South African Army

The South African Army is the army of the South African National Defence Force, which is the military of South Africa.

South African Army
Active	1912 – present (from law creating the Union Defence Force)
Country	South Africa
Type	Army
Size	39,445 (Active) 12,300 (In Reserve)
Part of	South African National Defence Force
Headquarters	Pretoria, Gauteng
Engagements	World War I World War II Border War Central African Republic conflict
Commanders
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs	Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Chief of the Army	Lt Gen Vusumuzi Masondo
Deputy CARMY	Maj Gen L Rudman
Sergeant Major of the Army	Senior Chief Warrant Officer Charles Laubscher

The South African military traditions evolved from the frontier warfare fought by the commando forces, because the Afrikaners did not trust standing armies. After the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, General Jan Smuts, South Africa's first Minister of Defence, placed a high priority on creating a unified military from the four separate armies of the provinces. This led to the creation of the Union Defence Force (UDF).

The modern day South African Army is made up of professional soldiers of all races. The South African Army has been with peacekeeping operations with the United Nations and the African Union in countries such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

South African Army Media

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  Emblem of the South African Army

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  BL 5.4 inch Howitzer and crew, East Africa, 1916 or 1917.*Photo courtesy of SANDF Archives, from Nöthling, C J (ed), "Ultima Ratio Regum: Artillery History of South Africa" 1987

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  Cap badge of 1st SA Infantry Brigade

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  South Africans and Rhodesians fight the Germans hand-to-hand in Delville Wood

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  A South African Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car conducting reconnaissance in North Africa.

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  General Mark W. Clark (15th Army Group) takes the salute from M-10 tank destroyers of the 11th Armoured Brigade of the 6th South African Armoured Division at the commemoration parade marking the end of hostilities in Italy. Monza Race Circuit: 14 July 1945

• SADF Commemorate.jpg

  SADF Commemorate "Erected in sacred memory of all members of the South African Defence Force who gave their lives in the service of The Republic of South Africa" at Fort Klapperkop.

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  South African troops in Sake, 10 km from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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  Ratel IFVs of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment during a mechanised training exercise.

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  An Olifant Mk2 tank of the South African Armoured Corps during the Africa Aerospace Expo 2014.