during the war in Angola pilots sometimes had to fly extremely close to the ground to avoid Angolan (Russian made) radar and SAM's
Pic4- Grippens over Cape Town

 

[Ash]

Army and air force helicopters.

Pic3 -taken over Durban (my home town) with the soccor world cup stadium being built

 

[Ash]

Pic 1and 2- desert army patro (border)

Pic3- Potent South African made anti-material rifle, not to be confused with a sniper rifle. This thing munches up small armoured vehicles, small aircraft, shoots through thick concrete walls etc etc...

NTW20 Anti-Material Rifle

Pic 4and 5- special forces

 

[uvbar]

i like the revolver action shotgun striker
and the ntw20 rifle
btw chinese ar copying your guns be careful


China starts buying South African arms - UPI.com
today buy tomorow copy and day after tomorrow sell

 

[Ash]

uvbar, that might not worry our Govt. because they appear to have quite a pro-Chinese outlook. This was clearly evident when, much against the general consus of the educated public, the South African Govt. declined to give a visa to the Dalai Lama to celebrate the birthday of the Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Having said that though, there is an Indian family (settled in South Africa from India in the last few years) that is very close to our President. The family is the Guptas and have been given many deals and mining rights by the Govt.

 

[Ash]

South African Navy frigates (Valour Class)

Pic 1- SAS Amatola
Pic 2- SAS Isandlwana
Pic 3- SAS Mendi
Pic 4- SAs Amatola

 

[Ash]

Pic 1- Olifanf MK1B MBT
Pic 2 +3 - Olifanf MK2 MBT
Pic 4 - Mbombe 6x6 Amoured Fighting Vehicle
Pic 5- Rooivalk antitank Helo

 

[Ash]

Pic 2 and 3- G5 SPG and G5 towed
Pic 4 and 5 - Rooivalk helicopter

 

[Ash]

General Facts & Figures of South African Special Forces.






1.South African Special Forces Operators are known internationally by their nickname of "Recces" . This is the abbreviated form of the original name of the Special Forces Regiments - the Reconnaissance Regiments.


2.In 2002, the South African Special Forces community celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a Special Forces capability in South Africa.


3.By the conclusion of the war in Angola in 1988, out of the more than 100 000 persons who had applied to attend the Pre Selection interviews to attempt the Special Forces Operators Training Cycle, fewer than 480 had Qualified as Special Forces Operators. Out of this number, more than 80 Operators were killed in action during the Angolan war.


4.By the beginning of 2003, fewer than 900 persons had ever Qualified as South African Special Forces Operators - fewer people than have ever successfully climbed Mount Everest. Out of this 900, more than 200 are deceased.


5.Since the inception of Special Forces in South Africa, retired and serving Special Forces Operators observe the Saint Michael ceremony every September. Saint Michael is the protector and Patron Saint of Paratroopers, (every Qualified Operator is also a qualified Paratrooper), and this ceremony holds a special significance for Operators - especially during times of war.


6.Throughout its history, the South African Special Forces has been a non-racial entity, and always had approximately equal numbers of black and white Qualified Operators.


7.The most highly decorated Special Forces Operator to date is a black Operator from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, who was awarded the Honoris Crux Gold in 1980.


8.Despite the fact that Special Forces Operators are held to a much higher standard than the rest of the military when it comes to the awarding of medals, the South African Special Forces Operators is still the most highly decorated military entity in South Africa in respect of Bravery Medals since the end of the Second World War.


9.All South African Special Forces Operators are highly qualified in all aspects of Land, Airborne and Seaborne skills, tactics, operations and deployments; and are able to and have Operated in virtually all possible terrain and climatic conditions.


10.Special Forces Operators usually wore beards because they were unable to shave during their deployments. Shaving would waste precious water, and the enemy would be able to smell the shaving cream or soap if it was used. The beards also helped with camouflage of the face for both black and white Operators, as the sun would not reflect off a beard like it would off a shaven face. Similarly, the long hair as seen in some photographs of the Recces is as result of the long periods the Operators spent behind the enemy lines on operations, where they could not cut their hair.


11.During war, Operators could expect to be physically deployed in actual operations against the enemy - primarily behind enemy lines - for an average of 9 to 10 months per year. Many Operators did this for 10 to 15 years.

12.During war, the average weight of kit carried by Special Forces Operators is 60kg to 80kg. For long-distance deployments or Small Team operations, the average weight of kit carried is 100kg. The heaviest kit carried by Small Teams or Long deployment Operators is 130kg.


13.An unofficial form of achievement within the South African Special Forces is when an Operator has completed a " Gunston 500" - named after the Surfing Championship. In the South African Special Forces context, a "Gunston 500" entails conducting an operation behind enemy lines, where one walks for 500 kilometres or more with full kit. Many Operators, and most who took part in the Angolan war, have completed at least one or many " Gunston 500's" .

14.During the Angolan war, 95% of all Special Forces operations were carried out behind enemy lines - over distances of anything from 10 km to 2000 km behind the enemy lines.


15.During reconnaissance of enemy targets and fixed positions, Special Forces Reconnaissance Teams usually comprise 2 to 4 Operators. They conduct reconnaissance on enemy bases from direct line of sight positions right on the edge of the bases, and would penetrate inside the bases. These bases comprised and can comprise anything from several hundred up ten thousand plus enemy soldiers.


16.During the Angolan war, Special Forces Reconnaissance Teams who entered into contact with enemy forces during reconnaissance missions, or during infiltration or exfiltration, had to conduct Escape and Evasion to escape capture or death. The distances over which E&E was applied in such situations - on foot - has varied from 20 km to over 1000km.


17.Historically, more than 55% of all Operators were at one time or another Wounded in Action - some on multiple occasions. Very often, they dressed and treated their wounds themselves, and seldom left the field or operations for treatment.


18.The South African Special Forces have the highest statistical Killed in Action ratio of any South African military unit since the battle of Delville Wood during the First World War. During the Angolan war, an Operator had statistically only a one in five chance of long-term survival, due to the nature, frequency and number of operations which they conducted.


19.The first South African soldier Killed in Action at the beginning of the Angolan / former South West Africa war was a Special Forces Operator, and the last South African soldier Killed in Action at the end of the Angola / former South West Africa war was a Special Forces Operator.


20.During the entire Angolan war, the total strength of all the Special Forces Regiments combined was never more than 200 to 250 Operators at any one time, due to their Killed in Action and Wounded in Action statistics, retirements and resignations.


21.Special Forces Operators have never had equal of superior numbers to the enemy when attacking enemy fixed positions, and have always been heavily outnumbered in all their engagements.


22.During the Angolan war, amongst the Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces against which South African Special Forces Operators worked were Russians, Ukrainians, East Germans and others. Also present were Cubans, North Koreans, Vietnamese, and various other Soviet-aligned forces. These included Regular Army, Air Force, Navy and Special Forces elements of these forces.


23.During the later stages of the Angolan war, the Soviet Union diverted much of its war materiel meant for Afghanistan to Angola - including the most sophisticated Russian arms outside the Soviet Union itself. Angolan airspace became classified as the most hostile airspace in the world, with the Soviets having total air superiority for virtually the whole war. This meant that Special Forces Operators never had the possibility of re-supply, support or evacuation on the majority of their operations, and once they were in, they were completely and utterly alone until they return