Botswana Defence Force Air Force
Ekuqaleni kuka-1979, izindiza ezimbili ezilula kakhulu zokuthutha i-Short SC7 Skyvan 3M-400 zengezwe kumishini ye-BDF. Isithombe sibonisa indiza enamamaki basembonini ngisho nangaphambi kokuba inikezwe lowo osuke e-Afrika. I-inthanethi yesithombe
Itholakala eningizimu ye-Afrika, iBotswana icishe iphindwe kabili ngobukhulu kunePoland, kodwa inezakhamuzi eziyizigidi ezimbili kuphela. Uma kuqhathaniswa namanye amazwe ase-Afrika eseningizimu yeSahara, leli zwe belizolile ngesikhathi lifinyelela inkululeko - liye lagwema izinxushunxushu nezichitha igazi eziwuphawu lwale ngxenye yomhlaba.
Kuze kube ngu-1885, lezi zindawo zazihlala abantu bomdabu - amaBushmen, bese kuba abeTswana. Engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye, umbuso wahlukaniswa izingxabano zezizwe, umphakathi wendawo futhi kwadingeka ubhekane nezifiki ezimhlophe ezifika zivela eningizimu, zivela eTransvaal, eBuroms. Nawo-ke amaBhunu alwela ithonya namakoloni aqhamuka eGreat Britain. Ngenxa yalokho, i-Bechuanaland, njengoba izwe lalibizwa kanjalo, yafakwa endaweni yokuvikela yaseBrithani ngo-50. Ngawo-1966, izinhlangano ezilwela inkululeko zaqina endaweni yayo, okwaholela ekwakhiweni kweBotswana ezimele ngo-XNUMX.
Umbuso owawusanda kwakhiwa wawungesinye sezimbalwa ezazijabulela ukuzimela eningizimu ye-Afrika ngaleso sikhathi. Naphezu kwendawo yayo esifundeni "esivuthayo" ngaleso sikhathi, phakathi kweNingizimu Afrika, iZambia, iRhodesia (iZimbabwe namuhla) kanye neNingizimu Ntshonalanga Afrika (manje eyiNamibia), iBotswana yayingenamasosha ahlomile. Imisebenzi yezempi yenziwa amaphoyisa amancane. Ngo-1967, kwakunamaphoyisa angama-300 kuphela. Yize lesi sibalo senyuke kaningi maphakathi nawo-XNUMX, belinganele ukuqinisekisa ukuvikelwa okusebenzayo komngcele.
Ukudlondlobala kokusebenza emazweni aseningizimu ne-Afrika ngeminyaka yawo-XNUMX, okuhambisana nokukhula kwenani lezinhlangano “zenkululeko yezwe” esifundeni, kwenze uHulumeni waseGaborone wakha ibutho lezempi elizokwazi ukuhlinzeka ngezokuvikela emngceleni ngempumelelo. Nakuba iBotswana izama ukungathathi hlangothi ezingxabanweni ezazikhungethe i-Afrika eseningizimu ngeminyaka yawo-XNUMX, XNUMX, kanye nawo-XNUMX, yayizwelana nesifiso sabamnyama sokuzibusa. Bekunamagatsha ezinhlangano ezilwa nokubusa kwabamhlophe emazweni angomakhelwane, kuhlanganisa. I-African National Congress (ANC) noma iZimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).
Akumangalisi ukuthi ibutho leRhodesia, kanye leSouth African Defence Forces, ngezikhathi ezithile babehlasela izinto ezitholakala elizweni. Amaphaseji lapho amayunithi ama-guerrilla athutha amasosha esuka eZambia eya eNingizimu Ntshonalanga Afrika (iNamibia yanamuhla) nawo adlula eBotswana. Iminyaka yokuqala yama-XNUMX nayo yabona izingxabano phakathi kwamasosha aseBotswana nabaseZimbabwe.
Njengomphumela wezenzo ezithathwe ngesisekelo somthetho owaphasiswa yiPhalamende ngo-Ephreli 13, 1977, kwasungulwa umnyombo webutho lezindiza - iBotswana Defence Air Force (leli yigama lokwakhiwa kwezindiza elivela kumawebhusayithi kahulumeni) . , elinye igama elivamile i-Air Wing ye-Botswana Defence Force). Amayunithi ezokundiza akhiwe ngokwesisekelo sengqalasizinda yophiko lwamaphoyisa angomahamba nendlwana (PMU). Ngo-1977, kwenziwa isinqumo sokuthenga i-Britten Norman Defender yokuqala, eyenzelwe ukugada emngceleni. Ngawo lowo nyaka, izisebenzi zaqeqeshwa e-UK. Ekuqaleni, amayunithi la bekumele asebenze esizindeni esisedolobheni leGaborone, kanye laseFrancistown kanye lezindawo ezincane zokufika.
Umlando wophiko lwezokundiza kwebutho leBotswana Defence Forces awuqalanga kahle kakhulu. Ngesikhathi ehambisa indiza yesibili ye-BN2A-1 Defender evela e-UK, waphoqeleka ukuba enze indawo ephuthumayo eMaiduguri, eNigeria, lapho evalelwe khona wabe esedluliselwa eLagos; le khophi yaphulwa ngoMeyi 1978. Ngo-Okthoba 31, 1978, kwafika omunye uMvikeli eBotswana, ngenhlanhla kulokhu; ithole igama elifanayo nelikamanduleli wayo (OA2). Ngemva konyaka, ngo-August 9, 1979, eduze kwaseFrancistown, le BN2A yadutshulwa ngenganono engamamilimitha angu-20 yindiza enophephela emhlane i-Alouette III (K Car) ye-7th Rhodesian Air Force Squadron. Ngemva kwalokho indizamtshina yabamba iqhaza ekulweni leqembu leRhodesian, libuya ekulweni lenkambu yabashokobezi yeZIPRA - uphiko oluhlomile lweZimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). Abashayeli bezindiza basindile kulokhu kuhlasela, kodwa i-Defender yawela nomonakalo omkhulu esikhumulweni sezindiza saseFrancistown. Lesi bekungokokuqala ukuthi indizamtshina ye-Rhodesian Air Force iphumelele ukucekela phansi indizamtshina, kwathi omunye wabambalwa wanqoba ngendizamtshina elwisana lendizamtshina.
Ababe nenhlanhla encane abasebenzi benye i-BN2A, eyaphahlazeka ngoNovemba 20, 1979 ngemuva nje kokusuka esikhumulweni sezindiza Kwando. Le ngozi ibulale abantu abathathu (okuhlanganisa nomfowabo kaMengameli waseBotswana). Ngesikhathi besebenza neBotswana Defence Force (BDF), izindiza zaseBrithani ezinamaphiko aphezulu zasetshenziselwa ukuqapha imingcele, ukukhishwa kwezokwelapha kanye nokuthutha abantu abalimele. Indiza eyodwa ibifakwe isicabha eseceleni esishelelayo ukuze kube lula ukulayisha (OA12). Sekukonke, indiza ithole ama-Defenders ayishumi nantathu, amakwe i-OA1 kuya ku-OA6 (BN2A-21 Defender) kanye ne-OA7 kuya ku-OA12 (BN2B-20 Defender); njengoba sekushiwo, igama elithi OA2 lisetshenziswe kabili.
