Overview[]
Kraaivuur International was founded by Ex-Rhodesian SAS officer Johannes Wester after the fall of Rhodesia. They are based in Cape Town and have tendrils all across the globe. Kraaivuur International initially trained and later fought on behalf of the South African government against SWAPO after SWAPO launched guerilla raids from neighbouring countries against South Africa's occupation of South-West Africa (now Namibia). This contract was awarded to the company after KVI had assisted SADF Forces when SWAPO launched an attack on Oshikango. Dubbed by the South African media as an attempt to assassinate the rebel leader Johannes Nankudhu, KV found itself under constant SWAPO attacks where it lost three of its men. This action saw KV as being recognised by the South African Government and a contract to train its forces was duly awarded.
In June 1998, the company contained an insurrection of guerrillas known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Angola, regained control of the diamond fields, and forced a negotiated peace. In both these instances they are credited with rescuing both governments against RUF and UNITA. In the case of Angola this led to a cease fire and the Lusaka Protocol, which ended the Angolan civil war — albeit only for a few years. In Sierra Leone, however, the government capitulated to international pressure to have Kraaivuur withdraw in favour of an ineffective peacekeeping force, allowing the RUF to rebuild and sack the capital in "Operation No Living Thing".
As is characteristic of one of the first Private Military Companies (PMCs), Kraaivuur International was directly involved militarily in Angola, Sierra Leone and Namibia. The company was notable in its ability to provide all aspects of a highly trained modern army to the less professional government forces of Sierra Leone and Angola, as well as training for the Apartheid South African Army. For instance, in Sierra Leone, Kraaivuur fielded not only professional fighting men, but armor and support aircraft. It also medevac capabilities to airlift the wounded out of combat zones. These were bought from sources in the worldwide arms trade within Africa as well as Eastern Europe and America.
Following the Invasions of Iraq and Afganistan Kraaivuur International Forces supported coalition troops in training the new ANA and Iraqi Army, and worked contracts protecting key sites and VIPs, 2001-2015 was the Golden Years of Kraaivuur International's operating capability, and this led to them getting too big for their boots.
This "Golden Age" ended abruptly in 2016, with Kraaivuur International and the GCMU as a whole feeling threatened by Central Pact posturing in the region stepped up their shows of force, Kraaivuur Contractors deployed close to the New Hansa border in Direct Response to Central Pact escalations. Temperatures reached a boiling point, and in October 2016 the cauldron bubbled over, Firebrand forces attacked a Kraaivuur CP. The following days proved to be a bloodbath for GCMU forces, comprised of only Kraaivuur and Penumbra forces, with the other members failing to withhold the pledge of mutual defence Kraaivuur Forces were quickly beaten back and forced to surrender.
With it's stocks plummeting, troops on the verge of mutiny and support structures decimated Kraaivuur was on the Verge of bankruptcy, in early 2017 a takeover occurred in which founder and CEO Johannes Wester was forced to resign in favour of a board of directors to be headed by a unknown (at the time) individual.
This individual, known only by "Kruger" sold off most assets, including the badly damaged Oil Rig in Cape Town (favouring a industrial complex in Cape Town proper as the new HQ), the entire short-lived Air Wing of the company and all manufacturing tools and the many weapons manufactured by them, these were all sold to either Third-World militaries or sold to other Arms Companies for pennies. This also the laying off of 17,000+ staff of the company, including a large body of their contractors. Whereas the "Old" Kraaivuur had been made up of primarily ex-regular forces the "New" company hires almost exclusively Ex-Special Forces personnel. Kraaivuur forces also rebranded themselves from providing a pseudo-army to providing Security, Policing and Small-Force capabilities, learning from 2016 that when faced with a conventional army they would be hard-pressed to succeed.
Kraaivuur is a former member of the Global Corporate Military Union, before it's shutdown following the South African Crisis in 2016
Notable Individuals[]
- "Kruger"
- Johannes Wester
- Former CEO of Kraaivuur International
- Nicolaas Caaren
- [DECEASED]
- Former Head of the American Branch
Units/Detachments[]
- Kraaivuur hires from former soldiers of several countries, with contractors operating in squads of 8-10 men depending on the situation. Contractors primarily belong to former soldiers of SANDF Reeces, British, New Zealand and Australian Commandos, Israeli Defence Forces Regulars and Special Forces, Herreran Stallion Group and SOCOM. Despite this shift towards more Special-Forces esque units Kraaivuur also kept a sizeable amount of Ex-Apartheid Era SADF contractors and various former Commonwealth nations soldiers after the purge of 2017.
- Tallied up the Special Operations soldiers make up a third of Kraaivuur's combat personnel, with the other two-thirds being comprised of regular army personnel. Although these different parts of the forces fall under the same command structure they operate and train in distinct teams, with the former special forces personnel providing the frontline in combat intensive situations, and the former-regular army personnel providing the backbone that carries out COIN operations.
Equipment[]
Contractors Belonging to Kraaivuur International use a variety of weapons based off the individual contractor's taste, most weapons use 7.62 or 5.56 ammunition to minimize supply efforts.
Kraaivuur Forces liquidated most of their stock of vehicles in 2017, but they still maintain their fleet of Ratel IFVs for service, and their Man KAT1 trucks have remained in service for logistical use.
Bases[]
- South Africa
- Kraaisenes - Industrial Park - Cape Town - New Kraaivuur base of Operations.
- Netherlands - Herrera
- Quartier général des forces Kraaivuur sécurité - Leeuwarden - Headquarters of the Kraaivuur Security Forces in the Occupied Zone.
Timeline[]
- 1979
- Fall of Rhodesia.
- Johannes Wester moves to Cape Town.
- 1983
- October
- Kraaivuur Security founded.
- October
- 1983-1990
- Kraaivuur Security is hired by rich white citizens living in Cape Town to Police their suburbs.
- 1990-1993
- 11 February 1990
- Nelson Mandela Released from prison.
- Apartheid was dismantled in a series of negotiations.
- 11 February 1990
- 1994
- 26–27 April
- At midnight the old apartheid flag was lowered.
- After the election held on 27 April 1994, Nelson Mandela is sworn in.
- 65% of White Neighborhoods in Johannesburg, 87% in Cape Town are policed by Kraaivuur Security amongst fears of Whites being evicted from homes.
- The SADF superseded by the South African National Defence Force.
- Rise of Applications to join Kraaivuur Security.
- 26–27 April
- 1995
- Sidneyvale Massacre, 12 Kraaivuur Contractors open fire on 125 Black protesers in the Sidneyvale Suburb of Cape Town, killing 24 and injuring many others; investigation mysteriously dropped.
- 1996
- Johannes Wester starts buying up villages around Cape Town.
- 2000
- Kraaivuur Amalgamates small British PMC Lakehead, now calls itself Kraaivuur International. Gets a influx of British trained operators.
- 2000-2011
- 7 October 2001
- Afganistan War Declared
- 20 March 2003
- Iraq War declared
- 13 August 2003
- Kraaivuur International enters Iraq
- 6 February 2004
- Kraaivuur International enters Afganistan
- 7 October 2001
- 2012-2014
- April 2012
- War in France
- 2012-2014
- War in Ukraine
- 2013-2014
- War in Saudi Arabia
- April 2012
- 2015
- 6 April
- AWA rises
- 13 April
- Washington Massacre
- 15 August
- Dirty Bomb Explodes in Hannover
- 6 April
- 2016
- 16 April: Operation Bevryding-Syria
- Kraaivuur International lands in Al Suweyda, Syria to protect oilfields and fight the AWA with the WLA.
- 18 April: Operation Koevoet (Crowbar)-United Kingdom/Cape Town
- Kraaivuur International deploys special forces to SABRE offices in London, All Operatives MIA
- 10 May: Operation Orkaan (Hurricane)-Baltia/Ukraine
- Kraaivuur Scouts attack a Baltian Communications Station near the Polish Border, Kraaivuur starts moving troops into Baltia under the cover of darkness
- 17 May
- Kraaivuur Air Patrol formed, MIG 31s sent to Baltia and Syria
- 22 May
- Kraaivuur Opens field office in New York
- 25 May: Operation Jagter (Hunter)-New York
- Kraaivuur Scouts deploy to New York, begin hunting for The Raven Consortium cells in the city.
- 27 May
- Kraaivuur Scout fireforce "Jagter-1" apprehends suspect in Chinatown, New York
- 3 June
- KSP Redeker Launched
- 2nd August
- Operation Opleiding-South Africa
- Kraaivuur's largest Training Exercise
- Operation Opleiding-South Africa
- 16 April: Operation Bevryding-Syria
- 2017
- 24th April
- Kraaivuur Suffers a Coup by disgruntled employees, creates a new Board of Directors
- 2nd June
- Kraaivuur forces enter Ukraine to combat AEU Troops there.
- 24th April
Gallery[]
Average Kraaivuur Contractors, Operator on Left, Contractor equipped for Crowd Control on Right.
Relations with other Factions[]
Eastern Legion Neutral
Grand Duchy of Baltia: Neutral/Cold
International Strategic Alliance : Friendly
Trinity Corporation: Friendly
Tacticus Solutions: Friendly
Gecko Heavy Industries: Friendly