Botswana Defence Force
The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is the military of Botswana. It was formed in 1977 and has approximately 9,000 members.[1] The commander is Lieutenant General Tebogo Masire.[2] The commander in chief is the President of Botswana. Being a landlocked country, Botswana has no navy.
History
Following political changes in South Africa and the region, the BDF's missions have increasingly focused on anti-poaching activities, disaster-preparedness, and foreign peacekeeping. The United States has been the largest single contributor to the development of the BDF, and a large segment of its officer corps has received U.S. training.
The BDF consists of one armoured brigade, two infantry brigades, four infantry battalions, two armoured artillery, one engineer regiment and one commando regiment.
Organization
Botswana Defence Force (includes Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police
- Military age: 18 years of age
males age 18-49: 350,649 (2005 est.)
- Fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 136,322 (2005 est.)
- Reaching military age annually:
males: 21,103 (2005 est.)
Equipment
The Botswana land forces are equipped with a variety of small arms. The standard infantry rifle is the Kalashnikov AKM/AK-47. Some units are equipped with 5.56mm selective-fire rifles including the 5.56mm US M-4, M16A2 and M16A4, the British Sterling Armament AR-18 and Sterling L-82A-2/SA-80, and the Israeli IMI Galil ARM. Some reserve and police units utilize the Belgian FN FAL 7.62mm rifle. Machine guns include the old Bren 0.303 MK-II\MK-III 0.303 L-4A4 LMG, the 5.56mm FN Minimi and 7.62mm FN MAG LMG, the ex-Soviet PKT HMG (for GAZ BTR-60PB APCs), the SG-43 MMG, the MG-74 (ex. MG-42\59) MMG for the SK-105A-1 Kurassier LT, the US 7.62mm M1919A4 MMG (for Eland-90 ARVs), and the .50BMG M2 Browning HMG. The Botswana LDF are equipped with a variety of armoured cars.
Military education and training
IMET (International Military Education and Training) funds from the USA remain important to Botswana's officer training programme. Over 30 Botswana officers receive military training in the US each year; by 1999 approximately 85% of the BDF officers are said to have been trained under this system.
Military expenditures
$207.3 million (FY02), $61 million (FY99/00)
3.5% (FY02), 1.2% (FY99/00)
BDF Land Forces units
(15,000 men
- 1 x armoured brigade (MBTs)
- 1st Armoured Brigade (Gaborone)
- 3 x infantry brigades
- 1st Infantry Brigade (Mechanized Brigade at Gaborone)
- 2nd Infantry Brigade (Motorized Brigade at Francistown)
- 1 x commando-paratroop regiment
- 1st Commando Regiment (Gaborone)
- 4 x independent infantry battalions
- 2 x armoured artillery brigades
- 1 x combat engineering regiment
- 1 x air defence battalion
- 1 x river-wing (including divers and rescue units)
BDF Air Wing Units
(500 men according to The Military Balance 2011)
- Thebephatshwa\Melopolole - FBTP
- Z.1 Air Transport squad
- Z.7 Training squad
- Z.10 Air Transport squad
- Z.21 Helicopter squad
- Z.23 Helicopter squad
- Z.28 FGA squad
- Gaborone Sir Seretse Khama international air port - FBSK
- Francistown - FBFT
- Z.3 Air Transport squad
- Z.12 Air Transport squad
- Z.18 FGA squad
Structure
Air Force
Domestic operations
- 1995 - BDF undertook rescue missions during floods that hit major parts of the country.[1]
- 1996 - BDF deployed soldiers and equipment at Sua Pan in 'Operation Save Sua' to save the berm wall of Botswana Ash (Botash) plant, which was being threatened by heavy floods. The soldiers laid 90,000 sandbags and 12,000 tires in the operation.[2]
- 2006 - In the floods that hit Ramotswa and its surrounding areas in February 2006, BDF teams carried out relentless rescue missions and saved hundreds of lives.[3]
- 2009- BDF provided assistance during the flooding that affected a large community around the Kasane area.[4]
International cooperation
- In 1992 and 1993, a BDF contingent participated in 'Operation Restore Hope'- a United States led coalition of forces to restore peace in Somalia.
- From 1993 to 1994, a team of BDF officers participated in a UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as observers. The same year, BDF troops participated in a UN peacekeeping operation in Mozambique. [5]
- BDF also participated in 'Operation BOLEAS' a SADC military intervention in Lesotho in 1998. This operation culminated in a re-training programme for Lesotho Defence Force members. From 1998-99, 380 BDF soldiers formed part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) task force to quell an internal uprising in Lesotho.[6] Botswana withdrew its contingent when the situation was thought to be sufficiently stable not to require their presence.
- The BDF has also been successfully deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping operations in both Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan. [7]
- BDF has been conducting operational exercises with Defence Forces of neighbouring countries and other friendly forces. “Exercise Thokgamo” was one such exercise conducted in June 2005 in which SADC member states participated. Currently, the BDF has its personnel serving on an African Union Liaison Mission in Ethiopia/Eritrea and has military observers in Darfur, Sudan.[8]
See also
References
External links