Misplaced Pages

#407592

95-572: Flechas were organized as platoon -sized units consisting of local tribesmen and rebel defectors who specialised in black operation, clandestine operation, close-quarters combat, counterinsurgency, covert operation, desert warfare, direct action, irregular warfare, pseudo-operations , jungle warfare, raiding and kidnapping high-value target, special operations, special reconnaissance, tracking, and urban warfare. They sometimes patrolled in captured uniforms and were rewarded with cash bounties for every guerrilla or guerrilla weapon they captured. Flechas had

190-468: A Kompanie ("company"). The first platoon, until 2013, used to be commanded by an Oberleutnant ("first lieutenant") or a Leutnant ("second lieutenant"), nowadays it is usually a Hauptmann ("captain"), who is also the Kompanie' s second-in-command. The second Zug is led by an Oberleutnant or a Leutnant , the third Zug is led by experienced NCOs, usually a Hauptfeldwebel ("master sergeant"). In

285-478: A Sergeant (တပ်ကြပ်ကြီး) as of the structure. A Platoon has 3 Sections all of which are commanded by a Corporal (တပ်ကြပ်) with a Lance Corporal (ဒုတပ်ကြပ်) as 2IC . A Section is called တပ်စိတ် (Tat Sate). A Platoon HQ consist of Platoon Commander (Lieutenant/Captain), Platoon Second in Command (Sergeant), Mortar Crew 1 (Private), Mortar Crew 2 (Private) and a Signaller (Private). As of the authorised structure,

380-751: A 3-man weapons team) and one 9-man machine gun squad. Totaling at 50 soldiers RENAMO RENAMO (from the Portuguese Resistência Nacional Moçambicana , lit.   ' Mozambican National Resistance ' ) is a Mozambican political party and militant group. The party was founded with the active sponsorship of the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) in May 1977 from anti-communist dissidents opposed to Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party. RENAMO

475-400: A battalion may be led by a captain and assisted by a warrant officer. Some large specialist platoons may have a lieutenant as the second-in-command. In many corps , platoon-sized units are called troops instead. Prior to 1940, a platoon might be commanded by either a warrant officer or a lieutenant. An officer was referred to as "platoon commander", while a warrant officer in the same position

570-498: A commissioned officer—and all officers graduating from the IDF's Officer's Academy receive a "platoon commander" pin, even if they are not intended to command a platoon. The platoon commander is usually the equivalent of first or second lieutenant and is assisted and advised by a platoon sergeant, acting as his replacement. In some elite units, such as Maglan , Egoz or Duvdevan , the teams are usually smaller and commanded by officers, with

665-541: A confidante and an advisor to the RENAMO leadership. A related network of West German RENAMO lobbyists evolved around Bavarian Prime Minister and leader of the conservative CSU party Franz Josef Strauss . The provincial leader engaged in his own far right foreign policy in support of apartheid and anti-socialist paramilitary forces in Southern Africa, thereby undermining the official Détente foreign policy of

760-519: A corporal or sergeant would be the most likely commander. Under the 1971 regulations a peloton in the French Army was used in the equivalent manner to a company, with the first section led by the sous-lieutenant and the second section led by the lieutenant, a captain commanding the entire group. In the French military , a peloton is a mainly a term designating a mobile infantry unit. An escadron

855-437: A direct transfer of power to FRELIMO, without a local referendum or elections, was greeted with trepidation by South Africa and Rhodesia. It also resulted in an exodus of Portuguese settlers, FRELIMO dissidents, and indigenous troops who had served with Portuguese auxiliary units, including the elite Flechas , fearing retribution under the new regime. Many of the new exiles fled to Rhodesia, where they were recruited as assets by

950-607: A machine gun team, both commanded by third sergeants , a platoon sergeant, a signaler/runner and a platoon medic for a total of 28 soldiers. Beginning in 1992, the Singapore Armed Forces has allowed warrant officers to be appointed as platoon commanders. In the South African Army , a platoon usually consists of 27 soldiers and 1 officer organized into three sections 10 soldiers each plus an HQ which contains 8 men. A lieutenant as platoon commander and

1045-407: A peace deal in an effort to end the two-year period of instability. The deal included integration of RENAMO forces into the army and a reform of the election oversight commission. However, after RENAMO's refusal to accept the 2014 presidential elections, problems in the implementation of the peace deal and after continued efforts by government forces to disarm RENAMO met resistance, Dhlakama broke off

SECTION 10

#1732780809408

1140-635: A reputation for atrocities, brutality, torture, and summary executions . Flechas units were created and employed in Angola , during the Portuguese Colonial War , under the command of the PIDE (renamed DGS in 1969). Despite being a paramilitary police force, they were thus a police unit, not being under military command as the remaining special force. Composed of locally recruited men, often former guerrilla fighters but mostly bushman Khoisan ,

1235-519: A sergeant as platoon sergeant, accompanied by a signaller and a patmor group of two men. A section comprises 10 soldiers led by a corporal who's assisted by a lance corporal as second in command. The corporal is in charge of all the soldiers except the light machine gun (LMG) group which is led by the lance corporal. The LMG group is armed with the SS77 while rest of the platoon is armed with R4 assault rifles , with rifle grenades if available. There's also

1330-476: A small platoon headquarters and three or four sections (Commonwealth) or squads (United States). In some armies, platoon is used throughout the branches of the army. In a few armies, such as the French Army , a platoon is specifically a cavalry unit, and the infantry use "section" as the equivalent unit. A unit consisting of several platoons is called a company or a battery . According to Merriam-Webster ,

1425-568: A squad are grouped into two smaller "fire teams", each comprising four troops: a team leader (corporal armed with a R4 assault rifle and a M203 grenade launcher), an automatic rifleman (armed with a K3 squad automatic weapon), a rifleman (armed with a R4; also brings extra ammunition for the K3), and a designated marksman who used to be armed by a M-14 before the Army shifted to the R4 for this role. The squad leader

1520-530: A total of 16. However, tank units operating in Eastern Europe began to standardize their platoons to just two tank squads, for a total of 3 tanks and 9 personnel. In the Singapore Army , a platoon is a lieutenant's billet . However, in practice, a second lieutenant is usually appointed and then eventually promoted. A typical infantry platoon consists of three seven-man sections of riflemen and

1615-405: A twelve-man maneuver support section, with a lieutenant as platoon commander and a sergeant as platoon sergeant, accompanied by a platoon signaller and sometimes a platoon medic (full strength of forty men). A section comprises eight soldiers led by a corporal with a lance corporal as second in command. Each section has two fireteams (sometimes three) of four men, one led by the corporal and

1710-533: Is a unit of battle tank in cavalry or armor , but in some mechanized infantry regiments ( groupe de chasseurs mécanisés ), the tank platoon is also called peloton de char de combat. The peloton or escadron corresponds to the platoon, equivalent in size to an infantry section and commanded by a lieutenant or sergeant. It may also mean a body of officers in training to become noncommissioned officers, sous-officiers or officers ( peloton de caporal, peloton des sous-officiers ). The Georgian Armed Forces equivalent of

1805-488: Is referred to as a "field platoon". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uses platoons (Hebrew: mahlakot , literally "divisions") as the basic unit composing the company and usually consists of 20 to 40 soldiers (or 3–4 tanks in the Armored Corps ). Those soldiers are divided into 2–4 "classes" ( kitot ) or teams ( tzvatim ), each composing of 6–21 soldiers. The platoon is the smallest military unit commanded by

1900-726: Is structured with: Section HQ and MG Team: 4 Other Ranks Section Commander: Corporal: MA 3 Carbine Section Second in Command/MG Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 3 Carbine Gunner: Private: MA 2 Light Machine Gun Gunner; Private: MA 2 Light Machine Gun Team 1: 3 Other Ranks Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 1 Assault Rifle Grenadier: Private: MA 4 Assault Rifle (MA 1 with UBGL) Rifleman: Private: MA 1 Assault Rifle Team 2: 3 Other Ranks Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 1 Assault Rifle Grenadier: Private: MA 4 Assault Rifle (MA 1 with UBGL) Rifleman: Private: MA 1 Assault Rifle In

1995-450: Is sub-divided into three squads, each with eight soldiers. Each squad is commanded by a sergeant. His/her deputy has an RPG , there are also two soldiers with PKM machine guns, two with AK-63 assault rifles—one is an RPG grenadier, the other is the medic—the APC driver and the APC gunner. Each squad and the platoon headquarters is equipped with an BTR-80 armored personnel carrier. In total,

SECTION 20

#1732780809408

2090-557: Is typically a sergeant while the platoon leader is typically a 2nd lieutenant on his first assignment. The lieutenant is supported by a platoon sergeant. A radioman and a medic is usually supplied by the battalion. Philippine Marine Corps rifle platoons are similar in organization and concept to Philippine Army rifle platoons. A motorized rifle platoon in the Soviet Armed Forces was mounted in either BTR armored personnel carriers or BMP infantry fighting vehicles , with

2185-639: The FRELIMO even after independence and Portuguese withdrawal, when the country splintered into civil war . The Flechas served as model for the latter created Rhodesian Selous Scouts and the South African Koevoet . The Flechas were organized in combat groups (platoons) of about 30 men, although the formation was often loose. Each of these groups was dependent from a PIDE / DGS local branch, operating in its area of responsibility . The Flechas received combat uniforms identical to those worn by

2280-530: The Hungarian Armed Forces , a rifle platoon is commanded by either a second lieutenant or a first lieutenant, with a platoon sergeant (with the rank of sergeant major), a platoon signaller, an armored personnel carrier (APC) driver and an APC gunner composing the platoon headquarters. There is also in the HQ's TO&E a designated marksman rifle —either an SVD or a Szép sniper rifle . The platoon

2375-492: The New Zealand Army , an infantry platoon is commanded by a 2nd lieutenant or a lieutenant, with a platoon sergeant, a platoon signaller and a medic (where relevant) composing the platoon headquarters. The platoon is sub-divided into three section of between 7-10 soldiers, each commanded by a corporal with a lance-corporal as the section second in command. Each section can be sub-divided into two fire-teams, commanded by

2470-672: The Operation Bush Talk , which was designed to phase out the National Party's longstanding substantial support to RENAMO and allow their proxy to accommodate to the new regional realities. The peace accord led to the disarmament of RENAMO, the integration of some of its fighters into the Mozambican army, and its transformation into a regular political party. It is now the main opposition party in Mozambique. At

2565-471: The Western Bloc's influence on the region. Contrary to that stance stood the active engagement of the far-right Heritage Foundation for the cause of RENAMO. West German academic Andre Thomashausen and his mentor Werner Kaltefleiter served as vital links between West German right-wing conservative, anti-socialist political circles and RENAMO. Thomashausen is alleged to have had close links to both

2660-550: The legislative elections on 1 and 2 December 2004, the party was the main part of the Renamo-UE electoral alliance, which won 29.7% of the popular vote and 90 out of 250 seats. The presidential candidate of this alliance, Afonso Dhlakama , won 31.7% of the popular vote. Raul Domingos , negotiator at the Rome General Peace Accords and RENAMO's leader in parliament from 1994 to 1999, was expelled from

2755-678: The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the US State Department, viewed RENAMO as "African Khmer Rouge". While RENAMO styled itself as "anti-communist", its brutal conduct and lack of political legitimacy made the organisation unsuitable as a partner, since it jeopardised the State Department attempts to gain rapport with the FRELIMO government and the Mozambican population, in order to increase

2850-591: The British, Austrian, Russian and Dutch armies. NATO defines a platoon, or detachment, as an organization larger than a section but smaller than a company. The standard NATO symbol for a platoon consists of three dots (●●●) placed above a framed unit icon. Member nations have stipulated the different names they use for organizations of this size. In the Australian Army , an infantry platoon has thirty-six soldiers organized into three eight-man sections and

2945-574: The CIO and were infiltrated back into Mozambique, where they conducted surveillance of ZANLA movements at the Rhodesians' behest. In February 1977, the unit demonstrated its ability to carry out autonomous operations when it stormed a FRELIMO re-education camp in Sofala Province , freeing the detainees there. During a meeting at Cristina's home in May 1977, the unit's leadership formally adopted

Flechas - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-611: The FRELIMO government in 1977, sparking the Mozambican Civil War . The war was characterised by severe human rights violations on both sides and crippled the already debilitated Mozambican economy. RENAMO and FRELIMO acceded to the Rome General Peace Accords in October 1992, which ended FRELIMO's one-party state and introduced multi-party democratic elections. In return, RENAMO pledged to abandon its armed struggle and conduct its future activities by political means within

3135-597: The Gorongosa mountains. After the agreement was signed, the last remaining RENAMO fighters surrendered their weapons. Momade told the Associated Press "We will no longer commit the mistakes of the past." He also stated "We are for a humanized and dignified reintegration and we want the international community to help make that a reality." During another signing which took in Maputo's peace square, Momade declared

3230-588: The HK417 in Afghanistan and possibly afterwards. The platoon may also have three MAG 58 general-purpose machine guns, one M2 Browning heavy machine gun or a Mk 19 grenade launcher at its disposal. In the Bangladesh Army, infantry regiments have platoons commanded by a warrant officer, assisted by a sergeant. The platoon strength is typically 32 soldiers. The platoon headquarter consists of 5 men;

3325-555: The Middle East in countries such as Algeria , with the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China providing military equipment. FRELIMO established a permanent foothold in underdeveloped northern Mozambique and began expanding its operations southwards, reaching the central provinces by 1973. Portugal responded with increasingly large scale search and destroy operations and strengthening military and intelligence ties to

3420-534: The Ministry of Defence, Colonel Cristovao Chume, claimed that the soldiers suffered no losses and that a RENAMO fighter was injured and captured by their forces. RENAMO leader Dhlakama claimed that no RENAMO fighters were killed on the attack, which, according to him, was started by the Army, and that the casualties had been suffered by the FADM. However, reporters confirmed that the bodies of two RENAMO fighters were in

3515-552: The Mozambican conflict to the Rhodesian Bush War . The 1974 Carnation Revolution and the collapse of Portugal's right-wing Estado Novo government plunged Lisbon into turmoil and brought to power a military junta known as the Armed Forces Movement . The Portuguese junta was committed to divesting itself of the colonies and ending the increasingly costly African wars. The resulting confusion among

3610-678: The Mozambican government expelled exiled members of the African National Congress (ANC) residing there. This was consistent with the Total National Strategy pursued by the National Party regime, utilizing threats of military reprisals to force Mozambique into subjugation under the Afrikaner nationalists hegemonial ambitions in the region. In 1988, RENAMO experienced its only major split during

3705-759: The Mozambique-Zimbabwe border. Following the end of the Mozambican Civil War, RENAMO remained linked to a Zimbabwean militant group, Chimwenje . Apart from their primary supporters, initially the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation until 1979 and afterwards, the South African Directorate of Special Tasks (DST), RENAMO also enjoyed some level of international recognition, support and funding. Chester Crocker , then

3800-664: The Portuguese Armed Forces, in the Portuguese vertical lizard pattern camouflage. With this uniform, they wore a beret with the same camouflage pattern. This non standard camouflage beret became their most distinctive uniform item. In parade, the Flechas also wore neck scarves and metal tabs in the left shoulder with the name of the unit. Allegedly, in some operations, they wore enemy uniforms in order not to be identified. The Flechas were also mostly armed with

3895-777: The Portuguese called Terras do Fim do Mundo (Lands of the End of the World) and which corresponded to the Frente Leste theater. In this theater, they achieved a great success in the early 1970s, contributing for the virtual Portuguese victory in the campaign. The success of the initial Flechas unit created by Oscar Cardoso, made PIDE/DGS to expand the concept and to created new groups attached to other of its local branches. General Costa Gomes – Portuguese Commander-in-Chief in Angola – argued that African soldiers were cheaper, knew

Flechas - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-749: The Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). The most prominent anti-FRELIMO exile in Rhodesia was Orlando Cristina, a former member of the colonial security services in Mozambique who had served as a regional liaison with the Rhodesian government. Cristina set up a Portuguese-language radio broadcasting station, known as Voz da Africa Livre , which broadcast anti-communist and anti-FRELIMO messages into Mozambique. Cristina's broadcasts called attention to human rights violations committed by FRELIMO, including

4085-527: The West German and apartheid South African intelligence services, while being officially employed as a professor at the University of South Africa and in various managerial positions (in particular for West German corporations engaged in the apartheid economy) since 1982, when he moved to South Africa and immediately was granted citizenship by the National Party minority government. Thomashausen acted as

4180-404: The West German federal government. RENAMO conduct has frequently been described by western authors as amounting to terrorism , especially since it usually involved attacks against defenseless civilians. The forcible recruitment of kidnapped villagers, including underage children, formed RENAMO's main modus operandi to increase its membership. This often included the murder of close relatives of

4275-501: The abandonment of FRELIMO's socialist policies, the adoption of a free market economy, and more traditionalist concerns such as the reinstatement of tribal leaders to positions of authority. RENAMO's ranks included a number of Mozambican political exiles who genuinely opposed FRELIMO on principle, including FRELIMO defectors disillusioned with its Marxist–Leninist ideology, but also large numbers of recruits conscripted by force. With Rhodesian support, RENAMO commenced an insurgency against

4370-471: The action was a response to previous police raids on RENAMO gatherings. Around 300 RENAMO members had remained armed since the 1992 peace deal, despite efforts to integrate them into the army or police. On 6 April 2013, two or three civilians were killed and two women were injured when alleged RENAMO militiamen attacked a truck and a bus in Chibabava District . RENAMO denied being involved in

4465-765: The attack. On 21 June, suspected RENAMO guerrillas attacked a bus in Machanga , Sofala Province , injuring an elderly woman. The incident happened two days after RENAMO threatened to paralyse key roads and the only coal export train to force the FRELIMO government to renegotiate peace terms. On 17 October, suspected RENAMO guerrillas ambushed a military patrol near Gorongosa , RENAMO's stronghold, killing seven soldiers, according to local media. On 18 October, another clash between Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) and RENAMO militiamen took place in Mucodza, seven kilometres away from Gorongosa. National director of defence policy in

4560-482: The civil war, when former PRM commander Gimo Phiri broke off and founded an independent insurgent group known as Mozambican National Union (UNAMO). While the Mozambican government did shut down the local ANC offices and its operations in accordance with the Nkomati Accord, the National Party government of South Africa continued funnelling financial and military resources to RENAMO. A permanent peace accord

4655-423: The country and the branch , but a platoon can be composed of 20–50 troops, although specific platoons may range from 10 to 100 people. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer . The platoon leader is usually a junior officer —a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant . Rifle platoons normally consist of

4750-523: The detention of party dissidents, and accused FRELIMO of betraying Mozambican nationalism by pandering to the Marxist ideology of the Soviet Union. The CIO hoped to use Voz da Africa Livre to recruit disaffected Mozambicans for an anti-FRELIMO paramilitary force. One such recruit was André Matsangaissa , a former FRELIMO official who had been imprisoned by the party in a re-education camp following

4845-633: The early 1960s to the mid-1970s, Portugal fought a series of bitter counter-insurgency conflicts against independence movements in its three primary African colonies— Angola , Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau . In Mozambique, the armed struggle against colonial rule was spearheaded by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), which was initially formed in exile in neighbouring Tanzania . FRELIMO recruited from Mozambican migrant workers and intellectuals living abroad, where they had been exposed to

SECTION 50

#1732780809408

4940-416: The emerging popularity of anti-colonial and nationalist causes overseas. Its political programme was anti-colonial, but also anti-traditionalist; FRELIMO leaders planned to wrest social and political power from the Portuguese administration, as well as on the grassroots level from local tribal authorities. The party also envisioned a radical restructuring of post-colonial Mozambican society in accordance with

5035-463: The first platoon, the platoon leader's assistant is a Hauptfeldwebel ; in the second and third platoons, the assistant is an Oberfeldwebel . Each squad is led by an Oberfeldwebel , and its size corresponds to the typical passenger capacity of its squad vehicle (either wheeled or armored). Another of these vehicles is used for the Zugtrupp . Sergeants of inferior rank act as assistant squad leaders in

5130-406: The former being more numerous into the late 1980s. Both were led by a platoon leader and assistant platoon leader and consisted of three 9-man rifle squads mounted in three vehicles. In both BMP and BTR squads, the driver and vehicle gunner stayed with the vehicle when the rest of the squad dismounted, and one squad in the platoon would have one of their rifleman armed with an SVD sniper rifle . There

5225-430: The framework of the new electoral system. Following the end of the war, RENAMO was responsible for promoting constitutional reforms as well as the promotion of a strong domestic private sector. Renewed clashes broke out between RENAMO's militant forces and the FRELIMO government in 2013. RENAMO resumed its insurgency, citing state corruption and electoral fraud perpetuated by FRELIMO officials. A second peace agreement

5320-473: The future of RENAMO following Dhlakma's death, Ed Hobey Hamsher, an analyst with Maplecroft, stated that "no potential successor has Dhlakama's stature" and that anybody who succeeds him "will struggle to unify Renamo's factions." At the time of Dhlakma's death, the RENAMO Congress was unable to fix a date to vote on a successor. The next month on 14 June 2018, Ossufo Momade, who was picked to serve as

5415-695: The grenade launcher within each section. In the Swedish Army , a platoon is organized in the following way, according to Markstridsreglemente 4 Pluton (Ground combat regulation 4 Platoon): In the Royal Thai Army , a platoon is commanded by either a lieutenant or second lieutenant, assisted by a platoon sergeant, usually of the rank of sergeant major. In infantry units, rifle platoons are generally made up of five squads. These are three 11-man rifle squads, one 8-man command squad (consisting of platoon commander, sergeant, radio operator, 2 assistants and

5510-421: The headquarters had been moved from Maputo to Nampula in 2009. RENAMO leader Afonso Dhlakama threatened to "destroy the country" if his political demands were not met. On 4 April 2013, one woman and four police officers were killed, with ten policemen more injured in a RENAMO attack on a police station in the town of Muxengue . The leader of the attackers was also killed. RENAMO's security chief stated that

5605-570: The insurgent group RENAMO and subsequently fought in the Mozambique Civil War . Other Flechas were enlisted in the Rhodesian Army 's Selous Scouts . There were, in fact, a number of Portuguese special forces units that were unique to the Portuguese Colonial War : Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four squads , sections , or patrols . Platoon organization varies depending on

5700-432: The interim leader of RENAMO until the organization's Congress could vote on a permanent successor to Dhlakma, went into hiding. On 1 August 2019, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and RENAMO leader Ossufo Momade signed a peace agreement bringing an end to the six-year period of armed clashes. They also shook hands and embraced each other as well. The signing of the peace took place at RENAMO's remote military base in

5795-494: The kidnapped persons, so that they had no way of returning to their communities.The organisation also engaged in brutal publicly staged ritual killings of perceived traitors and dissidents. In October 2012, RENAMO's headquarters were relocated near Casa Banana (also named Sathunjira, RENAMO's former guerrilla base in the 1980s) in Gorongosa , where a training camp was set up for around 800 partially armed followers. Previously,

SECTION 60

#1732780809408

5890-412: The local morgue of Gorongosa. On 21 October, FADM forces captured Sathunjira base after several days of combat. RENAMO spokesman Fernando Mazanga claimed that the government forces had shelled the base with heavy weapons (artillery), and that Afonso Dhlakama had fled the base. A RENAMO statement said that the capture of the base puts an end to the 1992 peace deal. RENAMO announced that MP Armindo Milaco

5985-480: The metropole's military forces in Mozambique allowed FRELIMO to wrest control of large sections of the territory from the Portuguese. In the absence of Portuguese repression, a number of new Mozambican political parties, including some formed by FRELIMO splinter factions, appeared and began campaigning for support. Portugal announced it would initiate a political transition in Mozambique simultaneously with multi-party elections prior to independence, but FRELIMO condemned

6080-615: The mortar is a MA 9 60mm Commando Mortar. The Platoon is structured as below: Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 4 Other Ranks): Platoon Officer Commanding (Platoon Commander): Lieutenant/Captain: MA 3 Carbine, MA 5 Pistol Platoon Second in Command (Platoon Sergeant): Sergeant: MA 3 Carbine Mortar Crew 1: Private: MA 9 60mm Commando Mortar Mortar Crew 2: Private: MA 3 Carbine Signaller: Private: MA 3 Carbine No. (1) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal No. (2) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal No. (3) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal Each Section, consisting of 10 Other Ranks,

6175-530: The movement as a proxy of Rhodesia and South Africa's apartheid government . It has been theorised that RENAMO was formed for the sole purpose of countering FRELIMO support for the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). On the other hand, RENAMO was also reflective of FRELIMO's own splintering support base and dwindling popularity in the immediate post-independence era. Its political programme centered around

6270-400: The neighbouring states of Rhodesia and South Africa , then ruled by white minority governments sympathetic to the colonial regime. FRELIMO, in turn, forged an informal alliance with a Rhodesian insurgent movement, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). ZANLA insurgents were permitted to infiltrate Rhodesian territory from FRELIMO-held areas of Mozambique, inexorably linking

6365-465: The other by the lance corporal. Each fireteam (also called a "brick" by Australian soldiers) has one soldier with an F89 Minimi LSW and the other three armed with F88 Steyr assault rifles . One rifle per fireteam has an attached 40 mm grenade launcher; one of the grenadiers is the lance corporal. Fireteam bravo has a HK417 7.62mm for the designated marksman role. More recently, the designated marksman of each Australian fireteam has been issued

6460-444: The other squads. A Fallschirmjägerzug ("airborne infantry platoon") has special operations responsibilities and has command positions one rank higher than corresponding positions in a standard infantry platoon. A captain ( Hauptmann ) is the platoon leader, assisted by a first lieutenant and each squad has a second lieutenant or a master sergeant in charge, often supported by a long-service sergeant or skilled senior corporal. In

6555-805: The party in 2000, and in 2003, founded the Party for Peace, Democracy, and Development . RENAMO forces attacked an army base in Zimbabwe near Mukosa on 17 June 1987, killing seven soldiers and wounding 19. RENAMO attacked the Katiyo Tea Estate, destroying valuable property, in July and killed three men in Rushinga in August. On 30 November, RENAMO militants burned down 13 houses. Between December 1987 and 21 January 1988, RENAMO performed 101 attacks near

6650-500: The peace process in August 2015. Since then there have been renewed clashes between government and RENAMO forces. Dhlakama claims there have been two attempts by the government to assassinate him. In May 2017, RENAMO agreed to extend their truce indefinitely. On 3 May 2018, Afonso Dhlakama , who led RENAMO since 1979, died in Gorongosa after suffering a heart attack. An unnamed official in RENAMO acknowledged this and also stated that Dhlakma had been ill prior to his death. Regarding

6745-403: The platoon commanded by a higher-ranking officer, while in special forces units like Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Matkal all combatants are officers. In Myanmar, a Platoon is called တပ်စု (Tat Su). A Rifle Platoon has an authorised strength of 1 Officer and 34 Other Ranks. A total of 35 soldiers. The platoon is commanded by either a Lieutenant (ဗိုလ်) or a Captain (ဗိုလ်ကြီး) who is assisted by

6840-476: The platoon commander, sergeant, a radio operator and 2 soldiers carrying a rocket launcher. The platoon HQ commands 3 rifle section of 9 men each. A section led by a corporal, who's assisted by a lance corporal. Each section also has 2 light machine gunners. In the Canadian Army , the infantry platoon commander is a second lieutenant, lieutenant or a junior captain assisted by a platoon warrant (who holds

6935-620: The platoon comprises 29 soldiers, of whom eight are vehicle crew. In the Indian army, a platoon consists of three sections. Platoons are commanded by junior commissioned officers (JCOs). Sections are the smallest components in the Indian army consisting of ten men and commanded by a havildar . In the Corps of Engineers , a platoon in an engineer company (referred to as a "field company") differs from an infantry platoon, in that it has four sections of ten man, comprising nine sappers and an NCO , and

7030-530: The platoon is the Zug (same word as for train , draught , move or streak ), consisting of a Zugtrupp ("platoon troop" or platoon headquarters squad), of four to six men, and three squads ( Gruppen ) of eight to eleven men each. An Oberfeldwebel ("sergeant first class") is in charge of the Zugtrupp . The Zugtrupp provides support for the platoon leader and acts as a reserve force (such as two additional snipers or an anti-tank weapon crew). Three Züge make up

7125-583: The platoon is the ozeuli . Translated, it means "Group of 20" but has no connection with the number. It has been transferred into modern usage from medieval army reforms of the Georgian King David the Builder . Originally, it was meant to be a small detachment of 20 men to be led by a leader of corresponding rank. Almost all smaller formations are based on the designations of those reforms, which originally suggested tactical flexibility by keeping

7220-648: The principles of scientific socialism . In September 1964, FRELIMO initiated an armed insurgency. Its decision to take up arms was influenced by a number of internal and external factors, namely the recent successes of indigenous anti-colonial guerrilla movements in French Indochina and French Algeria , as well as encouragement from contemporary African statesmen such as Ahmed Ben Bella , Gamal Abdel Nasser , and Julius Nyerere . FRELIMO insurgents initially received training primarily in North Africa and

7315-503: The proposal. The party's leadership, headed by Samora Machel , countered that it was the sole legitimate representative of the Mozambican people, and demanded it be permitted to take power directly, without multi-party elections. In early September 1974, Portugal announced it would comply with FRELIMO's request. Portuguese officials promised that after nine months, the positions of local government would be handed to FRELIMO appointees, and no elections would be held. The decision to effect

7410-405: The rank of warrant officer , but can be a sergeant). It is usually divided into three eight to ten person sections and a heavy weapons detachment that deploys a GPMG , and a Carl Gustav rifle, depending on mission requirements. Sections are commanded by a sergeant or master corporal with a master corporal or corporal in the second in command position; two members of a section carry C9 LMGs and

7505-403: The remainder carry C7 or C8 assault rifles fitted with either optics or a grenade launcher. A section is broken into two assault groups, similar to the British and Australian organization. Three infantry platoons make up a typical infantry company, sometimes with a heavy weapons or support platoon in addition. Specialist platoons, like reconnaissance, or "recce" platoons, that may be attached to

7600-516: The section commander and second in command respectively, as well as normal two man scout, rifle and gun teams. There are three platoons in a rifle company, which is commanded by a major, and three rifle companies in an infantry battalion, which is commanded by a lieutenant-colonel. An infantry battalion contains an organic support company (mortars, machine guns, etc.) and a logistics company (transport and stores). Philippine Army rifle platoons consists of three squads, each with nine men. The nine men of

7695-409: The size of small units in round numbers (10, 20, 100). Battalions and brigades were not affected by that system. It is unknown whether that usage was abandoned in the 1820s or earlier, but in present days a Georgian platoon still called "Ozeuili" has a similar size to that of other armies. Normally for infantry it has 32 men but can vary depending on the type of unit. The German Army equivalent of

7790-567: The standard small arms in use by the Portuguese Military, including the Heckler & Koch G3 and FN FAL 7.62×51mm battle rifles . They also frequently used captured AK-47 rifles and they showed a special preference for the use of tribal traditional weapons, including spears and the bows and arrows which gave origin to the name of the unit. In 1975 a group of ex-Flechas who had fled Mozambique after its Independence formed

7885-454: The system is claimed in the 1829 London Encyclopaedia to have been introduced by Gustavus Adolphus the Great of Sweden in 1618, the "peloton" appears to predate his birth. In the French Army in the 1670s, a battalion was divided into 18 platoons who were grouped into three "firings" with each platoon either firing or reloading at any given time during a fusillade . This system was also used in

7980-564: The terrain better, and were better able to create a relationship with the local populace, a tactic that predates the ' hearts and minds ' strategy later used by United States forces in Vietnam at the time. Flechas units were also created and operated in Mozambique at the very end stages of the conflict, following the dismissal of Kaúlza de Arriaga on the eve of the Portuguese coup in 1974. The units were to continue to cause problems for

8075-830: The title Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (RENAMO). RENAMO unified with another rebel group, the Revolutionary Party of Mozambique (PRM) in 1982. As a result of this merger, the rebel group was able to expand its operations in northern Mozambique, particularly in Zambezia Province . In 1984 the South African and Mozambican governments signed the Nkomati Accord , in which the South African National Party minority regime promised to stop sponsoring RENAMO operations if

8170-426: The transfer of power; Matsangaissa had subsequently escaped to Rhodesia and was familiar with Cristina's broadcasts. Matsangaissa met with Cristina and argued that hostile radio messages alone could not change the political situation in Mozambique; armed struggle was necessary. Shortly thereafter, the CIO recruited Matsangaissa as the leader for its new anti-FRELIMO force. The militants received guerrilla training from

8265-420: The units specialised in reconnaissance, tracking, unconventional tactics, and pseudo-terrorist operations. The Flechas were created and organized by Sub-Inspector Oscar Cardoso, when he was the head of the PIDE branch at Serpa Pinto, Angola (present day Menongue ). Initially, the unit was intended to support the activities of the branch, whose area of responsibility covered the remote eastern areas of Angola that

8360-649: The word came into the English language via the French peloton ("small detachment"), from the Middle French pelote ("little ball") and derived from the Low Latin "pilotta", itself derived from the Classical Latin "pila". The use of the word is first attested in c. 1547, referring to "a subdivision of a company-sized military unit normally consisting of two or more squads or sections"." The meaning

8455-406: Was a group of soldiers firing a volley together, while a different platoon reloaded. This suggests an augmentative intention. Since soldiers were often organized in two or three lines, each firing its volley together, this would have normally meant platoons organized so that half or a third of the company is firing at once. The platoon was originally a firing unit rather than an organization. While

8550-560: Was called a platoon sergeant major. Within the Colombian Army , a training platoon (in Spanish pelotón ) is often commanded by a higher-ranking soldier known as a dragoneante , who is selected for his excellence in discipline and soldiering skills. However, a dragoneante is still a soldier and can be removed from his position if his commander sees fit. For combatant platoons (platoons engaged in combat with guerrilla rebels ),

8645-409: Was either one empty seat in each BTR or two empty seats in each BMP to accommodate the platoon leader and assistant platoon leader. Tank platoons prior to the late 1980s consisted of a platoon headquarters squad and three tank squads, each consisting of one T-64 , T-72 or T-80 tank for 12 personnel and 4 tanks total; platoons that used the older T-54 , T-55 or T-62s added another crewmember for

8740-436: Was initially led by André Matsangaissa , a former senior official in FRELIMO's armed wing, and was composed of several anti-communist dissident groups which appeared immediately prior to, and shortly following, Mozambican independence. Matsangaissa, who died in 1979, was succeeded by Afonso Dhlakama , who led the organization until he died in 2018. He was succeeded by Ossufo Momade . Critics of RENAMO frequently described

8835-483: Was killed in the government raid. On 22 October, gunmen attacked a police station in Maringué District in apparent retaliation, with no casualties reported. On 26 October, alleged RENAMO fighters attacked civilian vehicles in the main north–south highway near Beira , killing one and injuring 10 people. RENAMO denied its implication in the attack. On 5 September 2014 Dhlakama and president Guebuza signed

8930-521: Was reached between RENAMO and FRELIMO in August 2019, resulting in the virtual end of the insurgency. A RENAMO splinter group known as the RENAMO Military Junta (RMJ) was quickly formed from party dissidents opposed to the peace process; the RMJ continued to carry out minor guerrilla operations until December 2021, when the last of its members surrendered to Mozambican security forces. From

9025-600: Was reached only in 1992, monitored by the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (UNOMOZ) until its finalisation in 1994. This process went on simultaneously to the negotiations between the National Party minority government and the ANC about the termination of Apartheid policies and the transformation to a democratic dispensation in South Africa. The South African National Intelligence Service initiated

#407592