SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY ACTIVITY AT GROOTFONTEIN NAMIBIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81T00034R000100570001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 1, 1981
• Content Type: REPORT

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Imagery analysis report
South African Military Activity at Grootfontein
Namibia (S)
Secret
T00034 ROOO 100570001-4
Z-20183/80
IAR-0239/80
JANUARY 1981
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Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
(WNINTEL)
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
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ORCON- Dissemination and Extraction of Information
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REL ... This Information has been Authorized for
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SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY ACTIVITY AT GROOTFONTEIN, NAMIBIA (S)
INTRODUCTION
1. (S D) Since the mid-1970s, South Africa has been upgrading and expanding Grootfontein
Airfield and the adjoining Grootfontein Army Camp in north-
ern Namibia, approximately 130 nautical miles (nm) south of the Angolan border (Figure 1).
These installations furnish logistical support to the counterinsurgent operations against the guer-
rilla forces of the Southwest African People's Organization (SWAPO) along the Angolan/Nami-
bian border. This imagery-derived report provides a description of facilities at the airfield and
army camp and summarizes significant activity observed at each installation from January 1978 to
July 1980. A related, previously published NPIC report' provided similar data on the airstrips,
military camps, and strongpoints north of Grootfontein in the border operational area (BOA)-a
term the South Africans use when referring to the area on the Namibian side of the border.
2. (S/D) Installations along the Angolan border from Grootfontein are accessible by two
all-weather, dual-lane roads (Figure 1). One road leads northwest from Grootfontein through
Tsumeb to Ondangua, Oshakati, and other installations in Ovamboland. A second road connects
Grootfontein with the air and ground force facility at Runtu in Okavangoland and also joins the
improved road which runs parallel to the border and extends eastward to Katima Mulilo in the
Caprivi Strip.
Grootfontein Airfield
3. (S/D) Grootfontein Airfield is one of five jet-capable airfields in northern Namibia. The
others (Figure 1) are Ruacana Airfield Ondan ua Airfield
Runtu Airfield and Mpacha Airfield The airfield at Groot on-
tein is a joint civil and military facility with support and repair facilities comparable to those at
major military airfields in the Republic of South Africa. A comparative view of the airfield and
army camp as they appeared on imagery in 1971 and 1979 is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Runway and Taxiway Construction
4. (S/D) A new asphalt and concrete runway, approximately 3,660 by 45 meters and first identi-
fied under construction in April 1976, is now complete and operational. This runway can accommodate
all aircraft currently in service with the South African Air Force or the Republic's civil airlines, South
African Airways. The original asphalt runway has been extended to the same length as the new runway
and now serves as a parallel taxiway. A new asphalt runway, perpendicular to the main runway and
1,200 by 30 meters, has been constructed atop an original gravel runway.
Military Support and Parking Areas
5. (S/D) A military support area has been built east of the civil terminal area and north of the
midpoint of the parallel taxiway (Figures 3 and 4). Parking facilities consist of a large asphalt and
concrete parking apron, connected by two link taxiways to the parallel taxiway and main runway. One
large maintenance hangar, 15 maintenance and support buildings, and one operations/control tower are
in the military support area. An ammunition storage area that appears to serve both the airfield and the
military camp is 0.5 nm northeast of the military support area at the airfield. The storage area is secured
(Continued p. 6)
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*Mocimedes
Porto
Alexandre
Bandeira
BOTSWANA
FIGURE 1. SELECTED SOUTH AFRICAN INSTALLATIONS IN NORTHERN NAMIBIA
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sesheMR, KATIMA
.-"~ 0 MULILO
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by a double fence and consists of at least 80 earth-covered quonset buildings in groups of eight and at
least 11 additional revetted, drive-by storage bays in an early stage of construction.
Air Activity
6. (S/D) The level of air activity observed since January 1978 has remained fairly constant.
Military transport aircraft-including C-47 (Dakota), C-130 (military), and C-160 (Transall; not
shown on graphic)-and L-100 aircraft of Safair, a partially government-owned cargo airline, were
routinely observed either in the military support area (Figure 4) or on the expanded parking apron
adjacent to the civil terminal (Figure 3). These aircraft were apparently involved in the transportation of
supplies from South Africa to Grootfontein and other airfields in the BOA. On at least two separate
dates in 1979, personnel were observed embarking/disembarking from an L-100 with Safair markings.
This might have been a rotation of units assigned to the BOA. While fighter aircraft have routinely been
seen at Ondangua and Mpacha Airfields since late 1978, combat aircraft were not observed assigned
permanently to Grootfontein, and the occasional observation of such aircraft as a Mirage F-1 during
June 1979 was probably due to a need for maintenance support.
Grootfontein Army Camp
7. (S/D) This installation has been expanded from a small tent camp in the early 1970s to the
largest and most modern ground force installation in Namibia. It serves as a logistical and support base
for the South African presence in the BOA. The installation consists of four functional areas-an
administration and barracks area, a rail transfer depot, a vehicle storage and maintenance area, and a
POL storage area (Figure 5).
8. (S/D) The administration and barracks area consists of a multiwing headquarters/administra-
tion building, 37 barracks/quarters, one probable hospital/dispensary, one auditorium, 16 support
buildings, and extensive recreational facilities including two swimming pools, tennis courts, and rugby
and cricket fields. There are, in addition, two tent camps (items a and b, Figure 5) within the barracks
area that probably serve as transit quarters for personnel enroute to or returning from duty on the
border. An auxiliary vehicle park (item c) which contains a wide range of cargo trucks and other
wheeled vehicles is on the southeast edge of the administration and barracks area.
Rail Transfer Depot
9. (S/D) The rail transfer depot serves as the loading/offloading point for vehicles and other
military equipment or supplies being transferred between Namibia and the Republic. Such activity was
observed when at least 52 Eland armored cars were seen on either the loading
dock or on flatcars (16 Elands are shown on graphic). The number of Elands observed closely equates
to the table of organization and equipment of a South African armored car regiment.
Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Area
10. (S/D) The primary vehicle storage and maintenance area consists of three subareas
(Figure 5). The vehicle storage area (item d) is adjacent to the rail transfer depot and includes four
vehicle storage sheds and a large, open parking area. Frequent photographic coverage of the
transfer depot and this vehicle park provides a useful indicator of build-up and increased activity
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by the South Africans in northern Namibia. A separately secured vehicle maintenance area (item
e) is adjacent to the vehicle storage area. This is the largest such facility in Namibia and probably
serves a third echelon repair function for the BOA. The third portion of the vehicle storage and
maintenance area (item f) is an administration/barracks/motor pool area for motor transport
units assigned to the army camp.
POL Storage Area
11. (S/D) The POL storage area is served by a dual-rail siding of the Namibian/South African
rail network and supports both the airfield and army camp. Storage facilities consist of three medium
vertical tanks, four small vertical tanks, six small horizontal tanks, and open storage of probable 55-
gallon POL drums.
1. NPICJ IAR-0001/80, South African Military Activity in Northern Namibia, 1978-1979 (S),
Jan 80 (TOP SECRET CODEWORD
Z-20183/80 SECRET
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