South African, Rhodesian and (up to 1974) Portuguese defence chiefs met regularly from the early 1960s onwards to exchange information and to draw up joint plans for military operations against the liberation movements. In 1967, South African troops were for the first time sent openly into Rhodesia when 300 counterinsurgency-trained paramilitary police were deployed alongside Rhodesian forces in the north and west of the country, against joint groups of ZAPU and ANC (South Africa) guerillas. While officially described as "police" the men were equipped and functioned like regular soldiers. By 1970 there were estimated to be between three and four thousand personnel deployed in Rhodesia from the SAP, SADF and SAAF — thereby almost doubling the size of the regular Rhodesian forces at this time. The South Africans were supported by Saracen armoured cars, Alouette helicopters, spotter planes and other equipment.
In 1975, during the so-called detente period, all South African Police units were officially withdrawn from Rhodesia, (leaving helicopters and other hardware behind), amidst considerable publicity. From this time it became extremely difficult to obtain factual details of South African military collaboration with the Smith regime, although it undoubtedly continued to include both personnel and equipment. Under "Operation Polo", for example, "a secret assistance programme", the Rhodesians were provided with about 50 South African helicopter pilots and technicians, and a number of specialist officers at military headquarters. Operation Polo was reported to have come to an end in 1976 "as part of the pressure applied by Mr. Vorster to get Mr. Smith to the negotiating table at Geneva". The period following the internal settlement agreement of 3 March 1978 once again saw an increase in overt South African military involvement, particularly during the April 1979 elections when "logistical" support was provided by Pretoria in the form of aircraft, helicopters, troop carriers, trucks and personnel. By the start of the Lancaster House talks in September 1979, up to 10,000 SA military personnel were deployed inside Rhodesia according to Patriotic Front estimates.
