8 South African Infantry Battalion

Activation

The unit was established at Upington in the Northern Cape in October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees the next January. They could, however, not cope with the Gordonia heat and the unit afterwards received trainees in July.(1987 Intake was in February) In its first decade 8 SAI was a motorised Infantry battalion. The Battalion primarily deployed with Buffel APCs at that stage.

Battalion Storm Pioneer Platoon

8 SAI had a storm/assault pioneer capability in the 1980s, usually designated Oscar Company. Assault pioneers were the integral combat engineering component of the battalion. Assault pioneers were trained in tasks such as:

• Field defences and obstacles,
• Mine detection and removal,
• Primary demolitions,
• Non standard bridging,
• Anchorages and suspension traverses

The Pioneer Platoon provided small tasks and close support capabilities to the battalion ensuring immediacy of response and decreasing the workload of the engineer squadrons. By the 1990s this function was retired to the Engineering Corps however.

Battalion Tactical Reconnaissance Platoon

8 SAI experimented with the tactical reconnaissance platoon concept for infantry units around 1981-1982 at Riemvasmaak. These abbreviated reconnaissance courses were given by the SA Special Forces to certain SADF units. The other term used for this training was the junior recce course.

SADF era Junior Recce proficiency badge conducted at Riemvasmaak in the early 80s

Mechanised infantry training at 8 SAI

By 1976 infantry operations transformed drastically when the Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) was introduced for the first time and in November the first Ratel course was presented at 1 SAI. Similar to 1 SAI, 8 SAI was transformed into a mechanised unit by the mid 80's and mechanised leaders followed a similar training route.

All students attended the course until the Section Leaders Phase had been completed. Section Leaders were then awarded their Lance Corporal stripes and then placed with regular rifle companies. The rest of the future NCOs also received their stripes and future Officers received their white Candidate Officer’s tabs. These students were then evaluated and split into the Mechanised Platoon Commanders Course and Specialist Instructors Course. These platoon commanders were destined to either become future leaders of 8 SAIs rifle companies or instructors at the Training Wing, while the Specialist Instructors would become Officers and NCO’s responsible for training of Ratel gunners and drivers.

• All students qualifying as Section Leaders were authorised to wear one parallel yellow bar above their two Corporal stripes.
• Students that qualified as Platoon NCOs were authorised to wear two parallel yellow bars. The Platoon NCOs were responsible for the support of the vehicles, guns and signal equipment of a specific platoon.
• Students that completed either the Platoon Commanders or Specialist Instructors Course were permitted to wear three parallel yellow bars above their stripes, signifying their platoon sergeant status. Platoon sergeants were responsible for the training and discipline of an allocated platoon.

SADF era 8 SAI Mechanised Leader Brassards 1980s

Blits 2 exercise certificate, Lohatla Army Battle School 1993

The Border War/Angolan Civil War

Between 1979 and 1989, 8 SAI participated in the Border War. 8 SAI directly contributed troops to the following operations:

• Operation Savannah (1975), 8 SAI and 5 SAI companies relieve 2 SAI from Battle Group Beaver.
• Operation Reindeer (1979), attack on Cassinga, Southern Angola,
• (1979-1980) Supply troops with 6 SAI through Madimbo in the Limpopo Valley into Rhodesia to protect farming communities in the south of that country from ZANLA infiltration.^[5]
• Operation Sceptic (1980), destroy control and logistic structures at Chifufua, Southern Angola,
• Operation Carrot (1981), counter insurgency warfare in the farming districts of Tsumeb, Otavi and Grootfontein, in Sector 30, Namibia,^[6]
• Operation Protea (1981), destroy SWAPO command and training center at Xangongo and logistic bases at Xangongo and Ongiva. Southern Angola
• Operation Daisy (1981), attack on SWAPO center at Chitequeta, Southern Angola
• Operation Yahoo (1982), mobile skirmishes countering SWAPO infiltration in SWA in the Ogandjere tribal area, north of the Etosha pans and the Bakenkop farm. 55 insurgents killed and 16 apprehended. 1 Ratel lost by concentrated RPG fire.
• Operation Meebos (1982), attack SWAPO bases identified by reconnaissance teams, Southern Angola
• Operation Phoenix (1983), counter offensive to SWAPO infiltration into Owamboland, Namibia, 309 SWAPO killed.
• Operation Dolfyn (1983), attack PLAN bases and headquarters around the Angolan town of Cuvelai
• Operation Askari (1983/4), disrupt logistical support and command & control capabilities of PLAN to suppress an incursion planned for Jan 1984.
• Operation Pronkertjie (1985),
• Operation Viper (1985),
• Operation Benzine (1986),

8 SAI and 63 Mech

By 1989, 8 SAI had also become a feeder unit for 63 Mechanised Battalion Group, part of 60 Brigade.

63 Mech Battalion Group emblem

• Operation Merlyn (1989). Prevent the incursion of PLAN (SWAPO) insurgents into South West Africa/Namibia in contravention of ceasefire effected 1 April 1989.

• Operation Agree 8 SAI infantry companies as part of 63 Mechanised Battalion Group, was part of the last contingent of South African troops to withdraw from Namibia at independence in 1989-1990 in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 handing over responsibility to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG).

South Africa internal operations

From 1990, the unit deployed internally in South Africa. Its main tasks at this time included counter insurgency in urban and rural areas.^[9]

8 SAI preparing for joint training with 61 Mech Battalion, Lohatla Army Battle School 1993

8 SAI COIN operations using airborne infil northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, 1993

Since 1994

In June 1994, the unit received its SANDF Colours, the first presented to a unit in the new South African National Defence Force.^[10]

8 SAI Ratel IFVs on maneuver at Lohatla Army Battle School, Northern Cape

Amalgamation with 61 Mech

In 2006, 61 Mechanised Infantry Battalion Group was disbanded and most of its members and mechanised equipment were transferred to 8 SAI.

61 Mech Battalion amalgamated with 8 SAI post 1994

8 SAI's main training area, at Riemvasmaak, north of Upington, was transferred to a civilian community. Since then 8 SAI uses the SA Army Combat Training Centre at Lohatla as it's main training area.^[11][12]

Peacekeeping

• Operation Curriculum, 2001-2009, 8 SAI companies were involved in peacekeeping operations for the African Union in Burundi^[13]
• Operation Mistral, 2003, 8 SAI companies were involved in peacekeeping operations for the African Union in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Operation Cordite, 2006, 8 SAI companies were involved in peacekeeping operations for the African Union in the Darfur, Sudan ^[14][15]
• Operation Triton in the Comores oversaw a African Union Mission to stabilise that country's elections. This was strengthened by a company from 8 SAI.

8 SAI was again redeployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Operation Mistral under the auspices of MONUSCO from December 2009 to May 2010 and from November 2011 to June 2012.

Mamba Mk 2 APC used by 8 SAI in peacekeeping operations

Alpha or attack vehicles

1 Ratel 20 per section, 3 sections per platoon, 3 platoons per company. 1 Ratel command per platoon, 4 per company.

Charlie or support vehicles

Current

Vehicle mounted weapons

8 SAI is equipped with Ratel 20 Infantry Fighting Vehicles,^[16] Ratel 60 mm (2.4 in) Mortar Platform Vehicles, Ratel Command Vehicles with mounted 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns, Ex 61

Mech Ratel 90s and Ratel 81mms, Kwevoel 100 Armoured Trucks for IFV Recovery, field maintenance, fuel bunkers and water provision,^[17] Samil 50 and 100 logistics trucks, Samil 20 trucks for its organic field workshops, Casspir APCs for its forward artillery observation party, and Rinkhals Field Ambulance.^[18] 8 SAI has also used Buffel IFVs and Mambas at certain stages in its history. Ratel mounted weapons include the Denel Land Systems GI-2 20 mm (0.79 in) Quick Firing Canon (QFC) (Ratel mounted), 60 mm (2.4 in) breech-loading mortar (Ratel mounted), Browning M1919 ^[19] Machine gun and the Browning M2 12.75 mm (0.502 in) Machine gun.^[19]

Badger IFV earmarked for replacement of the Ratel Fleet 2016 onwards

SANDF exercise Seboka 2007 8 SAI Ratels with 1 SSB Rooikats

Future

Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.^[22][23][24]

Nine versions are contemplated of which three are earmarked for mechanized infantry battalions such as 8 SAI:^[25][26][27]

• Command (turreted 12.7mm MG for self-defence, multiple radios and command post equipment)
• Mortar (turreted 60mm breech loading long-range mortar)
• Missile (turreted Denel ZT3 Ingwe)
• Section (turreted 30mm cannon)
• Fire Support (turreted 30mm cannon, but with more ammunition than the section vehicle)
• Signal variant
• Ambulance variant
• Artillery variant

Badger IFV front and rear views

8 SAI Commemorative coin

SADF 8 SAI affiliation certificate

SADF 8 SAI challenge coin

Previous Dress Insignia

SADF era 8 SAI insignia

Current Dress Insignia

SANDF era Infantry Formation insignia

Training Battalion

Operational Battalion