South Africa's increasingly aggressive posture towards neighbouring Angola has been matched by a number of displays of military might inside Namibia itself.
On 27 June, the South African Air Force (SAAF) staged a spectacular show at Windhoek's Eros Airport, enabling 35,000 people to view the various types of aircraft employed in Namibia's war zones, air-to-air, air-to-ground and ground-to-air missiles, all-weather F-1 interceptors, paratroopers from Namibia's own paratroop unit, the SWA Paratroopers, maritime reconnaissance planes, light cannons and other weaponry. The display was also intended to publicise the beginnings of Namibia's own indigenous airforce, 1 Squadron, currently comprised of civilians with flying experience.
On 4 July, a military parade was staged in Tsumeb by the Etosha Area Force, 61 Mechanised Battalion and Sector 30. Approximately 90 armoured vehicles took part, including 16-ton Ratel armoured troop carriers and long range field guns.
NEW ARMY BASE Plans to construct a huge army base in the area immediately south of Windhoek moved a step further in June when the Windhoek City Council voted to cede approximately 860 hectares of land to the "Government of South West Africa". The land is to be used by the newly created South West Africa Territory Force, the indigenous Namibian army set up and controlled by the South African Defence Force. The army's plans for the base, which include constructing a rail track to the area, apparently provide for "a formidable project".
RAILWAYS POLICE South African Railways Police are now being trained locally in Namibia at the new South African Railways & Harbours training college in Gammans, in the southern industrial area of Windhoek. The first batch of 24 such railway policemen were passed out at a parade at the college in July, having completed five months training.
