page_title: 7 Medical Battalion Group
section_title: Weapons
hierarchical_section_title: 7 Medical Battalion Group / Equipment / Weapons
caption_attribution_description: English: A Vektor LM5, the semi-automatic version of the South African manufactured R5 Assault Rifle
context_page_description: 7 Medical Battalion Group is the specialist Airborne Medical Unit of the South African Military Health Service. The Battalion's main task is to render medical support to the South African Special and Airborne Forces.
  Other specialties of the Battalion include Combat Search and Rescue, CBRNE detection, verification and decontamination, Diving and Aviation medicine and numerous other skills associated in supporting Special Forces.
  Little is publicly known of this elite medical unit primarily because of its association with the South African Special Forces. The unit's founder Commandant Wouter Basson led the research on the SADF Chemical and Biological Warfare program.
  Other tasks of the battalion include but are not limited to medical support to the South African Police Service Special Task Force and other elite units, the South African Air Force's Search and Rescue units and the Presidential Protection Unit.
  The unit is on a general six-hour standby and is ready to deploy nationally and internationally, most recently in advisory and support roles during natural disasters.
  The unit retains a limited Defensive Chemical Biological warfare capability.
context_section_description: Weapons carried depends on the type of operation Normally a member will be armed with an R5 or R4 assault rifle and sometimes with a side arm as well,  for example the 9mm Beretta 92. It is not uncommon that the member is issued the same weapons as those of the unit he supports. Depending on the situation, these weapons can be either specialist or foreign in origin.
caption: R5 Assault Rifle 556x45mm (.223)
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