South African Army Infantry Formation

In 1956 a further reorganisation was made necessary by the considerable increase in the number of citizens balloted for training in some areas.

Plans were in place to establish volunteer black infantry units along ethnic lines, comparable to the Cape Corps.

The volunteer black infantry unit plans eventually bore fruit with the formation of 21, 111, 113, 115, 116 (Northern Sooth, Messina), 117, 118, 121 and 151 Battalions.

[9] Since 1994, South Africa's Infantry units have supported numerous operations for the United Nations and the African Union across the continent, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC/MONUSCO), the Force Intervention Brigade in particular, Burundi (South African Protection Support Detachment, and African Union Mission in Burundi), in the Comores, and with AMIS/UNMIS in Sudan.

The organisation of South African motorised, mechanised, air assault and parachute infantry battalions are broadly similar, the mechanised battalion however lacks a machine gun platoon in the support company and the internal security battalion lacks the same as well as other support weapons (mortars, antitank weapons and assault pioneers).

A battalion has at its disposal the following weapons: The number of vehicles is dependent on the type of unit and role.

A parachute or air assault battalion deployed by air will largely be dependent on the 104 LMT Gecko airborne amphibious 8x8 light rapid deployment logistic vehicles assigned to 44 Parachute Regiment.

By some accounts, [citation needed] a Fighting Echelon (F-Echelon) would include 88 A-Vehicles, but the numbers can be higher.

Third phase ramps up to a conventional warfare exercise usually held at Lohatla Army Battle School.

Tactics such as fire and movement, as well as the amalgamation with other type formations, are done here, with expanding the scope from the squad to section to the platoon to company, battalion, and brigade exercises.

South African Infantry are trained in an assortment of equipment in addition to their personal rifles, such as: Improved 9mm version of the Z-88 pistol

Old 1st SA Infantry Union Defence Force emblem
South African Volunteer Infantry Regiments on the Western Front circa World War One
SADF era Black Infantry Battalions
Current SANDF National Defence Force Infantry Formation emblem
Guard of Honour at the Sake base of the SA Battalion of the Force Intervention Brigade (MONUSCO)
SANDF Parachute Infantry from 44 Parachute Regiment board a C-130 Hercules aircraft
SANDF Air Assault Infantry
SANDF Seaborne Infantry
SANDF Light Infantry during Exercise Shared Accord 2013
SANDF Mechanised Infantry Ratel Vehicles in fire and move at AAD 2014
SANDF Motorised Infantry with Mambas
SANDF Infantry field Physical Training (PT)
SANDF Infantry Fire and Movement Training
United Nations Force Intervention Brigade training
SANDF Infantry Flash