South African Special Forces

"Recces" redirects here. For not to be confused with, see recess. For the singular, see recce (disambiguation).

South African Special Forces Brigade
South African Special Forces insignia
Founded1 October 1972; 52 years ago (1972-10-01)
Country South Africa
BranchSA National Defence Force-Joint Operations Division
TypeSpecial forces
Size
Part ofJoint Operations Division
HQSpeskop, Pretoria, Gauteng
(Brigade HQ)
Nickname(s)Recces
Engagements
Insignia
Beret

The South African Special Forces Brigade, colloquially known as the Recces,[5] is South Africa's principal Tier 1 special operations forces, specialising in various types of operations, including counter-insurgency, long-range-reconnaissance, unconventional-warfare, and hostage rescue.[6] The brigade operates with two active-duty groups, with 4 Special Forces Regiment focusing on maritime operations, and 5 Special Forces Regiment focusing on land and airborne operations. Only about 8% of recruits who undergo South African special forces training pass the course.[6]

The South African Special Forces Brigade has its roots in the Hunter Group, which was formed in 1968 as an elite counter-insurgency unit of the South African Army.[7] The success of this unit culminated in the subsequent formation of five reconnaissance units, known widely as "Recces", during the 1970s.[8] South African special forces carried out a number of combat operations during the Rhodesian Bush War, the South African Border War, and the Mozambican Civil War.[9][10]

The Special Forces Brigade's current structure[11] is the result of extensive restructuring related to the integration of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) between 1992 and 1996. Elements of the brigade are expanded into two additional groups; though termed "regiments", they consist only of small numbers of operators who are secretive, seldom photographed, and expertly trained.[7] The current regiments include 4 Special Forces Regiment based at Langebaan in Western Cape Province, and 5 Special Forces Regiment based at Phalaborwa in the eastern part of the province of Limpopo.[11]

Special forces are directly under the command of the Joint Operations Division[11][12] of the SANDF, and unlike other similar forces worldwide, are not a part of the South African Army nor the South African Navy, but are rather operated as its own branch/service within the SANDF.

  1. ^ "4RR / 4SFR History – SA Special Forces League". Recce.co.za. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  2. ^ "5RR / 5SFR History – SA Special Forces League". Recce.co.za. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  3. ^ "South Africa bolsters its troops in the Central African Republic". The New Humanitarian. Johannesburg. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  4. ^ Martin, Guy (5 September 2013). "DRC Sniper Revelation compromising SANDF troops – expert". DefenceWeb. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  5. ^ SA Special Forces Association
  6. ^ a b McNab, Chris (2002). 20th Century Military Uniforms (2nd ed.). Kent: Grange Books. p. 205. ISBN 1-84013-476-3.
  7. ^ a b Pitta, R; Fannell, J (1993). South African Special Forces. Osprey Publishing.
  8. ^ "1RR / 1SFR History – SA Special Forces League". Recce.co.za. Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  9. ^ Scholtz, Leopold (2013). The SADF in the Border War 1966–1989. Cape Town: Tafelberg. ISBN 978-0-624-05410-8.
  10. ^ McCallion, Harry (11 April 1996). Killing Zone. Bloomsbury Paperbacks. pp. 13–281. ISBN 0-7475-2567-6.
  11. ^ a b c "Special Forces Structure". Official Special Forces Website. Joint Operations Division, Department of Defence. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Joint Operations Division". www.jops.mil.za. Joint Operations Division, Department of Defence. Retrieved 29 September 2014.