The Namibian Army is the ground warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force.
History Development of Namibia's army was the fastest of the three arms of service. The first units of the Army were deployed as early as 1990. The Army was formed when the two former enemies South West African Territorial Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia were 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 (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."
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.
Deployments
Local deployments
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 2000 till 2002.
SADC deployments Angola (Operation Mandume ya Ndemufayo)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, and assault rifles ranging from AK-47 and R-1s 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 (Operation Atlantic)The Namibian Army deployed a battle group during the Second Congo War that numbered about 2000 troops and consisted of Infantry, Artillery, Signals, and Air Force Detachments. The first commander of the battle group was Brigadier James Auala. About 30 Namibian Serviceman died in the DRC operations. The Operation was Code named Atlantic . The SADC coalition force commander was always a Zimbabwean and deputy force commander a Namibian, and 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. 137 soldiers that had survived the encirclement during the siege of Ikela were presented with commendation medals. The siege at Ikela left five soldiers killed and many other wounded.
UN deployments
UNAMIC - The army deployed a company-sized unit to UNAMIC. United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III) MONUA United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
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".
Unit structure The standard operational units are structured according to the British commonwealth system:
Type of unitDivisionBrigadeBattalion / RegimentCompany / SquadronPlatoon / TroopSectionContains2–3 Brigades3–5 Battalions5–7 Companies3 Platoons3 Sections2 Fire TeamsPersonnel10,0005,000550–900120308–10Commanded byMaj-GenBrig-GenLt ColMajCapt, Lt or 2nd LtCpl
Formations and Units
Air Defence Corps
Air Defence Brigade
Artillery Corps
4 Artillery Brigade (Otjiwarongo) 12 Artillery Regiment 44 Artillery Regiment 46 Artillery Regiment 21 Artillery Regimenthttp://www.mod.gov.na/pdfs/oct-dec%202013.pdf 26th Artillery Regiment
Infantry Corps
21 Motorised Infantry Brigade 21st Guard Battalion 211 Battalion 212 Battalion 213 Mechanized Infantry Battalion (Windhoek)
12 Motorised Infantry Brigade (Keetmanshop) 124 Battalion 125 Battalion (Walvis Bay) 126 Battalion (Gobabis)
26 Motorised Infantry Brigade (Grootfontein) 261 Motorized Infantry Battalion (Rundu) 262 Motorized Infantry Battalion (Katima Mulilo) 263 Motorized Infantry Battalion (Oshakati) Engineer Corps
Engineer Regiment (Otavi) Logistics Corps Logistic Support Battalion Army Peace Support Operations Holding Unit
Provost Corps
Military Police Battalion (Windhoek)
Reconnaissance Corps Recce Regiment
Signals Corps
Signal Regiment
Training Corps
Army Battle School Oshivelo Based at the former Oshivelo SADF training base, transformed into an army battle school.
Technical Training Centre (TTC)
Army 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.
Command Structure
Army commander
Senior Appointments
Sleeve insigniaAppointmentRank and Name Army Commander Major General Aktofel Nambahu Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Andreas Diyeve General Officer Commanding: 21 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Johannes Shimweetheleni General Officer Commanding: 12 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Natanael Endjala General Officer Commanding: 26 Motorised Infantry Brigade Brigadier General Paulus Iipinge General Officer Commanding: 4 Artillery Brigade Brigadier General General Officer Commanding: Air Defence Brigade Brigadier General Patrick Owen Orange
Army equipment Small arms Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes Pistols Makarov PM 9×18mm Semi-automatic pistol CZ-75 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol Browning Hi-Power 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol Submachine guns Sten 9×19mm Submachine gun Sterling 9×19mm Submachine gun PP-19 Vityaz 9×19mm Submachine gun Rifles SKS 7.62×39mm Semi-automatic rifle AK-103 7.62×39mm Assault rifle AK-105 5.45×39mm CarbineAssault rifle Lee-Enfield .303 British Bolt-action rifle Sniper rifles Mosin-Nagant 7.62×54mmR Bolt-actionSniper rifle SVD 7.62×54mmR Designated marksman rifleSniper rifle Machine guns RPK 7.62×39mm Squad automatic weapon RPK-74 5.45×39mm Squad automatic weapon PKP Pecheneg 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun FN MAG 7.62×51mm General-purpose machine gun NSV «Utyos» 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun Kord .50 BMG Heavy machine gun KPV 14.5×114mm Heavy machine gun Browning M2 .50 BMG Heavy machine gun Rocket propelled grenade launchers RPG-7 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-75 68mm Rocket-propelled grenade Grenade launchers GP-25 40mm Grenade launcher AGS-30 30×29mm Automatic grenade launcher QLZ-87 35×32mm Automatic grenade launcher
Anti-tank weapons Name Image Type Origin Caliber Notes B-10 Recoilless rifle 82mm 9M133 Kornet Anti-tank missile
Vehicles Vehicles of the Namibian Army are made up of a variety of suppliers including those from the former Soviet Union, Russia, Brazil, China, Japan, Germany & 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.
Tanks Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes T-54 Medium tank 7
Scout cars Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes BRDM-2 Amphibious armored scout car 12
Armored personnel carriers Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes BTR-60 Amphibious Armored personnel carrier 10 WZ-523 Armored personnel carrier 21 IFV Versions armed with 2A28 Grom. Milkor Bushcat Armored personnel carrier +5 In various versions including, APC, Command and Electronic Warfare
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes Wer'wolf MKII MRAP 400 Versions include APC,Command, Freight, Recovery, Ambulance and Anti Aircraft Zu-23-2 and IFV versions armed with a 2A28 Grom Casspir MRAP 20 Variants include, APC, Recovery (Gemsbok), Tanker (Duiker) and Logistics (Blesbok)
Utility vehicles Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes Agrale Marruá Light Utility Vehicle 141 Being assembled locally. Toyota Hilux Utility vehicle Unknown Toyota Land Cruiser Utility vehicle Unknown Dongfeng EQ2050 Utility Vehicle Used as part of the CS/SM1 Self propelled Mortar System Trucks Ural-375 Utility Truck Unknown Unimog 435 Ambulance Unknown Ural-4320 Utility Truck 183 Delivered in October 2015. MAN KAT1 Utility Truck Unknown XC2200 Utility Truck Unknown Steyr 91 Utility Truck Unknown SAMIL 100 Utility Truck 160 Donated by South Africa in the late 1990s. With German Motors
Artillery Artillery is also dominated by Soviet/Russian and Chinese weapons. They have been supplemented by 24 G2 artillery donated by South Africa.
Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes Rocket artillery BM-21 Grad Multiple rocket launcher 5 - 9P138 "Grad-1 Multiple rocket launcher 3 PHL-81 Multiple rocket launcher Type 63 multiple rocket launcher Multiple rocket launcher Field artillery ZiS-2 Anti-tank gun 6 ZiS-3 Field gun 12 QF-25 Howitzer 8 G2 Howitzer 24
Anti aircraft weapons Air defence equipment of the Army is also made up of Russian and Chinese weaponry. Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes FB-6A Short range Air Defence System FN-6A MANPADS ZPU-4 Anti-aircraft gun 40 ZU-23-2 Autocannon 12 9K32 Strela-2 MANPADS Unmanned Aerial Vehicles + Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Name Image Origin Role Number Notes Aisheng ASN-209 Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Classified unveiled in June 2025 JOUAV CW-30E Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Classified unveiled in June 2025
Special Forces The Army commandos and airborne paratroopers are part of the Namibian Special Forces.
Ranks and insignia