Namibian Army

The Namibian Army is the ground warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force.

Namibian Army
Emblem of the Namibian Army
Founded3 September 1990 (1990-09-03)
Country Namibia
AllegianceConstitution of Namibia
TypeArmy
Part ofNamibian Defence Force
Garrison/HQGrootfontein, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
Anniversaries3 September 1990[1]
EngagementsCaprivi Conflict
Second Congo War
United Nations Mission in Liberia
Commanders
Commander In ChiefPresident Hage Geingob
Minister of DefencePeter Vilho
Army CommanderMajor-General Matheus Alueendo[2]

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
Wer'wolf MKII on parade in downtown Windhoek on 20 March 2015 during Namibia's Independence celebrations

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 (road and air); 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 (all volunteer) 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 (such as the police) 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."[3]

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
Wer'wolf MKII on parade in downtown Windhoek on 20 March 2015 during Namibia's Independence celebrations

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.[4]

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.[5] At least two soldiers were killed in operation Mandume ya Ndemufayo.[6] 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.[7] In a joint operation with the Angolan Armed Forces, the Namibian Defence Force in May 2001 helped dislodge UNITA from Mavinga in May 2001.[8]

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.[9] The Operation was Code named Atlantic . The SADC coalition force commander was always a Zimbabwean and deputy force commander a Namibian while the Chief of Staff was an Angolan.[10] 11 Namibian soldiers were held as prisoners of war in Rwanda, they were released in June 2000.[11] The soldiers were captured in April 1999 in the Lusambo area which is about 120 kilometers east of Mbuji-Mayi.[12] 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.[13] Namibia was also the first foreign country to withdraw its troops and by September 2001 all Namibian soldiers had been withdrawn.[14] 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.[15]

UN deployments

For the peacekeeping operation in Liberia the Namibian Army contribution was known as Namibian Battalion (NAMBATT) 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".[16]

Unit structure

The standard operational units are structured according to the British commonwealth system:[17]

Type of unit Division Brigade Battalion / Regiment Company / Squadron Platoon / Troop Section Fire Team
Contains 2–3 Brigades 3–5 Battalions 5–7 Companies 3 Platoons 3 Sections 2 Fire Teams 4 Individuals
Personnel 10,000 5,000 550–900 120 30 8–10 4
Commanded by Maj-Gen Brig-Gen Lt Col Maj Capt, Lt or 2nd Lt Cpl LCpl

Units

Air Defence Corps

Artillery Corps

  • 4 Artillery Brigade
    • 12 Artillery Regiment
    • 44 Artillery Regiment[18]
    • 46 Artillery Regiment
    • 21 Artillery Regiment[19]
    • 26 Artillery Regimen

Infantry Corps

Based in Windhoek

Based at Walvis Bay[23]

    • 126 Battalion

Based in Gobabis.[24]

Based in Rundu.The Commanding Officer is Lt Col Liyali Given Numwa who succeeded Lt Col David Diyeve.[25]

    • 262 Motorized Infantry Battalion

Based in Katima Mulilo. Presivous Commanding officers includes Erastus Kashopola

    • 263 Motorized Infantry Battalion

Based at Oshakati[27] The current Commanding Officer is Lt Col Wesley Muruko. Previous Commanding Officers included Erastus Kashopola and Colonel Abed Mukumangeni.

Engineer Corps

  • Engineer Regiment

Based in Otavi[23]

Logistics Formation

  • Logistics Support Battalion[28]

Provost Corps

  • Military Police Battalion

Recce Formation

Signals Corps

  • Signal Regiment

Training Corps

  • Army Battle School Oshivelo

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 [30] as-off 6 January 2015,Colonel Kapala succeed Colonel Kashindi Eusebi Kashindi.[31]

  • Technical Training Centre (TTC)[32]

The Army TTC offers training to army soldiers covering mechanics and electrical configurations of armaments,military weapons and equipment[33]

  • School of Artillery

Based at the Oluno Military Base, the school is responsible for the training requirement of all soldiers specializing to become artillery gunners.[34] Lt Col Ambrosius Kwedhi is the Commandant of the School.

Command Structure

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.

Senior Appointments
Sleeve insignia Appointment Rank and Name
Army Commander Major General Matheus Alueendo
Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General
General Officer Commanding 21 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Martin Nangolo Shikomba
General Officer Commanding 12 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Aktofel Nambahu
General Officer Commanding 26 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Willem Shigwedha
General Officer Commanding 4 Artillery Brigade Brigadier General Ambrosius Kwedhi
General Officer Commanding Air Defence Brigade Brigadier General Lazarus Herman
Commanding Officer Signal Regiment Colonel
Commanding Officer Engineer Regiment Colonel
Commanding Officer Recce Regiment Colonel
Commandant Army Battle School Colonel H Mvula
Army Sergeant Major

Army equipment

Individual weapons
Origin Type Notes
AK-47[35]  Soviet Union Assault rifle Likely captured by South West Africa Territorial Force
Type 56[36]  People's Republic of China Assault rifle Chinese variant of Soviet AK-47
INSAS[37]  India Assault rifle Used by Namibian UN peacekeeping forces
AK-74[38]  Soviet Union Assault rifle
M4[39]  United States Assault rifle
RPG-7[40]  Soviet Union
 Russia		 Anti-tank rocket propelled grenade launcher Likely captured by South West Africa Territorial Force
M2 Browning  United States Heavy machine gun Likely inherited from South West Africa Territorial Force
Makarov  Soviet Union
 Russia		 semi-auto pistol
Ruger P series  United States Semi-auto pistol
CZ 75  Czech Republic Semi-auto pistol
9M133 Kornet  Russia Anti-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.[41]

Name Image Origin Type Acquired In service Notes
T-54/55  Soviet Union Main battle tank 20[42] 7[43] Serviceability doubtful.[44]
BTR-60  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier 10[44] Serviceability doubtful
BTR-152  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier 20[40] 6[44] Formerly SWAPO;[40] serviceability doubtful
WZ523  China Infantry fighting vehicle 21[45] Armed with 2A28 Grom.[46]
WZ523-Type-05  China Infantry fighting vehicle 10[45]
Wer’wolf MKII  Namibia Multipurpose armoured vehicle 10[40] 30[43]
Wolf Turbo II  Namibia Armoured personnel carrier
Toofan (infantry mobility vehicle)  Iran MRAP
Casspir  South Africa MRAP 20[43] 20[47]
BRDM-2  Soviet Union Scout car 12[44] 12[47] Serviceability doubtful
SAMIL  South Africa Utility vehicle 160[9] Donated by South Africa in the late 1990s.
Ural Trucks  Russia Utility vehicle 183[48] Delivered in October 2015.
Agrale Marruá  Brazil Utility vehicle 141 - Being assembled locally.[41]
Toyota Hilux  Japan Utility vehicle -
Toyota Land Cruiser  Japan Utility vehicle -

Artillery

Artillery is also dominated by Soviet-era weapons, also donated by SWAPO. They have been supplemented by 24 G2 artillery donated by South Africa.[49]

Name Image Origin Type Acquired In service Notes
BL 5.5  United Kingdom Howitzer 24[45] South African variant G2.
Ordnance QF 25 pounder  United Kingdom Howitzer 8[43]
152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20)  Soviet Union Howitzer
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union Multiple rocket launcher 5[43] 4[44]
ZIS-3  Soviet Union Antitank gun 12[44]
ZIS-2  Soviet Union Antitank gun 6[40]

Anti aircraft weapons

Air defence equipment of the Army is also made up of Soviet-era weaponry.

Origin Type Acquired In service Notes
ZPU-4  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun 50[44]
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun
ZU-23-2  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun 15[43] 12[44]
9K32 Strela-2  Soviet Union MANPAD

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
Equivalent
NATO Code		OF-10OF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4OF-3OF-2OF-1OF(D) & Student officer
 Namibian Army
 No equivalent Unknown
General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant 2nd lieutenant

Enlisted

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

Non Commissioned officer rank structure of the Namibian Army
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant
WO1 WO2 SSGT SGT
Corporal Lance corporal Private
No insignia
CPL LCPL PVT

Citations
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Further reading
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