picture 169705

The ‘armoured fist’ of the SADF during the campaign was provided by Olifant Mk.1A main battle tanks: essentially locally-overhauled, British made Centurion Mk.5s, modified through the installation of the 105mm GT3B cannon, with a passive night vision sight and a laser rangefinder, and the US-made Continental turbo-charged V12 diesel engine. During the Operations Moduler, Hooper, and Packer, in 1987-1988, the SADF deployed two squadrons of 13 Olifant Mk.1 and Mk.1As (shown) each, drawn from the School of Armour and diverse other units, and assigned to the 61st Mechanised Battalion. As far as is known, all were painted in mid-stone overall, and initially retained their side-skirts. (Artwork by David Bocquelet).