page_title: 8 South African Infantry Battalion
section_title: South Africa internal operations
hierarchical_section_title: 8 South African Infantry Battalion / History / South Africa internal operations
caption_attribution_description: English: 8 SAI preparing for training Lohatla 1993
context_page_description: 8 South African Infantry Battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the South African Army. The battalion is equipped with Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicles used for fast transport and combat mobility across rough ground. Support weapons for mechanized infantry are also provided with motorized transport, or are built directly into these IFVs, in order to keep pace with the IFVs in combat. The battalion was raised at Upington in the Northern Cape in 1973, and assigned to the Infantry Formation.
  8 SAI continues to train for conventional warfare and forms part of the annual brigade-level Lohatla Army Battle School exercise. Training includes IFV-mounted and dismounted fire-and-move drills, and integration with Engineers, Armour, Artillery and Air Force elements.
context_section_description: From 1990, the unit deployed internally in South Africa. Its main tasks at this time included counter insurgency in urban and rural areas.  In late 2019 the unit was reportedly deployed in a number of communities in Cape Town to combat gang violence by supporting police operations.
caption: 8 SAI preparing for joint training with 61 Mech Battalion, Lohatla Army Battle School 1993
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