It has been suggested that South African special forces be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

South African Special Forces Brigade
Special Forces Compass Rose insignia
Active	1972–present
Country	South Africa
Type	Special forces
Role	Reconnaissance, Sabotage, Underwater demolition, Counter-terrorism
Garrison/HQ	Speskop, Pretoria, Gauteng
Nickname	Recces
Motto	We fear naught but God
Mascot	Terry the lion

The South African Special Forces Brigade (popularly known as "Recces") is the main Special Forces unit of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... In 1961, South Africas first elite forces started with the formation of the Parabats. ... South African special forces insignia South African government public domain image. ... For other uses, see Special forces (disambiguation). ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... For other uses, see Sabotage (disambiguation). ... Underwater demolition refers to the destruction or neutralization of man-made or natural underwater obstacles. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Country South Africa Province Gauteng Established 1855 Area  - City 1,644 km²  (634. ... Categories: South Africa stubs | Provinces of South Africa | Gauteng Province ... For other uses, see Special forces (disambiguation). ... The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is the name of the armed forces of South Africa. ...

On October 1, 1972, 1 Reconnaissance Commando was created at Oudtshoorn, South Africa. It was relocated a few years later to Durban, South Africa. This was the first South African Special Forces unit. is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Oudtshoorn is the largest town in in the Little Karoo region of South Africa. ... For other uses, see Durban (disambiguation). ...

South African special forces are internationally considered to be among the best in the world, particularly in bush warfare. Their operational and fighting capabilities are world renowned, proven year in and year out during the country's 30 years long border/bush war.

South African Special Forces consists of Special Forces Headquarters in Pretoria, 4 Special Forces Regiment in Langebaan, 5 Special Forces Regiment - Phalaborwa and the Special Forces School in Murrayhill. Phalaborwa is a large town situated at half way up along the length of the Kruger National Park in Limpopo Province of South Africa. ...

4 Special Forces Regiment specialise in maritime-related activities, whereas 5 Special Forces regiment specialises more in overland techniques, especially long-range infiltration.

Though an infantry unit, the Brigade is not a part of the South African Army and instead falls under the authority of the Joint Operations Division of the SANDF. The South African Army is the army of South Africa. ...

History

The first South African Special Forces unit, 1 Reconnaissance Commando, was established in the town of Oudtshoorn, Cape Province on 1 October 1972. On 1 January 1975, this unit was relocated to Durban, Natal, where it continued its activities as the airborne specialist unit of the special forces. The 1 Reconnaissance Commando was the first South African special operations unit, founded by Jan Breytenbach. ... Oudtshoorn is the largest town in in the Little Karoo region of South Africa. ... Under the Union of South Africa and after that under the Republic of South Africa, the old Cape Colony became the Cape of Good Hope Province (though it was commonly known as the Cape Province). ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Durban (disambiguation). ... KwaZulu-Natal, often referred to as KZN, is a province of South Africa. ...

Later, two additional Reconnaissance Commandos were formed:

• 4 Reconnaissance Commando, specialising in seaborne operations, was established in the coastal town of Langebaan, Cape Province.
• 5 Reconnaissance Commando was established at the Duku-Duku camp in Northern Natal, but was later moved to Phalaborwa in the Transvaal province.

On 1 January 1981, a re-organisation of Special Forces took place, as part of which the Reconnaissance Commandos and other special forces were transformed into an independent formation, directly under the command of the (then) South African Defence Force (instead of the South African Army). As part of the re-organisation, the various Reconnaissance Commandos were also given the status of regiments. In the latter part of the same decade, a Special Forces headquarters and a Special Forces stores depot were also added to the Special Forces structure. Under the Union of South Africa and after that under the Republic of South Africa, the old Cape Colony became the Cape of Good Hope Province (though it was commonly known as the Cape Province). ... Phalaborwa is a large town situated at half way up along the length of the Kruger National Park in Limpopo Province of South Africa. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The South African Defence Force (SADF) were the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ...

Between the years 1981 and 1990, Special Forces was home to unconventional operations such as Project Barnacle, the Civil Cooperation Bureau and a variety of other operations conducted under the aegis of 7th Medical Battalion. The Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB) was a covert South African apartheid-era hit squad[1]. Inaugurated in 1986, and fully functional by 1988 it was set up to eliminate anti-apartheid activists, destroy ANC facilities, and find means to circumvent the economic sanctions[1] imposed on that country. ...

In 1991, the structure of the special forces underwent another change, when the special forces headquarters was disbanded and a Directorate Reconnaissance, reporting directly to the Chief of the Army, was established instead. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Another organisational change followed in 1993, when the Directorate Reconnaissance became 45 Parachute Brigade. As a result of this, all the units were renamed: 1 Reconnaissance Regiment became 452 Parachute Battalion, 4 Reconnaissance Regiment became 453 Parachute Battalion and 5 Reconnaissance Regiment became 451 Parachute Battalion. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

As a result of the changes that took place in South Africa after the first fully democratic elections, the special forces organisation was changed to its current structure in 1996. The Special Forces Brigade, as it is presently known, consists of 4 and 5 Special Forces Regiments as well as 1 Maintenance Unit, which provides logistic support. Designation of these forces as being of "brigade"-size, however, is highly misleading. Total fighting manpower of 4 and 5 Special Forces Regiments combined does not approach even the strength of a regular infantry battalion. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

As part of the military transformation process, 1 Special Forces Regiment was disbanded in 1996.

Operations

The South African "Recces" were deployed to many local hot spots during the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly Angola.

The main enemy then was a group known as SWAPO (South West Africa’s People Organization). It was an all-black guerrilla organization fighting for an independent Namibia and SWAPO proved to be a formidable enemy. The South-West Africa Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) was founded, along with a number of other groups, as a liberation organisation: following the first world war, South-West Africa — formerly a German colony — was turned over to South Africa to rule as a mandate for the British. ... “Guerrilla” redirects here. ...

One of the "Recces"' most effective operations came in 1982: Operation Mebos penetrated deep into Angola and destroyed the SWAPO Headquarters. In Operation Askari, in the winter of 1984, the "Recces" cut off almost all supply lines to and from the SWAPO in Angola. In 1985, a "Recce" team undertook the controversial Cabinda Operation. Operation Askari was a military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War. ... This article is about the year. ... The Cabinda Operation was a controversial and high-profile military operation carried out by the South African Special Forces (Recces) during the South African Border War. ...

Due to the peacekeeping and other duties which the South African National Defence Force have been tasked with in recent times, new opportunities for the deployment of the special forces are continuously presenting themselves, which promises a major growth potential for these units.

Selection

The Ultimate Challenge, as South African Special Forces Selection is often called, is considered one of the toughest special forces selection courses in the world. A soldier must meet very high requirements to even attend Special Forces Selection. In accordance with SANDF regulation, only South African citizens are permitted.

Pre-Selection Training

This includes all aspects of psychological and physical tests. For the psychological tests, soldiers will be given written tests and oral interviews with Special Forces NCOs. A soldier must be self-controlled and mature. Soldiers are ejected from the course if there is any suggestion of mental instability. The Physical Test includes 40 continuous push ups, 67 sit ups in two minutes, fireman lift, three-kilometre run in full gear in eighteen minutes, a rope climb (to show upper body strength ), 40 shuttle runs in 95 seconds and wall scaling. A student must scale a ten-foot high wall, complete a fifteen-kilometre march in less than 150 minutes and perform 120 shuttle kicks. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ... A press up (also push up) is a common strength training exercise performed while lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering using the arms. ... It has been suggested that Crunch (exercise) be merged into this article or section. ...

Parachute Selection Course

Basic Parachute School is one of the most demanding. All Special Forces candidates who aren't parachute-qualified will have to attend this course. 44 Parachute Regiment (popularly known as the Parabats) is the South African Armys chief airborne infantry unit. ...

Special Forces Orientation Course

This is a time when a student will learn what Special Forces are and what they do. He will be told about what to look forward to in training. He is made to train every day to get into shape for the toughest part of Selection yet.

Special Forces Selection

Selection is an event during which candidates are placed in an extremely mentally and physically demanding set of situations and circumstances, through which they must pass. It is in duration approximately a week. For the duration of Selection, the candidates do not sleep or eat, and have no rest period at all. Only an extremely small percentage of persons who begin Selection ever pass it. In some years, no-one has managed to pass Selection, and there are other cases where only 1 or 2 persons out of an entire Selection group pass.

The Cycle

Once past the Selection process, he will be placed on a training cycle to acquire the skills required. These include: air co-operation, water orientation, obstacle crossing, bushcraft, tracking and survival, demolitions and tactics in urban as well as rural areas. Bushcraft is, to a certain extent a version of what have always been called survival skills. ... // Computer music Tracking is the art of creating tracking modules for the computer representation of music. ... Survival skills are skills that may help one to survive dangerous situations (such as storms or earthquakes), or in dangerous places (such as the desert, the mountains, and the jungle). ... For other uses, see Demolition (disambiguation). ...

Advanced Airborne Training: a recruit will be taught about military free-fall such as HALO and HAHO. They will also learn about helicopter operations – how to rappel fast down a rope out of helicopters. Combat extraction is also taught, along with learning how to set up a LZ. Free Fall opens with one of the most stunning first paragraphs I have ever, or am ever likely to, read. ... “HALO” redirects here. ... Australian rappel demonstrated at a dam in Norway Abseiling (from the German: abseilen, to rope down) is the process of descending on a fixed rope. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Extraction, in tactical combat and special operations use, is the process of removing constituents from a targeted site when it is considered imperative that they be immediately relocated out of a hostile environment and taken to a secured area under friendly control. ... A Landing Zone or LZ is a military term for any area where aircraft land. ...

Land training consists of many things: including sniping, demolitions and reconnaissance. Bushcraft and survival is also taught. Climbing and photography are taught to new recruits. Urban and rural combat is perhaps the newest training – developed quite recently, this training provided South Africa with a new counter-terrorist force. Medical and communications training is also given to those who wish to become qualified. For other uses, see Sniper (disambiguation). ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... For other uses, see Climbing (disambiguation). ... Photography [fÓ™tÉ‘grÓ™fi:],[foÊŠtÉ‘grÓ™fi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or electronic sensor. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Medical team at work during the Battle of Normandy. ... Military communications are links between battlefield units, including connections to a higher command or home country. ...

Maritime training consists of the use of small boats, underwater demolitions, swimming, diving, beach reconnaissance and navigation. It is thought to be based on the SBS training. For other uses, see Dive. ... Table of geography, hydrography, and navigation, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys special forces unit. ...

Operator's Badge

Gold Operator's badge

All South African Special Forces operators receive the Operator's Badge, which is given only to those members who have completed all the qualifications as an Operator. It consists of an inverted Commando Knife within a laurel wreath, which is meant to symbolise both special forces (the knife) and victory (the wreath). South African Special Forces gold operators badge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... South African Special Forces gold operators badge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Standard operator badges are silver, but a gold badge with an embedded diamond is awarded to Operators with more than 10 years of active service.

References

• Peter Stiff The Silent War, Galago Publishing Pty Ltd 1999 ISBN 0620243007

External links

• South African Special Forces League website
• Specwarnet.com report
• Specialoperations.com report