Tanzania People's Defence Force

Zanzibar, 12 Jan. 2004, celebration of 40 years' of the Revolution

After an aborted mutiny in January 1964, the existing army was disbanded. The new force was titled the 'Tanganyika Military Force', from 25 January 1964 - 26 April 1964.[2] The Tanzanian government concluded that the former British model was not appropriate for the needs of an independent African state.[3] Fresh recruits were sourced from the Tanganyika African National Union youth wing.[4] After the merge of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the force was renamed the United Republic Military Force from 27 April 1964.[2]

For the first few years of the TPDF, the army was even smaller than the disbanded 2,000 strong Tanganyika Rifles, the air force was minuscule, and no navy had yet been formed. It appears that the new TPDF had three battalions by August 1965, stationed at Nachingwea, Colito Barracks (five miles outside Dar es Salaam), and Tabora, plus the yet to be fully integrated Zanzibari force of about 1,000.[5] However the army was four battalions strong by 1967.[6]

From 1964 to 1974, the TPDF was commanded by Mrisho S.H. Sarakikya, trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, who was promoted from lieutenant to brigadier in 1964 and became the force's first commander.[7] He was succeeded by Lieutenant General Abdallah Twalipo 1974–1980.[8]

In 1972, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) listed the army with 10,000 personnel, four infantry battalions, 20 T-59, 14 Chinese T-62 light tanks, some BTR-40 and BTR-152, Soviet field artillery and Chinese mortars. 'Spares [were] short and not all equipment was serviceable.'[9]

The Uganda–Tanzania War happened in 1978–1979.

In 1992, the IISS listed the army with 45,000 personnel (some 20,000 conscripts), 3 division headquarters, 8 infantry brigades, one tank brigade, two field artillery battalions, two Anti-aircraft artillery battalions (6 batteries), two mortar, two anti-tank battalions, one engineer regiment (battalion sized), and one surface-to-air missile battalion with SA-3 and SA-6.[10] Equipment included 30 Chinese Type 59 and 32 T-54/55 main battle tanks.

In 2007 Tanzania pledged forces for the SADC Standby Brigade of the African Standby Force.[11]

A Tanzanian soldier (right) with his Kenyan counterpart

On March 9, 2009 the land force command was officially created by then president Jakaya Kikwete. The Land force command was separated from the Army and an official commander was appointed to run the operations of the Land Forces.[12] In 2013, the other separated half of the army was officially incorporated as a new branch of the military to oversee strategic planning and administration of all the branches of the military called the Defense Force HQ Command.[13]

As of 2012, the army is gradually modernising and restructuring. Much of the inventory is in storage or unreliable.[14]

• 5 × infantry brigades
• 1 × armoured brigade
• 3 × artillery battalions
• 2 × air defence artillery battalions
• 1 × mortar battalion
• 2 × anti-tank battalions
• 121st Engineer Regiment (battalion size; unit identification from usaraf.army.mil and Flickr)
• 1 × central logistic/support group

TPDF honour guard

The current Commander of the Tanzania Air Force Command is Major General William Ingram, who replaced Major General Joseph Kapwani upon the latter's retirement in January 2016. During a visit to Zimbabwe in March 2014, Kapwani commended Zimbabweans for 'remaining resolute and firmly safeguarding the country's sovereignty despite the suffering brought on by illegal Western sanctions.'[15] He made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri at AFZ headquarters in Harare on 12 March 2014. General Kapwani, who was then the chair of the SADC Standing Aviation Committee, said he was in Zimbabwe to share experiences and strengthen relations.

A few of the Tanzanian air wing's transport remain serviceable. However, its Shenyang F-5s, and Chengdu F-7s are reported to fly only on rare occasions because of airworthiness problems.[16] Tanzania's long coastline means that transports are also used for patrol flights.

A TPDF soldier

On 14 November 2013, Helmoed-Römer Heitman reported for Jane's Defence Weekly that a 'usually reliable source' had informed Jane's that the TPDF had replaced its 12 old CAC J-7 fighters with 14 new J-7s, twelve single-seat and two dual-seat. Deliveries were completed in 2011. Heitman also reported that the aircraft were fully operational at Dar es Salaam and Mwanza air bases.[17]

Recent estimates (2014) suggest that Tanzania's air force command operates 32 aircraft in 3 different types. It is believed they are operating 14 fighters, 11 fixed-wing attack aircraft and 7 transport aircraft. On October 1, 2015 a K-8 trainer jet of Tanzania Air Force Command crashed into the sea killing both pilots.[18]

The navy operates 9 fast attack craft and 12 patrol boats.

The current Commander of the Naval Command is Rear Admiral Richard Mutayoba Makanzo.

The closing ceremony of the joint Tanzanian-Chinese exercise Beyond/Transcend 2014 was held on November 14, 2014, at Kigamboni Naval Base attended by guests that included China’s ambassador to Tanzania, the Chief of the TPDF, and the heads of the navy and air force. The exercise between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and the TPDF began on October 16 in Dar es Salaam, with more than 100 navy officers and seamen participating.

Jane's Defence Weekly wrote in August 2017 that '..a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla consisting of a destroyer, a frigate, and a supply vessel visited Dar es Salaam on 16–20 August.'[19] Rear Admiral Makanzo said during the visit that Tanzania currently has two marine infantry companies, both of which were trained by the PLAN, with the training of a third company planned to begin with Chinese assistance. The admiral said that Tanzanian marines were deployed at the time in peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.

Tanzanian special forces training for the Monsuco FIB mission

As of 30 June 2019, the TDPF is involved in the following United Nations peacekeeping missions:[20][21]

Current Commanding Officers

• Chief of Defense Forces (CDF): General Venance Salvatory Mabeyo[22]
• Chief of Staff: Lieutenant General Yakub Mohamed [22]
• Commander of Military Headquarters: Brigadier General Mwaisaka
• Commander of Land Forces: Major General J.J. Mkunda
• Commander of Air Forces: Major General William Ingram [23]
• Commander of Naval Forces: Rear Admiral Richard Makanzo [24]
• Chief of National Service: Major General Charles Mbuge [23]

• Rank and Insignia of the Tanzanian Armed Forces
• Tanzanian Armed Forces Uniform

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2005 edition".
• Tanzania Refutes Cross Border Shelling
• Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey, 'War in Uganda,' Zed Press, London, UK, 1982
• Simon Baynham, Civil-Military Relations in Post-Independent Africa
• Donovan C. Chau, "Exploiting Africa: The Influence of Maoist China in Algeria, Ghana, and Tanzania," Naval Institute Press; 1st ed. (April 15, 2014)
• Michael G. Brooks, Kendall D. Gott. Security Assistance, U.S. and International Historical Perspectives: Proceedings of the Combat Studies Institute 2006 Military History Symposium. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-087349-2. - includes China/Tanzania study
• Christopher Gallop, 'Letters from East Africa' Grosvenor House, UK, 2013 ISBN 978-1781486283
• Allison Herrick, Area Handbook for Tanzania, American University, 1968
• Irving Kaplan, Tanzania: A Country Study, Library of Congress Country Studies, First Edition, 1978, Second Edition, 1987.
• Murdo Morrison), ed. (2006). "World Air Forces". Flight International. Flight International (Number 5063 ed.). London: Flight Global. p. 82. ISSN 0015-3710.
• Brian S. MacDonald (1990). "Africa armed forces". Military spending in developing countries (Number 5063 ed.). London. ISBN 978-0-88629-314-7.
• A.H. Omari, 2001. Civil–military Relations in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: Centre for Foreign Relations.
• Timothy Parsons, The 1964 Army Mutinies and the Making of Modern East Africa
• Thomas, Charles G. (May 2012). The Tanzanian People's Defence Force : an exercise in nation-building (PhD). University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2019-05-03.

• Official website of the Ministry of Tanzanian Defence and National Service Tanzania
• Official website of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces
• Tanzania Civil-military Relations and Political Stability
• Lillian Kingazi, Enhancing Human Resource Capabilities in the TPDF
• https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975DARES02500_b.html - personnel changes, 1975