Vortex (125 page)

Every black in South Africa was assigned a tribe, and thus a homeland, of which they were automatically a citizen.

The fact that an individual had never seen their particular homeland and had no desire to live there was irrelevant.

HUD-Heads Up Display-Projects important information onto a clear plastic plate directly in front of the pilot’s eyes, making it possible to avoid going “heads down” to look at cockpit instruments. The
HUD
is a vital aid during a fastmoving air combat. The data displayed on the windscreen includes speed, altitude, weapons status, g forces, target data, and fuel status.

IFF-Identification Friend or Foe-An airplane or ship sends a coded electronic signal out to an unknown contact. A black box on an aircraft, if it receives the proper code, responds with a signal of its own, telling the observer that the aircraft is friendly. Aircraft without the proper codes are the enemy. The codes are changed daily.

11-76 Candid-An Ilyushin-designed cargo plane, it is the Soviet analogue to the U.S. C-141 Starlifter. It has four engines and a rear cargo ramp, like the Starlifter. It can carry about forty metric tons.

Inkatha-A political party made up almost entirely of Zulus, with the majority of its members in Natal Province. Inkatha is the primary rival of the
ANC
, another black opposition group within South Africa. Some of this rivalry is based on political differences, the rest on centuries-old tribal enmity.

IP-Initial Point-Refers to the geographic location used as the start point for an approach to a target.

Kukri-A heat-seeking missile designed and built in South Africa. While not as advanced as first-line missiles, it does have one advantage. When mounted on the Mirage F. 1, the pilot can use a special helmet-mounted sight to lock the missile’s seeker on targets off to one side. This is a tremendous advantage in a dogfight, since the plane’s nose must no longer be pointed exactly at a violently maneuvering enemy.

LAW-Light Antitank Weapon-A 66mm rocket in a fiberglass tube, this one-shot, throwaway weapon weighs about five pounds. It has a short range and limited penetrating power, but gives the individual soldier a powerful onetime “punch” against lightly armored vehicles, bunkers, or buildings.

LCAC-Landing Craft, Assault Cargo-A large Hovercraft used to ferry troops and equipment from naval ships to the beach. Because of its Hovercraft design, it can move at eighty knots and does not have to stop at the water’s edge.

M-1 tank-Arguably the best tank in the world, if the most expensive, the

M-l’s main advantage over other first-line fighting vehicles is its tremendous speed. While the exact figure is classified, the tank can easily move at fifty miles an hour or more over uneven terrain and is even faster on a road. It is heavily armored and its 120mm gun (in the latest models) is controlled by an advanced fire-control system that allows first-round hits even while the tank is moving at high speed.

M16-The standard U.S. Army infantry weapon, it is much lighter and smaller than its predecessor, the M14 rifle. The M16 weighs eight and a half pounds.

M60 machine gun-The standard U.S. Army machine gun, it is actually derived from a World War II German design, the MG 42. It weighs twenty-three pounds and is normally fired from a bipod.

Mark 82-One of a series of low-drag bombs used by the United States and other countries. The Mark 81 weighs 250 pounds, the Mark 82 weighs 500 pounds, the Mark 83 1,000 pounds, and the Mark 84 2,000 pounds.

Mi-24 Hind—An anno red gunship developed by the Russians, it carries a powerful rocket, missile, and gun armament. Although not as new or sophisticated as the Apache, it has a good record in Afghanistan.

MiGs-MiG stands for “Mikoyan and Gureyivich,” whose aircraft designs have been produced since World War II. Other design bureaus have also produced fighter designs, but the MiG series has been the most famous and the most successful. All Russian aircraft have been assigned code names by
NATO
, since the Soviets do not give their aircraft names such as “Falcon” or

“Eagle.” Fighter code names always begin with F, bombers with B, and special-purpose aircraft with M.

MiG-21 “Fishbed”-The MiG-21 is a single-engine, single-seat fighter designed by the Soviets, but widely distributed to their allies. Though an older design, it is still a fairly maneuverable aircraft and a dangerous opponent in a closein dogfight. It carries a primitive radar and heat-seeking missiles in addition to a cannon.

MiG.23 “Flogger”-The MiG-23 is a single-engine, swing wing single-seat fighter also distributed by the Soviets. Very fast, it is a notoriously poor dogfighter. It does have a fairly effective radar and radar-guided missiles to compensate for that fact.

MiG-29 I’Fulcrum”-A first-line Soviet fighter that has been heavily exported to their allies. It is easily a match for American types such as the F-16 and F/A-18. It is equipped with a good radar and missile armament.

Mirage F.1-A single-seat, single-engine fighter, the Mirage F. I is an inexpensive, if mediocre, fighter first produced for France and now widely exported. Customers included South Africa, Iraq, Libya, and other third-world countries. In South African service, it is armed with air-to-ground ordnance or Kukri air-to-air missiles.

National Party-A South African political party closely allied with the

Broederbond and the concept of apartheid. First

coming to power in 1948, its officials established the network of laws that constituted apartheid in South Africa. It has now mellowed somewhat in its outlook and is moving very slowly toward reform. Even this minor liberalization has spawned right-wing political groups totally opposed to change. These include the Conservative Party and the Heerstige (reconstituted) National Party, which is even more conservative than the

Conservative Party itself.

NSC-National Security Council-A special committee made up of cabinet members, military officers, and other U.S. government officials. Its role is to provide information and advice to the President regarding issues that could affect national security.

01if ant tank-A testimony to the effects of arms embargoes on the South

African Army. Originally purchased in the 1950s as British Centurion tanks, the vehicles have been upgraded and improved, since South Africa does not have the ability to build her own and cannot buy any more abroad.

Although not up to modern standards, their 105mm guns and well trained crews are a match for anything the South African Army can reasonably expect to encounter.

OP-Observation Post-A small, often concealed, position occupied by one or two men whose mission is to provide early warning of enemy movement.

Osprey-A new aircraft under development by the military. Although it appears to be a propeller plane, it can rotate its wing surfaces to the vertical and take off and land like a helicopter. It can carry troops or cargo and is being considered for a variety of uses, most importantly carrying assault troops from amphibious ships to the beach. In this configuration, it could also be used as a commuter transport.

PFC-Private first class.

Puma-A French-designed troop-carrying helicopter, it has been widely exported, including to South Africa. It is also used as a gunship by the

South Africans, mounting a stabilized

30mm gun in the troop door. In its infantry -carrying role, it can carry sixteen to twenty troops.

114-The standard South African infantry weapon, it is patterned after the

Israeli Galil assault rifle. It weighs ten pounds and fires a 5.56mm bullet from a thirty-five-round magazine.

Radar-guided missiles-All air-to-air missiles have some sort of guidance mechanism to help them find the target. The two most common types are infrared, or heat-seeking, systems, such as the AIM-9L Sidewinder, and radar-guided systems, such as the AIM-7M Sparrow. Essentially, radar guided missiles home in on a target “painted” by a friendly radar. They are longer-ranged than heat-seeking missiles and can usually attack a target from any angle. They are also more complex and cost more to build.

Rangers-Although they are sometimes confused with paratroopers or other

Army units, U.S. Rangers have a specialized, demanding mission. They are tasked with striking targets deep behind enemy lines, in battalion or larger strength. This is usually done by parachute, but can be done by other means. Their targets are always strategic, critical to the outcome of a campaign.

RANKS:

U.S. Army South African Army

AFRIKAANS
ENGLISH

2nd Lieutenant Tweede Luitenant 2nd Lieutenant (2nd Lt.)

1st Lieutenant (1st Luitenant Lieutenant Lt.)

Captain (Capt.) KapteinCaptain

Major (Maj.) MajoorMajor

Lieutenant Colonel KommandantCommandant (Lt. Col.)

Colonel (Col.) KolonelColonel

Brigadier General Brigadier Brigadier (Brig. Gen.)

Major General Majoor GeneroalMajor General (Maj. Gen.)

Lieutenant General LuitenantLieutenant General (Lt. Gen.) Generaal

General (Gen.) GeneraalGeneral

Ratel-This boxy, six-or eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier comes in many variants, equipped for troop or cargo transport, command, or fire support. It is used by the mechanized infantry units of the South African

Army,

Renarno-Portuguese acronym for “Mozambique National Resistance.” Created in 1976 as an anticommunist guerrilla organization, it is dedicated to the overthrow of the Mozambican Frehmo government.

Rooikat-An armored fighting vehicle designed and built in South Africa.

Rooikat is Afrikaans for “lynx.” The vehicle itself is lightly armored, with a high-velocity, 76mm gun and an advanced laser fire-control system, including gyro stabilizers It is a match for second-line and older tanks.

RPG-Rocket-Propelled Grenade-Russian designation for a series of simple antitank weapons. The most common is the RPG-7, which is a shoulder-fired weapon with a short range.

RPK-A
Russian designation for a light machine gun of mediocre performance, especially when compared to the U.S. M60 machine gun. It weighs a little over twelve pounds.

RSA-Republic of South Africa.

RTO-Radio Telephone Operator-Any soldier assigned to carry and operate a unit’s radio. He is usually found within arm’s reach of the officers.

S-60-The designation for a single-barreled 57mm antiaircraft gun. It is normally deployed in batteries of six or regiments of twenty-four. The guns are radar guided.

SA-8 Gecko-A newer, mobile antiaircraft missile, it can engage aircraft at low and medium altitude. It is completely self-sufficient, with the radar and missiles mounted on an amphibious wheeled vehicle.

SAM-Surface-to-Air Missile-A general term applied to any missile used to shoot at aircraft.

SAR-Search and Rescue-The use of aircraft and specialized rescue teams to search for and recover aircrews downed behind enemy lines.

Sarin-One variety of “nerve gas.” Sprayed over enemy troops, it kills by inhalation or skin contact. An extremely small dose, measured in milligrams, is lethal. It works by interfering with the nervous system.

T-62A-The successor to the T-55 tank, the T-62A first appeared in the 1960s. It mounts a I I 5mm gun and improved fire-control system. It has thicker armor, but compares poorly with its U.S. equivalent, the M60 tank.

T-72 tank—A modern Russian design, the T-72 mounts a 125mm gun and improved armor. It has several flaws, notably its fire-control system and a cranky automatic loader. Nevertheless, the T-72’s heavy armor is still hard to penetrate, especially from the front.

TOW-Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided missile-A large, long-range antitank missile that first saw service in Vietnam and was a spectacular success. Since then it has been improved and is now the standard U.S. heavy antitank weapon. It has a range of 3,750 meters.

UH-60 Blackhawk-A troop-carrying helicopter used by the U.S. military. It can carry a squad of infantry and is also used for special warfare missions, and for sub-hunting by the U. S. Navy.

ZU-23-A Russian twin 23mm cannon on a ground mounting, it has a small chance of hitting a jet aircraft, but has the advantage of being cheap and numerous. It can also be used against ground troops.