Namibia

Republic of Namibia

The Republic of Namibia is the current name of the nation formerly called South West Africa and administered by the government of South Africa. During the 19th century the territory became part of the German Empire, but came under South African control during the First World War. Between 1966 and 1989, a guerilla war was waged against South African military and police forces by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). A transitional government was formed in 1989, followed by independence in 1990.

The Namibian Defence Force was created in 1990 by combining elements of the SWATF and PLAN. Ground, Air and Naval elements comprise the 8,000 active duty personnel. The Namibian Police Force (NAMPOL) was created from elements of the old South West African Police (SWAPOL), and includes the Special Field Force (SFF), a paramilitary unit charged with border and VIP protection.

Namibian Camouflage Patterns

• Early elements of the Namibian Police and the Defence Force wore DPM camouflage uniforms sourced through the United Kingdom.

• The Namibian Defence Force pattern is a lizard design incorporating horizontal stripes of green and brown on a tan background. Introduced in 1991 and originally produced in Bophuthatswana, this is still the standard camouflage pattern. Recently the locally-produced version in ripstop fabric appears to have undergone some minor changes.

• The current camouflage pattern of the Namibian Police is seen below, obviously influenced by DPM but with a unique colorway.

• The pattern below, another DPM derivative with a very sandy-colorway, is worn by the Namibian Police Special Reserve Force (SRF). This unit is charged with SWAT-like duties and is trained to deal with violent crimes, terrorism and insurgency.

• A new pixelated camouflage design was fielded by members of the Special Operations Command in 2013. The new design features dark green, ochre, reddish brown, and black shapes on a light sand background.

• The Namibian Air Force adopted a variation of the standard "lizard" pattern circa 2015-16, having a blue colorway rather than brown.

• Initially formed in 2011, the Namibian Marine Corps is a Naval Infantry unit of the Namibian Navy headquarters at Walvis Bay. Graduates in 2014 received a new pixelated camouflage design, no doubt influenced by the patterns worn by many other Naval Infantry units around the world. The design consists of black, brown and green patches on a sand-colored background.

• In 2019, members of the Namibian Marine Corps appeared in a second pixelated camouflage design incorporating medium green, olive green and sand colors. It is likely that this design will replace the earlier pattern adopted in 2011.