Zimbabwe Defence Forces

[Bernard Woolley]

Ministry of Defence
Defence House, Harare

Joint Operations Command
Harare

[Bernard Woolley]

Zimbabwe National Army

Special Forces of Zimbabwe
1 Commando Regiment
1 Parachute Regiment
Combat Diving Unit
Special Air Service
Zimbabwe Mounted Infantry (formerly Grey’s Scouts) [NOTE 1]
Boat Squadron

The Presidential Guard [NOTE 2]
1 Presidential Guard Battalion (State House)
2 Presidential Guard Battalion (Dzivarasekwa Barracks)
3 Presidential Guard Battalion (Dzivarasekwa Barracks)

1 Brigade [NOTE 3]
11 Combat Group
12 Combat Group
13 Combat Group
Reconnaissance Company
Signals Company
Mortar Battery
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

2 Brigade
21 Combat Group
22 Combat Group
33 Combat Group
Reconnaissance Company
Signals Company
Mortar Battery
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer Company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

3 Brigade
31 Combat Group
32 Combat Group
33 Combat Group
Reconnaissance Company
Signals Company
Mortar Battery
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer Company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

4 Brigade
41 Combat Group
42 Combat Group
43 Combat Group
Reconnaissance Company
Signals Company
Mortar Battery
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer Company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

5 Brigade [NOTE 4]
51 Combat Group
52 Combat Group
53 Combat Group
Reconnaissance Company
Armoured Company: T-59, T-69
Signals Company
Mortar Battery
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer Company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

Mechanised Brigade [NOTE 5]
The Tank Regiment: T-55, T-62, T-72
1 Mechanised Battalion: BMP-1, BMP-2
2 Mechanised Battalion: BMP-1, BMP-2

Artillery Brigade
1 Field Regiment
2 Field Regiment
1 Air Defence Artillery Regiment

1 Engineer Regiment
2 Engineer Regiment
Engineering Construction Regiment

Harare District

Bulawayo District
13 Reserve Force Battalion


Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association
Militia and military reserve organisation of around 30,000, with around half available for active military duty at any one time. In theory to be used to bring ZNA units up to strength, in reality has been used to crush internal opposition; despite name a large proportion of members are too young to have fought in the ‘liberation war’.

Youth Brigades.
Approximately 15,000 strong militia type organisation used by the ruling party to crush opposition. Nicknamed the ‘Green Bombers’, some have been used as ‘cannon fodder’ in advance of regular ZNA.


Soviet ‘advisory’ group [NOTE 6]
Tank Battalion: T-72
Motor Rifle Battalion: BMP-2
Motor Rifle Battalion: BMP-2 [NOTE 7]
Artillery battalion: 2S19
MRL battery: BM-21 Grad

*

1) May have disbanded, or reduced to cadre.

2) Also known as the Presidential Guard Group/Brigade.

3) Standard formation of infantry brigades believed to be as follows:
Three Combat Groups with 35 APCs each
Reconnaissance Company (12 EE-9 Cascavel, being replaced by Soviet vehicles)
Signals Company
Mortar Battery (6 81/82mm or 120mm)
S-125 (SA-3) Battery
Engineer Company
Supply and transport
Workshop
Medical units

4) Brigade trained by North Koreans; falls outside of normal chain of command, reporting direct to the President. Target of much resentment from rest of the army; was responsible for massacred in Matabeleland between 1983 and 1987. Better equipped than other infantry brigades.

5) Exact composition of the Mechanised Brigade is unknown, only units positively identified have been included.

6) Soviet and East German troops in Zimbabwe are officially ‘advisors’ and technical personnel. However, numbers are too high for this role alone and for the amount of equipment observed. It is also believed that many ZNA units also have Soviet, or NVA personnel directly attached.

7) Believed to be formed of East German Army (NVA) personnel.

[Bernard Woolley]

Air Force of Zimbabwe.

Gweru-Thornhill Air Base
2 Squadron (Cobra): L-39 Albatross, Hawk 60 [NOTE 1]
4 Squadron (Hornet): Cessna FTB337G and O-2A
5 Squadron (Arrow): Mig-21 Bison, Mig-23 [NOTE 2]
6 Squadron (Tiger): SF-260M, SF-260TP, SF-260W

Manyame Air Base
3rd Squadron (Falcon): Casa 212-200, BN-2 Islander, IL-76, AN-12 [NOTE 3]
7th Squadron (Spider): Alouette III, Mi-24V, Mi-35P [NOTE 4]
8th Squadron (Scorpion): Augusta-Bell 412SP, Mi-8T, Mi-17

Fylde Air Base [NOTE 5]
1 Squadron (Bear): Mig-29SE, Su-25K [NOTE 6]

*

1) Very few Hawks were believed to be operational due to lack of spare parts.

2) AFZ requested Mig-29s to replace remaining Hunters, Soviets instead supplied older Migs.

3) Two IL-76s and one AN-12.

4) Alouettes left over from Rhodesian era; can be armed. Serviceability questionable.

5) Training base, also home to VVS section of Soviet ‘advisory and training group’.

6) Six ‘Fulcrums’ and two ‘Frogfoots’ spotted in late 2004. Believed to be flown by Soviet and East German ‘advisors’.

[Bernard Woolley]

SPACE RESERVED

[Johnnie Lyle]

Question - why don’t they use th when numbering the brigades, i.e., 5 Brigade instead of 5th Brigade?

[Bernard Woolley]

Your guess is as good as mine. I've seen it with and without the 'th'. Often on the same page of the same source!

[Johnnie Lyle]

Your guess is as good as mine. I've seen it with and without the 'th'. Often on the same page of the same source!

Any similarities to British units not using the th for corps?

[Bernard Woolley]

It’s possible it was inherited from the predecessor Rhodesian Army, which followed British traditions. However, we also do and don’t use the ‘th’ too.

[Johnnie Lyle]

It’s possible it was inherited from the predecessor Rhodesian Army, which followed British traditions. However, we also do and don’t use the ‘th’ too.

You did that just to punk the Germans, didn’t you?