The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) ( sw, Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania) is the
military force of the
United Republic of Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force, the
Tanganyika Rifles
The Tanganyika Rifles was the sole regiment in the Tanganyikan army, from 1961 to 1964.
History
With the independence of Tanganyika in December 1961, the two battalions of the King's African Rifles which had been raised in the colony were tran ...
. From its inception, it was ingrained in the troops of the new TPDF that they were a people's force under civilian control. Unlike some of its neighboring countries, Tanzania has never suffered a coup d'état or civil war.
The TPDF's mission is to defend
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
and every Tanzanian, especially the people and their political ideology. Conscripts are obligated to serve 2 years as of 2004.
History
![Zanzibar, 12 Jan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Zanzibar%2C_12_Jan._2004%2C_celebration_of_40_years%27_Revolution.JPG)
After an aborted
mutiny
Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among memb ...
in January 1964, the existing army was disbanded. The new force was titled the 'Tanganyika Military Force', from 25 January 1964 - 26 April 1964.
The Tanzanian government concluded that the former British model was not appropriate for the needs of an independent African state. Fresh recruits were sourced from the
Tanganyika African National Union
The Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyere ...
youth wing. After the merge of
Tanganyika
Tanganyika may refer to:
Places
* Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state
* Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania
* Tanzania Main ...
and
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...
, the force was renamed the United Republic Military Force from 27 April 1964.
For the first few years of the TPDF, the army was even smaller than the disbanded 2,000 strong Tanganyika Rifles, the air force was minuscule, and no navy had yet been formed. It appears that the new TPDF had three battalions by August 1965, stationed at
Nachingwea, Colito Barracks (five miles outside Dar es Salaam), and
Tabora
Tabora is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian government. It is also the administrative seat of Tabora Urban District. According to the 2012 census, the district had a population of 226,999 ...
, plus the yet to be fully integrated Zanzibari force of about 1,000. However the army was four battalions strong by 1967.
From 1964 to 1974, the TPDF was commanded by
Mrisho S.H. Sarakikya, trained at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town o ...
, who was promoted from lieutenant to brigadier in 1964 and became the force's first commander. He was succeeded by Major General
Abdallah Twalipo in 1974.
Twalipo was still a Major General in 1975, but then promoted to Lieutenant General by 1978 (Kaplan, 1978, 249) and then later full General.
In 1972, the
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England.
The 2017 Global Go To Think ...
(IISS) listed the army with 10,000 personnel, four infantry battalions, 20 T-59, 14 Chinese T-62 light tanks, some BTR-40 and BTR-152, Soviet field artillery and Chinese mortars. 'Spares
ereshort and not all equipment was serviceable.'
War broke out between Uganda and Tanzania in October 1978, with several Ugandan attacks across the border culminating in
an invasion of the Kagera Salient. President
Julius Nyerere
Julius Kambarage Nyerere (; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) was a Tanzanian anti-colonial activist, politician, and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as president from 1962 to 1964, af ...
ordered Tanzania to undertake full
mobilisation for war. In a few weeks, the Tanzanian army was expanded from less than 40,000 troops to over 150,000, including about 40,000
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
men as well as members of the police, prison services, and the
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
. Fighting in December was mostly limited to "
trench warfare
Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artille ...
" along the border, marked by sporadic clashes and air raids. By early January all Ugandan troops had been ejected from Kagera.
Nyerere decided that Tanzanian forces should occupy southern Uganda as revenge for the devastation wrought by Ugandan troops in his country and in order to incite a rebellion against Ugandan dictator
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
. The Tanzanians launched their offensive in mid-February. Major General
David Musuguri
David Bugozi Musuguri (born 4 January 1920) is a Tanzanian soldier and retired military officer who served as Chief of the Tanzania People's Defence Force from 1980 until 1988.
Biography Early life
David Musuguri was born on 4 January 1920 i ...
was appointed commander of the TPDF's 20th Division and tasked with overseeing the advance into Uganda. They steadily advanced, killing dozens of Ugandan soldiers and destroying large amounts of their materiel. Following the capture of
Masaka and
Mbarara
Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda and the second largest city in Uganda after Kampala. The city is divided into 6 boroughs of Kakoba Division, Kamukuzi Division, Nyamitanga Division, Biharwe Division, Kakiika Division, Nyaka ...
, the TPDF halted to reorganise.
Silas Mayunga was promoted to major general and given charge of a newly formed "Task Force", a unit consisting of the 206th Brigade and the Minziro Brigade, which was to operate semi-autonomously from the 20th Division. While the 20th Division moved out of southeast Uganda and attacked major locations in the country, the Task Force advanced north into western Uganda in the following months, engaging Ugandan troops conducting
rearguard
A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
defensive actions.
The 20th Division captured
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and R ...
on April 11 and overthrew Amin's government. The fall of Kampala marked the first time in the post-colonial history of the continent that an African state seized the capital of another African country. The war ended on June 3, after Tanzanian forces occupied Uganda's border region with Sudan and Zaire. Some Western military analysts attributed Tanzania's victory to the collapse of the Uganda Army, arguing that the TPDF would have been defeated by most other African armies. Others felt that the TPDF's success indicated substantial improvements in African military capabilities over the previous years.
When the TPDF began returning en masse to Tanzania, only a small number of soldiers were demobilised, contrary to public expectations. Military commanders then began making accommodations to render the wartime expansions of the army permanent, creating new units and divisional headquarters. Some in the military hierarchy expressed disapproval in light of Tanzania's bleak financial situation, and the country's depressed economy eventually forced the TPDF to disband many of the extra units. Nevertheless, the TPDF retained a large amount of officers in the standing army, with the assumption that they could be used to command militiamen in the event they needed to be called back into service. The post-war size of the TPDF remained larger than the pre-war size throughout the next decade.
In 1992, the IISS listed the army with 45,000 personnel (some 20,000 conscripts), 3 division headquarters, 8 infantry brigades, one tank brigade, two field artillery battalions, two
Anti-aircraft artillery
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
battalions (6 batteries), two mortar, two anti-tank battalions, one engineer regiment (battalion sized), and one
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
battalion with
SA-3
The S-125 ''Neva/Pechora'' (russian: С-125 "Нева"/"Печора", NATO reporting name SA-3 ''Goa'') is a Soviet surface-to-air missile system that was designed by Aleksei Isaev to complement the S-25 and S-75. It has a shorter effective ra ...
and
SA-6. Equipment included 30 Chinese
Type 59 and 32
T-54/55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Ta ...
main battle tank
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
s.
In 2007 Tanzania pledged forces for the
SADC Standby Brigade of the
African Standby Force
The African Standby Force (ASF) ( French: ''Force africaine en attente'') is an international, continental African, and multidisciplinary peacekeeping force with military, police and civilian contingents that acts under the direction of the Africa ...
.
Land Force Command
The Land force command was separated from the Army and an official commander was appointed to run the operations of the Land Forces. In 2013, the other separated half of the army was officially incorporated as a new branch of the military to oversee strategic planning and administration of all the branches of the military called the Defence Force HQ Command.
, the army is gradually modernising and restructuring. Much of the inventory is in storage or unreliable.
*5 × infantry brigades
*1 × armoured brigade
*3 × artillery battalions
*2 × air defence artillery battalions
*1 × mortar battalion
*2 × anti-tank battalions
*121st Engineer Regiment (battalion size; unit identification from usaraf.army.mil and
Flickr
Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and profession ...
)
*1 × central logistic/support group
Equipment
Air Force Command
![Kikwete and Obama at JNIA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Kikwete_and_Obama_at_JNIA.jpg)
Tanzania established its air force as the "Air Wing" (
Kiswahili: ''Usafirishaji wa Anga'') of the TPDF Air Defence Command in 1965. As it was following an international policy of
non-alignment, Tanzania procured aircraft and trainers from a variety of countries, most notably
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, and the Soviet Union. By 1978, the Tanzanian Air Wing possessed 14 MiG-21MFs, two MiG-21UMs, 22
Shenyang J-5
The Shenyang J-5 (Chinese: 歼-5) (NATO reporting name ''Fresco'') is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5 was exported as the F-5 and was originally designated ...
s (F-5), 12
Shenyang J-6s (F-6), as well as several
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...
and
trainer aircraft
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...
. Furthermore, the country's Air Defence had access to
SA-3
The S-125 ''Neva/Pechora'' (russian: С-125 "Нева"/"Печора", NATO reporting name SA-3 ''Goa'') is a Soviet surface-to-air missile system that was designed by Aleksei Isaev to complement the S-25 and S-75. It has a shorter effective ra ...
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
s,
SA-7
The 9K32 Strela-2 (russian: Cтрела, "arrow"; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (or MANPADS) system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing gui ...
MANPADS, 14.5mm and 36mm or 37mm anti-aircraft guns, and ground support equipment—including
early-warning radars.
The Air Wing was eventually organised into three ''Kikosi cha Jeshi'' or KJ Brigades, with each brigade focusing on one particular element of air warfare: aircraft and helicopters (601 KJ), technical support (602 KJ), and air defence (603 KJ). The fighter aircraft unit of 601 KJ, known as "Squadron 601", was based at
Mwanza Air Base (MiG-21s) and
Ngerengere Air Force Base (F-5s, F-6s). In 1978 the Air Defence Command employed approximately 1,000 personnel.
The current Commander of the now-
Tanzania Air Force Command
The Tanzania Air Force Command ( sw, Kamandi ya Jeshi la Anga) is the aerial service branch of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF). The current commander of the Tanzania Air Force Command is Major General SB MANI
, who replaced major g ...
is Major General William Ingram, who replaced Major General Joseph Kapwani upon the latter's retirement in January 2016. During a visit to Zimbabwe in March 2014, Kapwani commended Zimbabweans for 'remaining resolute and firmly safeguarding the country's sovereignty despite the suffering brought on by illegal Western sanctions.' He made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on
Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal
Perrance Shiri
Perrance Shiri (born Bigboy Samson Chikerema; 11 January 1955[US Code Co ...](_blank)
at AFZ headquarters in
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
on 12 March 2014. General Kapwani, who was then the chair of the SADC Standing Aviation Committee, said he was in Zimbabwe to share experiences and strengthen relations.
A few of the Tanzanian air wing's transport remain serviceable. However, its
Shenyang F-5
The Shenyang J-5 ( Chinese: 歼-5) ( NATO reporting name ''Fresco'') is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5 was exported as the F-5 and was originally designa ...
s, and
Chengdu F-7s are reported to fly only on rare occasions because of airworthiness problems.
Tanzania's long coastline means that transports are also used for patrol flights.
![Defense](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Defense.gov_photo_essay_060812-N-0411D-298.jpg)
On 14 November 2013, Helmoed-Römer Heitman reported for
Jane's Defence Weekly
''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...
that a 'usually reliable source' had informed Jane's that the TPDF had replaced its 12 old CAC J-7 fighters with 14 new J-7s, twelve single-seat and two dual-seat. Deliveries were completed in 2011. Heitman also reported that the aircraft were fully operational at Dar es Salaam and Mwanza air bases.
Recent estimates (2014) suggest that
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
's air force command operates 32 aircraft in 3 different types. It is believed they are operating 14
fighters, 11 fixed-wing attack aircraft and 7
transport aircraft.
On October 1, 2015 a
K-8 trainer jet of Tanzania Air Force Command crashed into the sea killing both pilots.
Naval Command
The navy operates 9 fast attack craft and 12 patrol boats.
The current Commander of the Naval Command is Rear Admiral
Ramson Godwin Mwaisaka.
The closing ceremony of the joint Tanzanian-Chinese exercise Beyond/Transcend 2014 was held on November 14, 2014, at
Kigamboni Naval Base attended by guests that included China’s ambassador to Tanzania, the Chief of the TPDF, and the heads of the navy and air force. The exercise between the Chinese
People’s Liberation Army Navy and the TPDF began on October 16 in
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
, with more than 100 navy officers and seamen participating.
Jane's Defence Weekly
''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...
wrote in August 2017 that '..a
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army.
The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chinese ...
(PLAN) flotilla consisting of a destroyer, a frigate, and a supply vessel visited Dar es Salaam on 16–20 August.' Rear Admiral Makanzo said during the visit that Tanzania currently has two marine infantry companies, both of which were trained by the PLAN, with the training of a third company planned to begin with Chinese assistance. The admiral said that Tanzanian marines were deployed at the time in peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, and South Sudan.
United Nations missions
![FIB-training-22 (9311333487)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/FIB-training-22_%289311333487%29.jpg)
As of 30 June 2019, the TDPF is involved in the following
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
peacekeeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Within the United N ...
missions:
Leadership
Current Commanding Officers
*Chief of Defence Forces (CDF): General Jacob John Mkunda
*Chief of Staff: Lieutenant General Mathew Edward Mkingule
* TPDF Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Martine Peter Kaziro
*Commander of Military Headquarters: Brigadier General Nkambi
*Commander of Land Forces: Major General Anthony Chacha Sibuti
*Commander of Air Forces: Major General Shabani Baraghashi Mani
*Commander of Naval Forces: Rear Admiral Ramson Godwin Mwaisaka
*Chief of National Service: Major General Rajabu Mabele
Chief of Defence Force
See also
*
Rank and Insignia of the Tanzanian Armed Forces
The Military ranks of Tanzania are the military insignia used by the Tanzania People's Defence Force. Being a former British colony, Tanzania shares a rank structure similar to that of the United Kingdom.
Current Commissioned officer ranks
The r ...
*
Tanzanian Armed Forces Uniform
The Tanzania People's Defence Force, Tanzanian Defense Force uses a British Army Style ceremonial outfit, and a jungle camouflage. The Identification between different branches in the Tanzania Army depends on the color of the stripe on the shoulder ...
Notes
References
Irving Kaplan, Tanzania: A Country Study,
Library of Congress Country Studies
The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the United States Library of Congress, freely available for use by researchers. No copyright is claimed on them. Therefore, they have been dedicated to the public domain a ...
, First Edition, 1978.
*Elise Forbes Pachter, 'Contra-Coup: Civilian Control of the Military in Guinea, Tanzania, and Mozambique.' ''The Journal of Modern African Studies,'' Vol. 20, No. 4 (December 1982), p606 on 1975 personnel reshuffle.
Works cited
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
Tanzania Refutes Cross Border Shelling* Simon Baynham
* Donovan C. Chau, "Exploiting Africa: The Influence of Maoist China in Algeria, Ghana, and Tanzania," Naval Institute Press; 1st ed. (April 15, 2014)
* - includes China/Tanzania study
* Christopher Gallop, 'Letters from East Africa' Grosvenor House, UK, 2013
*Allison Herrick, Area Handbook for Tanzania,
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
, 1968
*Irving Kaplan, Tanzania: A Country Study,
Library of Congress Country Studies
The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the United States Library of Congress, freely available for use by researchers. No copyright is claimed on them. Therefore, they have been dedicated to the public domain a ...
, Second Edition, 1987.
* Nestor Luanda, ''A changing conception of defence: A historical perspective of the military in Tanzania,'' in ''Evolutions and Revolutions,'' 2005.
*
*
* A.H. Omari, 2001. Civil–military Relations in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: Centre for Foreign Relations.
* Timothy Parsons, The 1964 Army Mutinies and the Making of Modern East Africa
*
External links
Official website of the Ministry of Tanzanian Defence and National Service TanzaniaOfficial website of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces*Lillian Kingazi
Enhancing Human Resource Capabilities in the TPDF
{{Authority control