Operation Southern Cross (1986) was a

military operation A military operation (op) is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operati ...

by the

South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Fo ...

during the

South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...

and

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

Background

During May 1986, the

(SADF) began planning an operation that called for the capture of the

People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola The People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola () or FAPLA was originally the armed wing of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) but later (1975–1991) became Angola's official armed forces when the MPLA took control o ...

(FAPLA) controlled town and airbase at

Cuito Cuanavale Cuito Cuanavale, occasionally spelt Kuito Kuanavale or Kwito Kwanavale, is a municipality in Cuando province in Angola. The area around the town was the scene of heavy fighting during various campaigns during the Angolan Civil War and the South ...

. The units would consist of 32 Battalion,

South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...

, Special Forces and National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (

UNITA The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (, abbr. UNITA) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Liberat ...

) troops. The operation would be carried out at night and aided by air and artillery attacks. Cuito Cuanavale was a military base used previously to launch Cuban and Angolan attacks on the UNITA held town of

Mavinga Mavinga is a municipality in Angola, and the capital of Cuando Province since that province's creation in 2024. It is one of the three municipalities in Angola whose inhabitants are predominantly Mbunda. The municipality had a population of 27, ...

with the objective to capture it and eventually launch an attack on the UNITA headquarters at Jamba. The 13th and 25th FAPLA Brigades were deployed to protect Cuito Cuanavale. This initial plan was scrapped by the SADF and modified to become just an artillery bombardment on Cuito Cuanavale. This occurred during July 1986. The SADF would use the

Valkiri The Valkiri is a South African self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. It is a 127mm system with a wheeled launcher vehicle, and fire control equipment developed by Armscor. Contemporary models consist of a single launch module with five eight- ...

multiple rocket launchers and the G5 155 mm artillery guns. 32 Battalion would be used for escort and protection duties. The town was bombarded for two nights and failed to achieve its destruction. The original assault plan was then revived and this became the planning tool for Operation Alpha Centauri during August 1986.

Background

References

Further reading