---
start: 1978
tags:
- Agreement
- Military
- Israel
- SouthAfrica
---

[SIMWA](/misc/simwa/) (SADF-IDF Mutual Wartime Agreement) was a military cooperation agreement drawn up between the [South African Defense Force](/organizations/south-african-defense-force/) (SADF) and the [Israel](/places/israel/) (IDF). It was created in 1978-1979, after [Ezer Weizman](/people/ezer-weizman/), then [Israeli](/places/israel/) Defense Minister, agreed with [P.W. Botha](/people/pw-botha/), Prime Minister of [South Africa](/places/south-africa/), on a wartime alliance as the price for continuing nuclear tests.[^1]

The [agreement](/misc/simwa/) stipulated that if either country faced a shortage of matériel during war or military operations, the other country would provide supplies from its own stockpiles. It also included a provision for an annual meeting of the deputy chiefs of general staff, alternating between [Israel](/places/israel/) and [South Africa](/places/south-africa/).[^1]

Under this [agreement](/misc/simwa/), [Israel](/places/israel/) sold 175mm artillery that could carry small nuclear devices to [South Africa](/places/south-africa/). [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) also agreed to invest in [Israel's](/places/israel/) nuclear program and provide testing grounds in the Indian Ocean for [Israeli](/places/israel/) nuclear tests.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.