Tanks and jets of the Border War

Strange how most of our weapons were outdated and outgunned by the Russian weapons. Though thanks to training they managed to survive.
 
Glad to know the war started before I was born.
 
Lupus said:
Strange how most of our weapons were outdated and outgunned by the Russian weapons. Though thanks to training they managed to survive.
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Not necessarily outdated, but equipped to combat in other environments, it is a tactical approach. Yes, they had to adapt and they had done so. Managed to survive? That you should ask those which was enlisted and had participated in the Border War.

We had excellent operators.
 
Considering the Centurion tank was a WWii tank it was pretty outdated by the 70s. Yeah the mk2 olifant was pretty upgraded and probably could go head to head with a t62.
The fact that the SADF managed to take armoured cars and use them effectively against battle tanks, that's impressive.
The fact that the pilots had to learn to use what little advantage the mirage iii had and used it. By survive I mean manage to actually fight for such a long time instead of being seriously wiped out in less time than a month.
 
It was gorilla warfare and yes at the time we were classified as some of the best.
 
The first time they mounted a ZT3 anti-tank missile system onto a Ratel and took it into battle.

Ratel 3 - 0 T55 tanks

[video=youtube;0JnHOS8SIPE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JnHOS8SIPE[/video]
 
Some poor research in that article.

Cheetah hadn't even entered service by the end of the war and neither had the Oryx. We flew Mirage F1s, Mirage IIIs, Impalas, Bucceneers, Canberras, Pumas and Alouette IIIs.
 
FoXtroT said:
Some poor research in that article.

Cheetah hadn't even entered service by the end of the war and neither had the Oryx. We flew Mirage F1s, Mirage IIIs, Impalas, Bucceneers, Canberras, Pumas and Alouette IIIs.
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"We" being the defenders of the white apartheid regime, basically propping up a government committing one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

Fortunately Cuban air capability overwhelmed this arrogant white bunch of racists. eventually leading to capitulation and forced withdrawal.
 
entrepr said:
"We" being the defenders of the white apartheid regime, basically propping up a government committing one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

Fortunately Cuban air capability overwhelmed this arrogant white bunch of racists. eventually leading to capitulation and forced withdrawal.
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Is it time for popcorn?

View attachment 359368
 
entrepr said:
"We" being the defenders of the white apartheid regime, basically propping up a government committing one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
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Ah yes. No doubt you believe Cde Brezhnev flew in Castro's heroic defenders of the MPLA to preserve democratic rule and liberty in Angola. I can't immediately recall which election Agostinho Neto won. Care to remind me?
 
FoXtroT said:
Cheetah hadn't even entered service by the end of the war and neither had the Oryx. We flew Mirage F1s, Mirage IIIs, Impalas, Bucceneers, Canberras, Pumas and Alouette IIIs.
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Thanks for weighing in. Always interesting to hear from folks who were there.

The information in this article comes from various sources. It does state that the Cheetah didn't see combat. Here is the SA Airforce page which says that the Cheetah was introduced before the end of the war, but was only used as an interceptor: http://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/aircraft/68/cheetah-e

Regarding the Oryx: that information comes from "SAAF's Border War: The South African Air Force in Combat 1966-89" by Peter Baxter, and if memory serves, "The SADF in the Border War 1966-89" by Leopold Scholtz.
 
Funny how the biggest keyboard warriors have their opinions.
From somebody who was there. We whipped their asses.
 
entrepr said:
"We" being the defenders of the white apartheid regime, basically propping up a government committing one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

Fortunately Cuban air capability overwhelmed this arrogant white bunch of racists. eventually leading to capitulation and forced withdrawal.
Click to expand...

Chip on your shoulder.
 
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