Operation Moduler

Operation Moduler
Part of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in the Angolan Civil War and the South African Border War
Location	Angola Mavinga Jamba Menongue Cuito Cuanavale Rundu Luanda Operation Moduler (Angola)
Objective	Prevent FAPLA taking Mavinga from UNITA and later attempt to destroy FAPLA forces east of the Cuito River.
Date	4 August - 30 November 1987

Operation Moduler (sometimes incorrectly called "Modular") was a military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War. It formed part of what has come to be called the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The Angolan objective was to advance south-east to attack the UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) at Mavinga. The SADF objective was to protect UNITA by stopping that advance. The advance was halted with heavy Angolan casualties. The South Africa and its UNITA allies then began an offensive operations against the Angolan forces, who had retreated back to a defensive line east of the Cuito River with the objective of destroying them once and for all.

During January 1987, the Angolans began to increase their air defense network in the Cuito Cunuavale region and by April they had begun to assemble a large force of tanks, APCs, trucks and a large number of helicopters and fighter and strike aircraft at the town which indicated the build-up of new offensive on UNITA. By May UNITA was discussing the situation with the South Africans and by June, SADF military intelligence teams were operating with UNITA teams to monitor the Angolan build up. On 2 June 1987, four brigades of the Soviet-backed People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) (the 47th, 59th, 16th and 21st brigades), departed from the Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale with the aim of capturing the UNITA stronghold at Mavinga, which was the gateway to UNITA's capital of Jamba. By 15 June a plan was formulated to deploy units of 32 Battalion and Valkiri MRLs, for a covert operation similar to Operation Wallpaper, and have the remaining units of 32 Battalion and 61 Mechanised Battalion on stand-by for an attack on the Angolan brigades. On 22 June, Operation Moduler came into operation with Colonel Jock Harris of 32 Battalion in command but the forces would not be directly involved in the combat and by mid-July more of 32 Battalion units were ordered to Mavinga with his complete force in place by early August.