Namibian Army


The Namibian Army is the landward defence branch of the Namibian Defence Force.

History

Development of Namibia's army was fastest of the three arms of Service. The first units of the Army were deployed as early as 1990. The Army was formed when two enemies South West African Territorial Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia where inducted after Namibia's independence into the newly created Namibian Defence Force.

Role

The Ministry of Defence has outlined the Army policy as follows:
"The Army's principal roles will continue to be as already outlined in the defence policy. The Army will strive to maximise its operational effectiveness through the recruitment of the best young men and women who wish to pursue a military career, their effective training and employment. The Army's equipment priorities are improved troop-lift capacity ; engineer, artillery, anti-tank and air defence and communication systems: the aim being to create a secure, integrated, efficient and cost-effective systems."
"The Army will remain a well-disciplined and accountable, professional force; it will include development of a Reserve; it will continue to train along the lines of other Commonwealth armies; it will train with other Namibian forces to rehearse plans for aid to the civil authorities, civil ministries and civil community; and it will promote a good public image and contribute to the communities in which it is based."

Organisation

The Army is a hierarchical organisation with the Army commander exercising overall command. The Army headquarters are located at Grootfontein military base,a former SADF logistics base. The Army has several thousand members. Senior Army officers also dominate staff positions at Defence Headquarters

Deployments

Local deployments

See also: Caprivi Conflict
The Namibian Army had a convoy service on Namibia's Trans Caprivi Highway which runs from Otavi, Grootfontein, Rundu, Katima Mulilo until Ngoma border post on the Namibia and Botswana border. The convoy system ran twice daily between Bagani and Kongola in the then Caprivi region. The convoy system was run from the year 2000 till 2002.

SADC deployments

Angola
The Namibian Army also deployed troops to help fight UNITA insurgents active in and around the Kavango region. The operation codenamed Mandume ya Ndemufayo was a response to UNITA attacks on Namibian citizens. The Namibian cross border pursuit operations were carried out with consent of the Angolan government. At least two soldiers were killed in operation Mandume ya Ndemufayo. In an operation between 30 January 2001 to 14 February 2001 an estimated 19 UNITA rebels were killed while various weaponry such as Anti Tank and Anti personnel landmines assault rifle ranging from AK-47 and R-1 rifles were recovered. In a joint operation with the Angolan Armed Forces, the Namibian Defence Force in May 2001 helped dislodge UNITA from Mavinga in May 2001.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Namibian Army deployed a reinforced battalion during the Second Congo War that numbered about 2000 troops and support personnel. About 30 Namibian Serviceman died in the DRC operations. The SADC coalition force commander was always a Zimbabwean and deputy force commander a Namibian while the Chief of Staff was an Angolan. 11 Namibian soldiers were held as prisoners of war in Rwanda, they were released in June 2000. The soldiers were captured in April 1999 in the Lusambo area which is about 120 kilometers east of Mbuji-Mayi. In January 2001 after Laurent-Désiré Kabila's death the Namibian army contingent was reinforced to not only provide security to Heads of States at the funeral but also to reinforce the SADC contingents in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Namibia was also the first foreign country to withdraw its troops and by September 2001 all Namibian soldiers had been withdrawn. Seven soldiers who have been missing in action have since been declared dead. The seven had gone missing around the Deya River close to Kabalo, Deya-Katutu and Lusambo areas.

UN deployments

For the peacekeeping operation in Liberia the Namibian Army contribution was known as Namibian Battalion and about 800 infantry troops per NAMBATT contingent were mustered to form a battalion for this operation. Troops were rotated and rotations numbered up to NAMBATT V. A NAMBATT contingent commanding officer stated his unit was to comprise "two Mot Inf Coys, two rifle companies, headquarters company and fire support company while the battalion is equipped with 10 Wolf APC's, 12 Casspir APC's and 11 WER Wolf APC's".

Unit Structure

The standard operational units are structured according to the British commonwealth system:
Type of UnitDivisionBrigadeBattalion / RegimentCompany / SquadronPlatoon / TroopSectionFire Team
Contains2–3 Brigades3–5 Battalions5–7 Companies3 Platoons3 Sections2 Fire Teams4 Individuals
Personnel10,0005,000550–900120308–104
Commanded byMaj-GenBrig-GenLt ColMajCapt, Lt or 2nd LtCplLCpl

Units

Air Defence Formation
Air Defence Brigade
The GOC is Brig Gen Moses Shalongo Nghilifa, he succeeded Brig Gen David Shiimbi.
Artillery Formation
Based in Otjiwarongo
Infantry Formation
Based in Windhoek
Based at Walvis Bay
Based in Gobabis.
Based in Rundu.The Commanding Officer is Lt Col Liyali Given Numwa who succeeded Lt Col David Diyeve.
Based in Katima Mulilo. Presivous Commanding officers includes Erastus Kashopola
Based at Oshakati The current Commanding Officer is Lt Col Wesley Muruko. Previous Commanding Officers included Erastus Kashopola and Colonel Abed Mukumangeni.
Engineer Formation
Based in Otavi
Logistics Formation
Provost Formation
Recce Formation
Signals Formation
Training Formation
Based at the former Oshivelo SADF training base has been transformed into an army battle school. The commandant of the battle school is Colonel H. Mvula who succeeded Colonel Joel Kapala as-off 6 January 2015,Colonel Kapala succeed Colonel Kashindi Eusebi Kashindi.
The Army TTC offers training to army soldiers covering mechanics and electrical configurations of armaments,military weapons and equipment
Based at the Oluno Military Base, the school is responsible for the training requirement of all soldiers specializing to become artillery gunners. Lt Col Ambrosius Kwedhi is the Commandant of the School.

Army commander

The position of Army commander is held by a commissioned officer with the rank of major general. The Army Commander exercises the overall command of the Army. The current Army commander is Major General Matheus Alueendo.

Individual weapons

OriginTypeNotes
AK-47assault rifleLikely captured by South West Africa Territorial Force
Type 56assault rifleChinese variant of Soviet AK-47
AK-74assault rifle
M4assault rifle
RPG-7/anti-tank rocket propelled grenade launcherLikely captured by South West Africa Territorial Force
M2 Browningheavy machine gunLikely inherited from South West Africa Territorial Force
Makarov/semi-auto pistol
Ruger P seriessemi-auto pistol
CZ 75semi-auto pistol
9M133 Kornetanti-tank guide missile system

Vehicles

Vehicles of the Namibian Army are made up of a variety of suppliers including those from the former Soviet Union, Russia, Brazil, & South Africa. Some vehicles were donated by SWAPO, formerly a liberation movement which later became the ruling party of the country at independence, and SWATF, the security force of the then South West Africa administration. The army has received WZ523 Infantry Fighting Vehicles from China which serve with mechanized infantry units. These vehicles are supplemented by the Namibian made Wolf series of MRAPs. South African made Casspirs are also in service which were inherited from the South-West Africa Territorial Force. To enhance mobility it was announced that the Army will receive the Agrale Marruá which appeared at the 25th Independence celebration parade in 2015 and are primarily used by the Namibian Special Forces.
OriginTypeAcquiredIn serviceNotes
T-54/55Main Battle Tank207Serviceability doubtful.
BTR-60Armoured Personnel Carrier10Serviceability doubtful
BTR-152Armoured Personnel Carrier206Formerly SWAPO; serviceability doubtful
WZ523Infantry Fighting Vehicle21Armed with 2A28 Grom.
WZ523-Type-05Infantry Fighting Vehicle10
Wer’wolf MKIIMultipurpose Armoured Vehicle1030
Wolf Turbo IIArmoured Personnel Carrier
CasspirMRAP2020
BRDM-2Scout Car1212Serviceability doubtful
SAMILUtility Vehicle160Donated by South Africa in the late 1990s.
Agrale MarruáUtility Vehicle141--Being assembled locally.
Toyota HiluxUtility Vehicle--
Toyota Land CruiserUtility Vehicle--

Artillery

is also dominated by Soviet-era weapons, also donated by SWAPO. They have been supplemented by 24 G2 artillery donated by South Africa.
OriginTypeAcquiredIn serviceNotes
BL 5.5Howitzer24South African variant G2.
Ordnance QF 25 pounderHowitzer8
152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 Howitzer
BM-21 GradMultiple Rocket Launcher54
ZIS-3Antitank Gun12
ZIS-2Antitank Gun6

Anti Aircraft Weapons

Air defence equipment of the Army is also made up of Soviet-era weaponry.
OriginTypeAcquiredIn serviceNotes
ZPU-4Anti-aircraft Gun50
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 Anti-aircraft Gun
ZU-23-2Anti-aircraft Gun1512
9K32 Strela-2MANPAD

Special Forces

The Army commandos and airborne paratroopers are part of the Namibian Special Forces.

Ranks and insignia

Army ranks are based on Commonwealth ranks.
The highest rank in peace time a commissioned officer can attain in the army is major general. There may, however, be an exception when an army officer is appointed as Chief of the Defence Force, for which the individual will ascend to the lieutenant general. The highest rank an enlisted member can attain is warrant officer class 1.

Officers

Enlisted

The highest rank an enlisted member can attain is warrant officer class 1.

Gallery

Citations