Operation Magneto
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| Operation Magneto | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War | |
| Location | Angola Mavinga Jamba Cazombo Cuito Cuanavale Operation Magneto (Angola) |
| Objective | Aid UNITA to transport its troops to Cazombo |
| Date | 23 August – 10 September 1985 |
| Outcome | UNITA-SAAF Victory |
Operation Magneto was a military operation in August 1985 to transport UNITA soldiers by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War.
In mid 1985, the Angolan government formulated an offensive called Operation Congresso II. The plan called for the largest ever, two-front attack on UNITA forces in Angola.[1]: Chp11 Led by Soviet and Cuban military advisors this plan called for a simultaneous attack on Cazombo in the east and Mavinga in the south-east and to take one or both objectives by 3 September.[2]: 213 The objective of the operation was to split UNITA forces, forcing them to fight on two fronts and therefore weakening their defensive capability. The potential loss of Mavinga by UNITA could give FAPLA the opportunity to stage a further attack on UNITA's capital at Jamba.[2]: 213 The South Africans believed that if Mavinga was taken, FAPLA would move its air defence network southwards, threatening the South African Air Force (SAAF) ability to protect Jamba from Angolan air attack, making it susceptible to ground attack and opening southern Angola to increased SWAPO activity into Namibia.[2]: 214
