The Border War saw the biggest armoured battles in Africa since World War II. Starting as a counter-insurgency operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the South West Africa People's Organisation, South Africa became embroiled in the complex Angolan Civil War, where they came up against enemies well supplied with equipment and armoured vehicles from the Soviet Union. With the aid of stunning illustrations and photographs, this study details the characteristics, capabilities and performance of the wide variety of armoured vehicles deployed by the SADF, from the Eland armoured car to the Ratel infantry combat vehicle and the Olifant tank. Designed for the unique conditions of the region, South Africa's armour was distinctive and innovative, and has influenced the design of counterinsurgency armoured vehicles around the world. Frequently requested by Osprey readers, and written by two renowned experts on armoured vehicles, this will appeal to all those interested in modern armour and the Cold War proxy wars.

The Border War saw the biggest armoured battles in Africa since World War II. Starting as a counter-insurgency operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the South West Africa People's Organisation, South Africa became embroiled in the complex Angolan Civil War, where they came up against enemies well supplied with equipment and armoured vehicles from the Soviet Union. With the aid of stunning illustrations and photographs, this study details the characteristics, capabilities and performance of the wide variety of armoured vehicles deployed by the SADF, from the Eland armoured car to the Ratel infantry combat vehicle and the Olifant tank. Designed for the unique conditions of the region, South Africa's armour was distinctive and innovative, and has influenced the design of counterinsurgency armoured vehicles around the world. Frequently requested by Osprey readers, and written by two renowned experts on armoured vehicles, this will appeal to all those interested in modern armour and the Cold War proxy wars.

The first in this all new series 'Conflict 100: A Century of Warfare Remembered through Military Modeling', exclusively published by GG Books and Helion & Company, showcases modern South African Armor. Through a series of step-by-step builds by leading modelers, which are accompanied by detailed walk arounds, a selection of vehicles and weapon systems are explored by serving South African Army Officer William Marshall, for military modelers and students of military history alike. During the South African Border War of 1966-1989, the South African Defense Force circumvented an international arms embargo to build a robust capability which reflected the nature of the conflict in hand; counterinsurgency operations against SWAPO in northern southwest Africa (Namibia) and offensive war fighting into Angola. The South African Defense Force found itself commissioning a range of mine protected platforms which were designed to counter the prevalent use of land mines and IEDs. Vehicles such as the Casspir and Buffel were purposefully designed to protect infantrymen from the threat of reinforced mines - many of which were fabricated from unexploded ordnance or from multiple antitank mines initiated by a trigger anti personnel mine. With its sturdy V-shaped hull, the Casspir was well able to survive mine blasts as was the Buffel which afforded protection whilst allowing a high degree of mobility. Here, modeler Steve Crump assembles the BaxMod 1/35th Casspir as a Koevoet vehicle - the elite South West African Police counterinsurgency team whereas BaxMod founder Chris Baxter builds his own 1/35th Buffel kit. Both the Casspir and Buffel have become icons of the Border War, these builds show just why. The Ratel series of Infantry Fighting Vehicle was also designed to protect its crew from land mines and IEDs, whilst also giving commanders a highly mobile and kinetic offensive capability. Equipped with a 20mm gun, the Ratel 20 is able to deliver an astonishing rate of fire. The Ratel 90 has proved itself an exceptional 'bunker buster' in operations against SWAPO in southern Angola and in a number of instances, readily saw off T-55 tanks. Tamiya's Marcus Nicholls here takes us through his stunning Ratel 20 build, whereas Australian modeler, Stuart Ransley, does the same for his Ratel 90. South Africa's main battle tank during the Border Was a derivative of the British Centurion. Equipped with a powerful diesel engine and up-gunned with a 105mm system, the Olifant was well suited for operating in the bush. Deployed during the 1987/8 battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the Olifants of 61 Mechanized Infantry Battalion proved themselves a formidable adversary for Angolan and Cuban forces. Steve Crump's Olifant build is based on the AFV Club Centurion kit and depicts an Olifant during the Cuito battle. German modeler Ralf Stein takes us through his Olifant build too - an amazing work that truly captures the shape and features of a battle-worn Olifant. BaxMod's latest 1/35th resin release is the G6 Self Propelled Gun. Modeler David Rowe gives this huge kit the full treatment to render a build of this weapon system which is stunning to behold. Now operationally deployed with the post-apartheid South African National Defense Force, the G6 is an incredible example of South African military engineering and a triumph of production for Armscor - the Armaments Corporation of South Africa. South Africa's 44 Para Brigade was one of the SADF's elite fighting units. Showcasing its airborne offensive capability, it saw action during the 1978 Cassinga battle where a force of ParaBats led by the legendary Colonel Jan Breytenbach, assaulted and destroyed a large insurgent headquarters. The Pathfinder Company of 44 Para Brigade interestingly comprised a significant number of British and American 'contract soldiers'. These individuals adapted and improvised the issue Unimog carriers to be light patrol vehicles. Heavily armed with a combination of 7.62mm FN MAGS and .50 Cal Browning guns, these patrol vehicles were striking to say the least. Ralf Stein's build takes us through the assembly of one of these 'Mad Max' machines. Different it is! Modeling Modern South African Armor is a unique and compelling work. The origin and history of each weapon system is covered in detail; step-by-step builds in full color give important 'how-to' tips; walk-around feature images that have never been seen before; color profiles illustrate camouflage markings and the volume cites extensive references, a bibliography and more. 'Conflict 100: A Century of Warfare Remembered through Military Modeling' is a new series concept, allowing military modelers to focus on a specific area or genre that is of interest to them. From Modern South African Armor to Cold War British Jet Fighters; the Rhodesian Conflict through to French Foreign Legion Operations in Mali; S-Boat Operations in the Aegean to modern Bundeswehr armor... all these and more will be given the Conflict 100 treatment - quality builds by leading modelers; historical contexts from acknowledged sources, color profiles of vehicles and weapon systems; detailed walk arounds which take you to the heart of the subject. With individual builds and profiles available to buy as downloadable PDFs, this series will grow and grow.

The SADF in the Border War 1966-1989 offers the first comprehensive analysis of the South African Defense Force's role in the Border War in Namibia and Angola since the end of this conflict in 1989. It investigates the causes of the Border War and follows its progress and escalation in the 1980s. It also considers the broader international context against which this conflict took place. The author brings vital new information to light gained from documents which have since been declassified. This includes documents from the State Security Council, the department of foreign affairs, the SADF itself, as well as from the Cuban and Soviet governments. It sheds light on the objectives of the National Party government in both Angola and the former Southwest Africa, the SADF's strategy in the war and its cross-border operations in Angola. To sketch as complete a picture as possible of individual operations, the author not only interviewed several high ranking SADF officers, but also included information from the Cuban archives and testimonies of Cuban and Russian officers. All the major operations and battles are discussed, including Savannah, Reindeer, Sceptic, Protea and Moduler, as well as the battles of Cassinga and Cuito Cuanavale. Where a battle had no clear winner, the author asks what the aim was of each of the parties involved and whether they succeeded in achieving that goal. In this way, he offers fresh perspectives on long-running and often controversial debates, for instance on who won the battle of Cuito Cuanavale. In the last chapter, the author looks at the objectives of all the parties involved in the war and whether they achieved them. In the process he tries to answer the all-important question: Who won the Border War?

War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 3 covers the air warfare during the II Angolan War – fought 1975-1992 – through narrating the emergence and operational history of the Angolan Air Force and Air Defence Force (FAPA/DAA) as told by Angolan and Cuban sources. Most accounts of this conflict – better known in the West as the ‘Border War’ or the ‘Bush War’, as named by its South African participants – tend to find the operations by the FAPA/DAA barely worth mentioning. A handful of published histories mention two of its MiG-21s claimed as shot down by Dassault Mirage F.1 interceptors of the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1981 and 1982, and at least something about the activities of its MiG-23 interceptors during the battles of the 1987-1988 period. On the contrary, the story told by Angolan and Cuban sources not only reveals an entirely different image of the air war over Angola of the 1980s: indeed, it reveals to what degree this conflict was dictated by the availability – or the lack of – air power and shows that precisely this issue dictated the way that the commanders of the Cuban contingents deployed to the country – whether as advisors or as combat troops – planned and conducted their operations. It is thus little surprising that the first contingent of Cuban troops deployed to Angola during Operation Carlota, in late 1975, included a sizeable group of pilots and ground personnel who subsequently helped build-up the FAPA/DAA from virtually nothing. They continued that work over the following 14 years - sometimes in cooperation of Soviet advisors and others from East European countries – eventually establishing an air force that by 1988 maintained what South African military intelligence and the media subsequently described as the ‘most advanced air defense system in Africa’. Not only the air defense system in question, but also the aircraft serving as its extended arms, ultimately managed a unique feat in contemporary military history: they enabled an air force equipped with Soviet-made aircraft and trained along the Soviet doctrine to establish at least a semblance of aerial superiority over an air force equipped with Western-made aircraft and operating under a Western doctrine. Based on extensive research with help of Angolan and Cuban sources, the War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 3 traces the military build-up of the FAPA/DAA in the period 1975-1992, its capabilities and its intentions. Moreover, it provides a unique, blow-by-blow account of its combat operations and experiences. The volume is illustrated with 100 rare photographs, half a dozen maps and 15 color profiles, thus providing a unique source of reference on this topic.

Angola, slowly recovering from a twenty-seven year civil war, is becoming a regional super-power in southern Africa. This rise can be attributed to oil, diamonds, a battle-tested armed forces and a political system that is dominated by one party – the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola – MPLA). Problems remain to be solved. The vast wealth is in the control of the elite while the vast majority of the people live on less than two dollars per day. Corruption is rife, the health and education system in shambles, landmines remain a festering problem and the opposition is intimidated and split into various factions. President Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled Angola for almost thirty-eight years, has opted not to run for re-election in the August 2017 elections. Instead his hand-picked successor João Lourenço was elected president. Interestingly, dos Santos has not surrendered his presidency of the party. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Angola contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Angola.

South Africa's armed forces invaded Angola in 1975, setting off a war that had consequences for the whole region that are still felt today. A Far-Away War contributes to a wider understanding of this war in Angola and Namibia. The book does not only look at the war from an "e;old"e; South African (Defence Force) perspective, but also gives a voice to participants "e;on the other side"e; - emphasising the role of the Cubans and Russians. This focus is supplemented by the inclusion of many never-before-published photographs from Cuban and Russian archives, and a comprehensive bibliography.