---
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 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 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 and South Africa.[^1]

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

Lieutenant Colonel [Shimon Lavee](/people/shimon-lavee/), head of the Special Assistance Branch (SIM) of the External Relations Department of Israeli Military Intelligence, prepared the Israeli version of the agreement.[^1]

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