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Botswana Ground Force

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Botswana Ground Force
Active1977–present
CountryBotswana
TypeArmy
SizeActive; c. 9,000 regular[1][2]
Part ofMinistry of Defence, Justice, and Security
Websitewww.gov.bw
Commanders
Commander-in-chiefPresident Ian Khama
Ceremonial chiefLieutenant General Tebogo Masire

The Botswana Ground Force is the army of the country of Botswana, and the land component of the Botswana Defence Force.

History

The Botswana Defence Force was raised in April 1977 by an Act of Parliament called the 'BDF Act NO 13 of 1977.[3] At its formation, Lieutenant General Mompati Merafhe (retired and former Vice President of the Republic of Botswana(now deceased)) became its first Commander. The current President of the Republic of Botswana, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, then Brigadier, was the Deputy Commander. Unusually for an African military force, and chiefly attributable to its being founded after Botswana's independence, the Botswana Ground Force was not formed from colonial units formed by a colonising power, but rather were formed from the remains of the Botswana Mounted Police Unit, previously known as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, a unit of the British South Africa Police.[4]

The contemporary roles of the Defence Force are broad for a conventional military, suggesting that the government of Botswana and the BDF subscribe to a wide view of ‘security’ and consider the Defence Force an appropriate agency for attaining much of it, an issue that has been discussed even in the BDF’s own internal media. It is expected that the BDF in general is meant to be an apolitical instrument of the state.[5]

The current stated mission of the Botswana Ground Force is:
To defend the country and provide for the security of Botswana, participate in external security cooperation activities, and contribute in domestic support operations, with the aim of:

  • Ensuring national securirty and stability
  • Protecting the people and their properties
  • Protecting the constitution of Botswana to guarantee the rule of law
  • Defending Botswana's territorial integrity on land and in the air
  • Preserving Botswana as a free, independent and sovereign state
  • Aiding civil authorities in domestic support operations
  • Strengthening Botswana's international relations by participating in regional and international security cooperation activities[6]

Structure and organisation

The commander-in-chief of the BGF is Ian Khama, the current President of Botswana. Answering to him are the Minister of Defence, Justice, and Security, Shaw Kgathi, and the Defence Council, and the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Lieutenant General Placid Segokgo.

The various units of the Botswana Ground Force are as follows:

  • 1st Armoured Brigade (Gaborone)
  • 1st Infantry Brigade (mechanised brigade at Gaborone)
  • 2nd Infantry Brigade (motorized brigade at Francistown)
  • 3rd Infantry Brigade (motorized brigade at Ghanzi)
  • 1st Commando Regiment (Gaborone)
  • Four independent infantry battalions
  • Two armored-artillery brigades
  • One combat engineering regiment
  • 1 air defense battalion
  • Army river-wing (including diving unit)

Ranks and insignia

Main article: Botswana military ranks and insignia

The BGF and the Botswana Air Force maintain the same rank system, which is loosely based on British or Commonwealth rank systems. The ranks are as follows:

Enlisted:

Officers:

Equipment and vehicles

The BDF uses a wide array of modern weapons and vehicles. Its suppliers are Russia and Western nations, including Israel, Switzerland, the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Small arms

Handguns

Assault rifles

Submachine guns

Machine guns

Anti materiel rifle

Armoured vehicles

Note: 54 Leopard 1A3 tanks were apparently under negotiation for purchase from the Netherlands in 1996, but the deal never went through and no tanks were delivered.[9] Ministry of Defence of Botswana has recently ordered 45 Piranha 8×8 armoured vehicles made by General Dynamics Switzerland.[10]

Anti-tank weapons

Artillery

Anti-aircraft weapons

River-wing equipment

  • 2 × Boston Whaler Raider-class PCs (United States)[11]
  • 15 × Panther airboats (United States)[11]

Notes

  1. ^ These vehicles were previously used by the Police Mobile Unit. Although 10 were originally operated, it is not known how many are currently in service.[1]
  2. ^ There are also an unknown number of SA7b systems.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Jane's Sentinel Country Risk Assessments Southern Africa" (26). Jane's Information Group. 2009: 92–93. ISSN 1754-9256. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "Motswana -Batswana Military: Statistics (55 stats available)". Nationmaster.com. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  3. ^ "Republic of Botswana - Government portal". Gov.bw. 2011-01-03. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Republic of Botswana - Government portal". Gov.bw. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  5. ^ Otisitswe B Tiroyamodimo, Why is security a contested concept? Sethamo (Botswana Defence Force Newsletter), 37, December 2001, pp 9-11.
  6. ^ "Republic of Botswana - Government portal". Gov.bw. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The Military Balance 2013 (2013 ed.). International Institute for Strategic Studies. March 14, 2013. pp. 495–496. ISBN 978-1857436808.
  8. ^ Henk, Dan. "The Botswana Defence Force: Evolution of a Professional African Military" (PDF). African Security Review. 13 (4). Institute for Security Studies (South Africa): 85–99. doi:10.1080/10246029.2004.9627322. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-09-13. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Botswana's army chief defends purchase of tanks and combat aircraft". The Independent. London. 1996-06-26. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  10. ^ Malyasov, Dylan. "Botswana buy 45 Piranha armoured wheeled vehicles | Defence Blog". defence-blog.com. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  11. ^ a b "Jane's Sentinel Country Risk Assessments Southern Africa" (26). Jane's Information Group. 2009: 97. ISSN 1754-9256. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Sources

  • Kenosi, Lekoko. The Botswana Defence Force and Public Trust: The Military Dilemma in a Democracy.
  • Tiroyamodimo, Otitisitswe B. (December 2001). "Why is security a contested concept?". Sethamo (Botswana Defence Force Newsletter).
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