This is the Russian RGD-5 (РГД-5), Granata Distantsionnaya, Distance-Hand-Grenade or Time-Delayed (DLY) hand-grenade, a post World War 2, High-Explosive-Fragmentation (HE-Frag), Anti-Personnel (AP), defensive, hand-grenade, designed in the early 1950s, also made in...
War in Africa
TM-46 Mine
This is the Russian TM-46 and TMN-46, High-Explosive-Blast (HE-Blast), large, metal-bodied, Anti-Vehicle (AV), landmines that may be laid mechanically or by hand, also copied in China and designated the Type 59. In addition to conventional pressure fuzes (MV-5 and...
R2M2 Mine
This is the South-African R2M2, a High-Explosive-Blast (HE-Blast), circular, plastic-bodied, non-metallic, pressure-initiated, Anti-Personnel (AP) landmine designed to wound or kill by its HE-Blast effect that uses an integral fuze with a steel Firing-Pin (FP) and...
No 2 (R1M1) Mine
This is the South-African No 2 (R1M1), a copy of the American M18A1 often called the SHRAPNEL MINE No 2, a High-Explosive-Fragmentation (HE-Frag), claymore shaped, plastic-bodied, directional, anti-personnel (AP), landmine that is designed to wound or kill by its...
No.8 Mine
The No 8 mine is a South African a High-Explosive-Blast (HE-Blast) circular bakelite bodied, Anti-Vehicle (AV) cased minimum metal anti-tank blast mine, which is designed to damage or destroy a vehicle by its HE-Blast effect with a conventional pressure fuzing.. The...
An Evening out with the Infantry
A photo of me as a (recently turned) 20-year old 2nd Lieutenant Infantryman in 1982, filling my water bottles with 'quality' water (by bush standards) at a waterhole at Umundaungilo village, Ovamboland approximately 2km from the Angolan border. These events are still...
MiG-21
During Angola's long-running civil war, MiG-21s of the Cuban Air Force were frequently deployed to attack ground targets manned by rebel forces or engage South African Air Force Mirage F1s conducting cross-border strikes. Most MiG-21 losses over Angola were attributed...
AFB Ondangwa
Air Force Base Ondangwa was initially established at the Ondangwa Airfield on 2 February 1972, under the name "Playboy". The only military presence at that time in the area was at Oshakati, which fell under 1 Military Area in northern SWA. It soon became the most...
The F-86 Sabre in combat in Guinea-Bissau Part 1
In the context of the former Portuguese colonial empire, the territories of Guinea and Cape Verde played an important role in the maritime and air routes connecting Southern Africa, where Portugal had two important colonies: Angola and Mozambique. Furthermore, on the...
POMZ-2M Mine
The POMZ-2M is a stake-mounted anti-personnel fragmentation mine made in the former Soviet Union. The body of the mine is a cast-iron thick-walled tube with five rows of cast fragmentation "chunks". This is usually mounted on a short wooden stake. Because the mine is...
PMN Mine
The PMN is a bakelite-cased, pressure operated, anti-personnel blast mine (sometimes called the 'Black-widow'). Made in the former Soviet Union, it has been found in Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chechnya, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Honduras,...
MiG-23ML
The early MiG-23 variants had a number of design shortcomings, including airframe strength and reliability, engine performance, maneuverability and radar performance. A considerable redesign of the airframe was conducted, resulting in the MiG-23ML (L - Lyogkiy or...