8 South African Infantry Battalion
| 8 South African Infantry Battalion (8 SAI) | |||||||||
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8 SAI Insignia
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| Active | October 1973 - present | ||||||||
| Country |
 South Africa
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| Allegiance |
South Africa
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| Branch |
 South African Army
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| Type | Infantry | ||||||||
| Role | Mechanised infantry | ||||||||
| Size | Battalion | ||||||||
| Part of | South African Infantry Formation | ||||||||
| Garrison/HQ | Upington Northern Cape Province | ||||||||
| Motto(s) | Perservate et Superate (Conquer through perseverance) | ||||||||
| Mascot(s) | Gemsbok | ||||||||
| Equipment | Ratel IFV, Ratel 90 (ex 61 Mech), Ratel 81 (ex 61 Mech), Ratel 60 | ||||||||
| Engagements |
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| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |||||||||
| OC 1975 | Commandant Tobie Hannekom | ||||||||
| OC 1984 | Commandant Piet Muller | ||||||||
| OC 1987(previously OC 31 Battalion) | Colonel Johan Jooste | ||||||||
| OC early 1990's | Colonel Jan Malan | ||||||||
| Insignia | |||||||||
| Company level Insignia |  |
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| SA Mechanised Infantry beret bar circa 1992 | |||||||||
8 South African Infantry Battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the South African Army. It is equipped with Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used for fast transport and combat. The battalion uses Ratel IFVs all-wheel drive vehicles (6×6), for mobility across rough ground. Support weapons for mechanized infantry are also provided with motorized transport, or are built directly into IFVs, in order to keep pace with the IFVs in combat. The battalion was raised at Upington in the Northern Cape in 1973, and assigned to the Infantry Formation.
8 SAI continues to train for conventional warfare and forms part of the annual brigade-level Lohatla Army Battle School exercise. Training includes IFV-mounted and dismounted fire-and-move drills, and integration with Engineers, Armour, Artillery and Air Force elements.
The unit was established at Upington in the Northern Cape in October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees the next January. They could, however, not cope with the Gordonia heat and the unit afterwards received trainees in July.
Between 1979 and 1989, 8 SAI participated in the Border War. Its contingent was known as 63 Mechanised Battalion Group, part of 60 Brigade. 8 SAI contributed troops to the following operations:
The Cubans opened a second front on 27 June 1988 against the South Africans and launched a ground offensive in the direction of Calueque Dam in Southern Angola. The area to the north of the dam became the scene of fighting. MiG-23 aircraft attacked the facilities, bombing a bridge, sluice gates, a pump, a generator, and a pipeline to Ovamboland in three waves. 7 soldiers from 8 SAI and 4 from the armoured corps lost their lives in this engagement.
8 SAI, as part of 61 Mechanised Infantry Battalion Group and 63 Mech, was part of the last contingent of South African troops to withdraw from Namibia at independence in 1990 (Operation Agree) in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 handing over responsibility to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG).
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Wikipedia