Operation Modular - Objective

Objective

The South African force, under the command of Colonel Deon Ferreira, was tasked with carrying out three operations:

1. Operation Moduler - The aim of which was to halt and reverse the FAPLA advance on the UNITA strongholds of Mavinga and Jamba.
2. Operation Hooper - The aim of which was to inflict maximum casualties on the retreating FAPLA forces after they had been halted.
3. Operation Packer - The aim of which was to force the FAPLA forces to retreat to the west of the Cuito River.

The FAPLA forces did not expect the South Africans to attack directly from the south, resulting in the virtual destruction of the 47th Brigade when the two forces encountered each other near the junction of the Lomba and Cuzizi rivers. This left the FAPLA forces without a screening element south of the Lomba River. At the same time, there was also heavy fighting north of the Lomba River when UNITA forces (composed of the 3rd Regular, 5th Regular, 13th Semi-Regular and 275th Special Forces Battalions) repulsed an attempt by FAPLA's 16th Brigade to capture Cunjamba.

In the wake of these victories, the South African/UNITA forces mopped up the FAPLA survivors in the Lomba-Cuzizi-Conzumbia area and then went over to the offensive in order to push the rest of the FAPLA forces back to Cuito Cuanavale.

After the FAPLA offensive had been stopped, the South African/UNITA force went over to the offensive, thus ending Operation Moduler and beginning Operation Hooper.