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with the same camouflage pattern. This non standard camouflage beret became their most distinctive uniform item. In parade, the
Flechas also wore neck scarves and metal tabs in the left shoulder with the name of the unit. Allegedly, in some operations, they wore enemy uniforms in order not to be
302:, jungle warfare, raiding and kidnapping high-value target, special operations, special reconnaissance, tracking, and urban warfare. They sometimes patrolled in captured uniforms and were rewarded with cash bounties for every guerrilla or guerrilla weapon they captured.
357:– Portuguese Commander-in-Chief in Angola – argued that African soldiers were cheaper, knew the terrain better, and were better able to create a relationship with the local populace, a tactic that predates the '
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The
Flechas were organized in combat groups (platoons) of about 30 men, although the formation was often loose. Each of these groups was dependent from a PIDE / DGS local branch, operating in its
726:
Seegers, Annette (2018) . "From
Liberation to Modernization: Transforming Revolutionary Paramilitary Forces into Standing Professional Armies". In Bruce E. Arlinghaus; Pauline H. Baker (eds.).
325:, under the command of the PIDE (renamed DGS in 1969). Despite being a paramilitary police force, they were thus a police unit, not being under military command as the remaining special force.
298:
and rebel defectors who specialised in black operation, clandestine operation, close-quarters combat, counterinsurgency, covert operation, desert warfare, direct action, irregular warfare,
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339:). Initially, the unit was intended to support the activities of the branch, whose area of responsibility covered the remote eastern areas of Angola that the Portuguese called
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The success of the initial
Flechas unit created by Oscar Cardoso, made PIDE/DGS to expand the concept and to created new groups attached to other of its local branches.
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279:. Unlike most of the other Portuguese special forces that were employed in the several theatres of operations of the conflict, the Flechas were not a
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The
Flechas were created and organized by Sub-Inspector Oscar Cardoso, when he was the head of the PIDE branch at Serpa Pinto, Angola (present day
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theater. In this theater, they achieved a great success in the early 1970s, contributing for the virtual
Portuguese victory in the campaign.
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Hall, Margaret (2011). "The
Mozambican National Resistance Movement (RENAMO): a study in the destruction of an African country".
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Flechas units were also created and operated in
Mozambique at the very end stages of the conflict, following the dismissal of
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The
Flechas were also mostly armed with the standard small arms in use by the Portuguese Military, including the
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The
Flechas received combat uniforms identical to those worn by the Portuguese Armed Forces, in the Portuguese
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In 1975 a group of ex-Flechas who had fled Mozambique after its Independence formed the insurgent group
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rifles and they showed a special preference for the use of tribal traditional weapons, including
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There were, in fact, a number of Portuguese special forces units that were unique to the
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Composed of locally recruited men, often former guerrilla fighters but mostly bushman
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Border Crossings : Life in the Mozambique / South Africa Borderland since 1975.
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even after independence and Portuguese withdrawal, when the country splintered into
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712:, Section: Independent Mozambique and the Role of the Armed Forces.
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Journal of the Royal United Services Institute, no. 118, March 1973
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Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies
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The New Insurgencies: Anti-communist Guerrillas in the Third World
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Flechas had a reputation for atrocities, brutality, torture, and
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in 1974. The units were to continue to cause problems for the
343:(Lands of the End of the World) and which corresponded to the
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The Flechas served as model for the latter created Rhodesian
259:) were an elite paramilitary tactical unit of the Portuguese
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Confronting Leviathan: Mozambique Since Independence
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423:pattern camouflage. With this uniform, they wore a
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
732:. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. pp. 52–83.
567:. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 26–.
1588:United Nations Security Council Resolution 374
1552:United Nations Security Council Resolution 374
1547:United Nations Security Council Resolution 322
1542:United Nations Security Council Resolution 312
1532:United Nations Security Council Resolution 180
1292:Popular Forces of the Liberation of Mozambique
1797:Military units and formations of the Cold War
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504:): units similar to the ones used in Angola
457:which gave origin to the name of the unit.
317:Flechas units were created and employed in
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729:African Armies: Evolution And Capabilities
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
1287:Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People
519:Grupos Especiais de Pisteiros de Combate
1361:(January 23, 1963 – September 10, 1974)
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601:. Taylor & Francis. pp. 181–.
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267:, latter renamed DGS) that operated in
1448:(25 September 1964 – 8 September 1974)
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1272:People's Army of Liberation of Angola
473:. Other Flechas were enlisted in the
445:. They also frequently used captured
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1282:Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola
521:): special units trained in tracking
44:adding citations to reliable sources
1802:Indigenous counterinsurgency forces
1711:Museum of the Armed Forces (Angola)
1277:National Liberation Army of Angola
595:Michael Radu (29 September 2017).
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1316:(4 February 1961 – 25 April 1974)
647:Counter-Insurgency in Mozambique,
561:Margaret Hall; Tom Young (1997).
294:-sized units consisting of local
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1666:Processo Revolucionário Em Curso
1620:No, or the Vain Glory of Command
517:Combat Tracking Special Groups (
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512:Grupos Especiais Pára-Quedistas
469:and subsequently fought in the
31:needs additional citations for
1792:Irregular units and formations
632:University of Pretoria. 2005.
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1686:Mozambique–Portugal relations
636:. Retrieved on 13 March 2007
1726:Portuguese Paratroop Nurses
1324:Strike in Baixa do Cassange
1043:António de Oliveira Salazar
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1772:Military history of Angola
1767:Special forces of Portugal
628:Roelof J. Kloppers :
508:Paratrooper Special Groups
485:Other special forces units
290:Flechas were organized as
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1676:Angola–Portugal relations
361:' strategy later used by
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1178:Francisco da Costa Gomes
1777:Portuguese Colonial War
1245:Portuguese Armed Forces
781:Portuguese Colonial War
747:Portuguese Colonial War
645:Brig. Michael Calvert,
491:Portuguese Colonial War
323:Portuguese Colonial War
277:Portuguese Colonial War
222:Portuguese Colonial War
1691:Portuguese Mozambicans
415:Uniforms and equipment
409:area of responsibility
395:and the South African
341:Terras do Fim do Mundo
287:(secret police) unit.
1696:Heckler & Koch G3
807:Portuguese Mozambique
433:Heckler & Koch G3
1721:League of Combatants
1656:Portuguese Commandos
1634:The Two Faces of War
1598:Mozambican Civil War
1568:Carnation Revolution
1229:João Bernardo Vieira
1217:Filipe Samuel Magaia
471:Mozambique Civil War
363:United States forces
283:military unit but a
40:improve this article
1681:Portuguese Angolans
1369:Pidjiguiti massacre
1301:Military operations
1163:Military commanders
1106:Luis Ranque Franque
1706:Dragoons of Angola
1185:António de Spínola
840:Insurgents/aligned
461:After independence
376:on the eve of the
307:summary executions
1787:Counterinsurgency
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1146:Aristides Pereira
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812:Portuguese Guinea
802:Portuguese Angola
797:Portuguese Empire
739:978-0-367-02004-0
608:978-1-351-47865-6
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374:Kaúlza de Arriaga
300:pseudo-operations
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96:January 2013
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1578:24/20 order
1153:Luís Cabral
819:Estado Novo
720:Works cited
355:Costa Gomes
275:during the
218:Engagements
208:Garrison/HQ
1761:Categories
1671:Retornados
1443:Mozambique
1389:Ciclone II
1265:Irregulars
1067:Lúcio Lara
789:Background
273:Mozambique
253:Portuguese
235:commanders
228:Commanders
160:Allegiance
66:newspapers
1561:Aftermath
1492:Abanadela
1484:Nó Górdio
1423:Mar Verde
1337:Esmeralda
1260:Air Force
697:132946595
681:0001-9720
548:Footnotes
440:7.62×51mm
386:civil war
296:tribesmen
55:"Flechas"
1745:Category
1640:A Guerra
1375:Tridente
1004:Rhodesia
993:Portugal
956:Bulgaria
931:Tanzania
614:23 April
580:23 April
526:See also
453:and the
353:General
337:Menongue
285:PIDE/DGS
202:PIDE/DGS
172:Portugal
154:Portugal
134:insignia
1661:Flechas
1506:Marosca
1396:Vulcano
1330:Viriato
1211:frelimo
1111:frelimo
976:Morocco
966:Romania
941:Senegal
926:Tunisia
921:Algeria
876:FRELIMO
689:1160426
532:Koevoet
397:Koevoet
382:FRELIMO
367:Vietnam
330:Khoisan
313:History
292:platoon
281:de jure
249:Flechas
233:Notable
150:Country
121:Flechas
80:scholar
1716:RENAMO
1499:Penada
1356:Guinea
1311:Angola
971:Israel
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936:Zambia
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661:Africa
634:Online
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467:RENAMO
451:spears
437:FN FAL
319:Angola
269:Angola
257:Arrows
212:Lisbon
178:Branch
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142:Active
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1649:Other
1469:Marte
1462:Águia
1382:Grifo
1223:paigc
1132:paigc
1087:unita
1009:Spain
951:Congo
916:Zaire
906:China
890:FLING
883:PAIGC
862:UNITA
693:S2CID
685:JSTOR
447:AK-47
425:beret
87:JSTOR
73:books
1476:Zeta
1410:Jove
1255:Navy
1250:Army
1199:mpla
1101:flec
1073:fnla
1054:mpla
911:Cuba
869:FLEC
855:FNLA
848:MPLA
734:ISBN
677:ISSN
616:2019
603:ISBN
582:2019
569:ISBN
435:and
271:and
265:PIDE
255:for
247:The
188:Type
182:PIDE
132:The
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