Operation Hooper

Operation Hooper
Part of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale
Operation Hooper is located in Angola
Cuito Cuanavale
Cuito Cuanavale
Operation Hooper (Angola)
Location
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents

 South Africa

UNITA

Angola MPLA

Cuba Cuba
Commanders and leaders
South Africa Col. Deon Ferreira
Unknown
Unknown
Cuba Unknown
Units involved
61 Mechanised Battalion & 62 Mechanised Battalion Group (4 SAI) 21 Brigade
25 Brigade
59 Brigade
Strength
2,000
24 tanks
unknown
Casualties and losses
South Africa:
8 killed
22 wounded
3+ armoured vehicles damaged
UNITA:
4+ killed
18 wounded
FAPLA:
150 killed/captured
33 tanks destroyed
11+ armoured vehicles destroyed
Cuba:
42+ killed

Operation Hooper was a military operation in 1987-88 by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War. This operation forms part of what has come to be called the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The Cubans' objective was securing the town of Cuito Cuanavale on the west of the river from capture. The SADF objective was to drive the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) west across the river or to destroy them, so as to ensure that FAPLA was no longer a threat to the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) in the south-east. The FAPLA advance was permanently halted, UNITA lived to fight on for another 15 years. The SADF never attempted to capture the town. Both sides claimed victory.