Special Forces of Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
Special Forces of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia
) describes the units of the Zimbabwe National Army
that operate as special forces
. These forces have been deployed in several African conflicts, including the Mozambique Civil War and the Second Congo War
.
Special Forces Recognition Guide Special Forces in the Zimbabwe National Army
include:
There is also a diving school, equipped with a decompression chamber, operated in
conjunction with the commandos. The Police operates patrol boats that include 2 x Rodman 46HJ, 3 x Rodman 38, 5 x Roadman 26, 8 x Type B 79 and an unknown number of Rodman 790s.
The Parachute Regiment suffered a heavy blow when 15 soldiers and together with their CASA 212 were captured after landing on an airstrip already controlled by the invading forces. It is believed the DRC government army unit they were supposed to join had defected to the rebels.
For more on past operations please see the Zimbabwe National Army
page.
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
) describes the units of the Zimbabwe National Army
Zimbabwe National Army
The Zimbabwe National Army is the land warfare branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The ZNA currently has an active duty strength of 30,000.-History:...
that operate as special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
. These forces have been deployed in several African conflicts, including the Mozambique Civil War and the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
.
Composition
According to Jane'sJane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group is a publishing company specializing in transportation and military topics.-History:It was founded by Fred T...
Special Forces Recognition Guide Special Forces in the Zimbabwe National Army
Zimbabwe National Army
The Zimbabwe National Army is the land warfare branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The ZNA currently has an active duty strength of 30,000.-History:...
include:
- One Commando Regiment (formerly One Commando Battalion, previously the Rhodesian Light InfantryRhodesian Light InfantryThe 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, commonly the Rhodesian Light Infantry , was a regiment formed in 1961 at Brady Barracks, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia as a light infantry unit within the army of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...
), based at Cranborne Barracks, Harare. The commando regiment is led by Lieutenant Colonel Hwami Vengesai. Selection phase include four-day navigating day and night in in the Zambezi Valley while carrying a 30kg weight on an empty stomach. Further training curriculum include river crossing, mountain climbing, reconnaissance, anti-hijacking, sniping, unarmed combat, tracking and bush craft. Also included is jungle survival on wild fruits and natural remedies for medical treatment.
- One Parachute Regiment (sometimes referred to as Parachute Group) at Inkomo Barracks just North of Harare. The Regiment was originally reconstituted from the Rhodesian Special Air Service. The regiment is led by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mazaiwana.
- Combat Diving Unit.
- Special Air Service - based at Kabrit Barracks, adjacent to Harare Airport, under the command of Colonel Panga Kufa.
- Zimbabwe Mounted Infantry or Grey's ScoutsGrey's ScoutsGrey's Scouts were a Rhodesian mounted infantry unit raised in July 1975 and named after George Grey, a prominent soldier in the Second Matabele War. Based in Salisbury , they were known for their participation in the Rhodesian Bush War...
, a horse-mounted reconnaissance unit. The main unit used to be based at Guinea Fowl. The battalion conducts border patrols and anti-poaching operations. The regiment is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bothwell Brian Chigaba http://allafrica.com/stories/200804280968.html - Boat Squadron with five sub-units:
- A Troop, with a strength of 40 men and equipped with a few interceptor craft.http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Sentinel-Security-Assessment-Southern-Africa/Navy-Zimbabwe.html
- B Troop maintained assault boats able to ferry troops ashore
- C Troop, with a large transporter, the Ubique—a 72 tonne landing craft capable of carrying 30 tonnes of men and equipment including armoured cars. Ubique was also armed with 12.7 and 7.62 mm machine guns for self-protection and covering fire purposes.
- D Troop—this support group was trained for protecting beach-heads and making assault landings for non-specialised units, employing mortar and support weapons.
- E Troop was deployed for the purposes of guarding the harbours on Lake Kariba and around the rest of the squadron, as required.
There is also a diving school, equipped with a decompression chamber, operated in
conjunction with the commandos. The Police operates patrol boats that include 2 x Rodman 46HJ, 3 x Rodman 38, 5 x Roadman 26, 8 x Type B 79 and an unknown number of Rodman 790s.
Angola
Some sources claim Zimbabwean commandos lead the final assualt on UNITA leading to the eventual killing of Jonas Savimbi. Zimbabwe sent 2,000 troop to help the Angola government end the war.Mozambique
- 5-9 December 1984 the Parachute Group and Special Air Service (SAS) spearheaded Operation Lemon.
- 20th of August 1985 in Operation Grape Fruit the Parachute Group and One Command Battalion supported 3 Brigade in taking over the MNR Muxamba base.
- 28th of August 1985 SAS and Commando Regiment units lead raid on Casa Banana.
- 24 January 1986 in Operation Octopus, Paras and Commandos were dropped near Marromeu to secure the town and the sugar refinery. 27 January 1986 several Para drops were made in support of the operation.
Congo
Zimbabwean commandos defended Kinshasa at the last minute when it was on the brink of falling to rebels to invading Ugandan and Rwandan army units. Due to the river networks in the DRC, the Boat Squadron saw extensive use during the course of Zimbabwe’s involvement.The Parachute Regiment suffered a heavy blow when 15 soldiers and together with their CASA 212 were captured after landing on an airstrip already controlled by the invading forces. It is believed the DRC government army unit they were supposed to join had defected to the rebels.
For more on past operations please see the Zimbabwe National Army
Zimbabwe National Army
The Zimbabwe National Army is the land warfare branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The ZNA currently has an active duty strength of 30,000.-History:...
page.