Background
Prime Minister John Vorster met his defence advisers in December 1977. They discussed the need to take stronger measures against SWAPO, moving from the defensive position of reacting to PLAN incursions into SWA/Namibia, to one were the SADF would conduct pre-emptive attacks on PLAN bases in Angola. All external operational plans would have to have the approval of the Prime Minister.
Early in 1978, planning begun for Operation Bruilof which involved a combined mechanised infantry and airborne attack on SWAPO bases around the town of Chetequera, 25km inside Angola. These plans were abandoned and were expanded into a new plan called Operation Reindeer. This new operation included plans to attack the Chetequera bases but added the more important objective of attacking the SWAPO headquarters at Cassinga. The date of the operation was set for the 4 May.
Read more about this topic: Operation Reindeer
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