South African Defence Force

South African Defence Force Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag
Official emblem, SADF
SADF Ensign, 1981–1994
Founded	1957
Disbanded	1994
Service branches	South African Army South African Navy South African Air Force South African Medical Service
Headquarters	Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
Manpower
Conscription	White males between 17–65 years of age (1957–1993)
Active personnel	(1986) 82,400
Expenditures
Budget	$3,092 billion USD
Percent of GDP	4.1
Industry
Domestic suppliers	ARMSCOR
Foreign suppliers	Belgium  France  Israel  Rhodesia (until 1979)   Switzerland  United Kingdom  United States
Related articles
History	Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Angolan Civil War Mozambican Civil War Soweto uprising Bophuthatswana coup d'état

The South African Defence Force (SADF) comprised the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Force was officially succeeded by the SADF, which was established by the Defence Act (No. 44) of 1957. The SADF, in turn, was superseded by the South African National Defence Force in 1994.

The SADF was organised to perform a dual mission: to counter possible insurgency in all forms, and to maintain a conventional military arm which could defend the republic's borders, making retaliatory strikes as necessary. As the military expanded during the 1970s, the SADF general staff was organised into six sections — finance, intelligence, logistics, operations, personnel, and planning; uniquely, the South African Medical Service (SAMS) was made co-equal with the South African Army, the South African Navy and the South African Air Force.

The military was mostly composed of white South Africans, who alone were subject to conscription. However, Asians and Coloured citizens with mixed ancestry were eligible to serve as volunteers, several even attaining commissioned rank. Units such as the 32 Battalion incorporated many black volunteers. Conscription was opposed by organisations such as the End Conscription Campaign, but overall, white morale remained high — as indicated by the few recruits tried for serious disciplinary offences.

During apartheid, armed SADF troops were used in quelling opposition to minority rule, often directly supporting the South African Police. South African military units were involved in the long-running Mozambican and Angolan civil wars, frequently supporting Pretoria's allies, the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). SADF personnel were also deployed during the related South African Border and Namibian independence conflicts.