SA ARMY VISION
STRATEGIC PROFILE
Chief of the South African Army.
Lieutenant General Solly Shoke
PREFACE
The birth of a democratic South Africa in April 1994 was a watershed for the SA Army. Priorities changed from waging war before April 1994 to integrating seven different statutory and non-statutory forces and transforming the SA Army into a force that would be representative of the people of South Africa - a process that is still ongoing, but nearing completion.
Currently there is an absence of a conventional military threat against the RSA. We will, however, be in error if we overlook the severe challenges that various complex environments in Africa and elsewhere hold for the abilities of our future security forces and the SA Army leadership. The future battlefield and battle will not necessarily be ones that we are acquainted with.
The complex future environment spells great danger for the SA Army if it does not utilise the window of opportunity provided by this period of relative peace and stability to position itself to contend successfully with possible future challenges.
I will be forsaking my responsibility to the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, the Minister of Defence and the Commander-in-Chief if I do not prepare for the expected future challenges that the SA Army may incur. For this purpose I have selected a project team to formulate the SA Army's future vision. This vision will consist of two distinct parts, namely the SA Army Strategic Profile and the SA Army's Future Strategy.
The SA Army Strategic Profile will clarify the SA Army's future mandate and mission, analyse current challenges that will influence us and create broad parameters that will guide our actions towards the future.
Although the SANDF follows a defensive non-threatening strategy, the RSA's constitution compels the SANDF to guarantee the sovereignty of its territory and safeguard its people. To this end the SA Army is obligated to be technically and tactically prepared for possible future challenges. In the event of threats, victory in the African battle space will require a unique mindset and approach, as the African battlespace presents us with challenges for which we as Africans should have tailored solutions.
We will therefore train as we fight and we will become experts of tomorrow's fight today. For this the SA Army will require a professional and dynamic force.
I expect every SA Army soldier to embrace the changes to come in order to create a brighter future for all.
S.Z. SHOKE
Chief of the South African Army: Lieutenant General
BACKGROUND
SA ARMY FUTURE VISION
When Lieutenant General Shoke was appointed as Chief of the SA Army in July 2004, he envisaged the need for a future strategy for the SA Army. In September 2004, he appointed a project team to formulate the SA Army's vision for the future. After several workshops to formulate the SA Army's Strategic Profile, the result culminated in the launching of the SA Army Strategic Profile.
The aim of this document is to create an ideal, ambitious and clear picture of the future to which all SA Army members should be enthusiastically committed. It will address the SA Army's future mandate and vision, its competitive advantage, its values, philosophy, self-concept and image which will be relevant in the future.
Secondly, it will focus on aspects that provide impetus to move into the future, namely the stakeholder analysis. The last part will focus on the mission and mission success factors.
The South African Army Headquarters, Pretoria
MANDATE OF THE SA ARMY
The constitutional obligation of the SA Army, together with the other services, is to defend and protect South Africa, its territory and people. As the RSA is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), the SA Army will also fulfill its role in the country's international obligations under international law and agreements. Furthermore, it will support the people of South Africa where its military skills and capabilities are required, especially during crises.
The mandate of the SA Army is therefore twofold:
• To provide combat-ready land forces for
• national defence and deterrence, and, if this fails, to win any war swiftly and decisively;
• promoting peace and stability both inside the country and externally; and
• To contribute towards the development and upliftment of South Africa, its people and the African continent.
VISION OF THE SA ARMY
The SA Army, a professional and dynamic force.
To be professional implies that the SA Army will
• serve the country in a war fighting capacity, utilising its members' collateral skills and capabilities;
• advise the government on military security matters pertaining to the SA Army;
• consist of a unique group of people who share the same values, who are specialists in their fields and who maintain the integrity of military professional expertise;
• empower its members in centres of training and learning;
• employ experts in land warfare tactics and strategy;
• ensure sound management and accountability;
• distinguish itself through the disciplined manner in which its members conduct themselves; and
• be a strong, capable, combat-ready and technologically sophisticated land force.
The word dynamic means that the SA Army will
• be based on the principle of integratedness (all-arms system) and maintain a small, but efficient Regular Force which can be rapidly augmented by the Reserve Force;
• in collaboration with other services and departments, possess the capability to deploy to distant theatres at short notice;
• be flexible enough to change from one mission to another or to conduct different missions simultaneously;
• be futuristically inclined in matters such as new doctrines, training methods, fighting techniques and research and development programmes;
• consist of enthusiastic, productive and energetic members;
• ensure superior decision-making in operations through excellent, integrated command and control, communications, computers, information, intelligence, infrastructure, reconnaissance and surveillance (C4I3RS) systems, as well as through leaders who can make the right decisions timely in complex environments; and
• have members with the determination, leadership urge and ambition to successfully achieve various tasks and missions in an organised fashion. Members of the SA Army make things happen!
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Dynamic leadership that will ensure focus, teamwork and desired outcomes in a complex environment.
VALUES
• The SA Army's values are:
• Military professionalism: We are committed to success, impartiality and effectiveness in conducting our missions. We are competent, dedicated, disciplined and accountable in our actions.
• Honour: Our behavior is ethical, honest and transparent, promoting respect for life, property and human dignity.
• Patriotism: We pledge ourselves unconditionally to our country and its people.
SELF-CONCEPT
How do we see ourselves?
• We are mission-orientated and output-driven.
• We achieve success through teamwork, command initiative and visionary leadership.
• We are credible and reliable.
• We are able to fight and win.
• We are experts in what we do.
PUBLIC IMAGE
How does the public see the SA Army?
The SA Army serves the best interests of the people in a professional, responsible, disciplined, cost-effective and transparent manner.
The SA Army is committed to equal opportunities for all volunteers
SA ARMY PHILOSOPHY
The SA Army's philosophy emphasises the following:
• The SA Army plays an important role in supporting government initiatives to help prevent and end conflicts in the region and the African continent.
• The RSA has a defence force optimised for the African battle space.
• The SA Army has a unique culture and functions as a subsystem of the SANDF.
• In force employment, the conventional posture of the SA Army allows for adaptability in mastering the land battle, the full spectrum of operations and operations other than war and for providing collateral services.
• Joint and multinational operations, guided by the principles of war and operational concepts, form the basis of successful campaigns.
• The SA Army will participate in strategically defensive, but operationally and tactically offensive operations. Major battles on own soil will be avoided.
• In its force preparation, the SA Army trains as it fights and thrives on contemporary doctrine.
• Superior C4I3RS systems are top priorities and must enhance high mobility, firepower, protection and superior situational awareness.
• The SA Army knows that future warfighting will be complex and uncertain.
Teamwork is important at all levels in the SA Army
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
The SA Army holds the view that if it is to succeed, it must strive to satisfy the expectations of its stakeholders.
There are two categories of stakeholders: External stakeholders are those with
• a direct and regular interface, such as the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, Armscor, etc;
• an indirect and occasional interface, such as government departments, the media, foreign armies and military attaches; and
• a remote or ad hoc interface, eg the Council in Support of National Defence, the Reserve Force Council and veteran organisations.
Internal stakeholders are the SA Army's members, employees and their families.
South African parliament buildings, Cape Town
MISSION OF THE SA ARMY
The mission of the SA Army is to prepare, provide and sustain combat-ready land forces for employment by the Chief of the SANDF.
MISSION SUCCESS FACTORS
In order to achieve the SA Army's mission of the future, the following criteria will have to be met:
A high-quality human resources component: The most important resource of the SA Army is its people. To be successful, it has to recruit and train high-quality personnel who must be moulded into a cohesive force. The SA Army must have a young, healthy and well-trained force without excluding the expertise of older soldiers.
Dynamic leadership: This is not only the SA Army's competitive advantage, but also an important mission success factor.
Systems integrity: System components, down to the lowest level, must be complete and functional.
Superior C4I3RS: This focuses on technology and the human dimension in order to provide superior situational awareness that will, in turn, create decision superiority.
Contemporary doctrine: It is extremely important that the SA Army's doctrine reflects changed circumstances and looks forward to the future. This will keep the SA Army's soldiers up to date with new trends in complex warfighting.
A superior education, training and development (ETD) system for We Train as We Fight: In an uncertain and volatile world, the SA Army will need to place greater emphasis on educated leaders. During their career, members will also have to improve their skills and enhance their knowledge. The SA Army will follow a balanced approach to develop both physical and mental skills. Training will be conducted under realistic circumstances. Although the basis of all training will remain conventional warfighting tailored for the African battle space, selected forces will also receive all-round training to be able to contend with eventualities across the spectrum of conflict.
Superior firepower, mobility, protection and sustainment: These aspects will remain the building blocks for the development of the future SA Army. As the SA Army will be deployed abroad most of the time in the future, logistics and sustainment will need special attention.
The SA Army trains airborne forces for rapid response operations.
THE FUTURE
In pursuing national defence, the SA Army of the future has the conventional capability to deploy and utilise mobile forces for strategically defensive, but operationally offensive operations to achieve objectives swiftly and decisively. The SA Army consists of integrated units that practice teamwork at all levels. It has superior firepower, mobility, protection and sustainment capabilities and is always ready and able to operate for protracted periods. It is technologically sophisticated with a networked capability to give it a winning edge in the African battle space. It has decision superiority through an advanced C4I3RS system and leaders who make quick, sound decisions.
Leaders at all levels apply the philosophy of mission command, taking initiative to think creatively to make decisions within the commander's intent. SA Army members are innovative through adapting their ways of fighting, doctrine and training methods. SA Army leaders and soldiers have a warrior ethos and have the required physical and psychological endurance for all operations. They are flexible in their ability to change from one mission to another throughout the spectrum of conflict, which enables them to fulfill international obligations by conducting peace and stability operations in addition to warfighting. The SA Army is also equipped and structured to contribute towards the development and upliftment of South Africa, its people and the African continent.
CONCLUSION
SA Army Future Vision is the destination towards which the SA Army aspires to prepare and provide a professional, dynamic and combat-ready land force for the future. The Strategic Profile should be utilised as an ideal future picture and strategic framework for all short and medium-term decisions in the SA Army towards the future. The main direction-giving ideas in the Strategic Profile will serve as indicators to achieve the SA Army's Future Vision.
Vision
The SA Army, a professional and dynamic force.
Values
Military professionalism
Honour
Patriotism
Mission
To prepare, provide and sustain combat-ready land forces for employment by the Chief of the SANDF.
Contributors
Chief Directors and Directors of the SA Army Headquarters
General Officers Commanding the SA Army Formations and Brigades
SA Army Future Vision Project Team
Copyright reserved by the Department of Defence
Published by: Department of Defence
SA Army Headquarters, Private Bag X981, Pretoria 0001
Compiled by: SA Army Future Vision Project Team
Private Bag X172, Pretoria 0001
Printed by: 1 Military Printing Regiment
July 2006