Presidential Fleet Review
The South African Navy will host the Presidential Fleet Review on 05 September 2008 in Simon’s Town. The aim of the Fleet Review is to introduce the new South African Navy to the Commander in Chief, President T.M. Mbeki and the people of South Africa.
During the Presidential Fleet Review, the South African Navy will demonstrate its broad range of capabilities to the South African nation to show case its readiness to protect our national interests and sovereign integrity.
Read more at: www.navy.mil.za
Naval Fleets Of SA, Brazil And India Take A Breather In The V&A Waterfront
Capetonions can board the visiting Indian and Brazilian warships, as well as the South African ships, when they berth in the V&A Waterfront from 09 – 11 May 2008. These ships are in South Africa as part of the inaugural tri-nation IBSA (Indian, Brazil and South Africa) government initiative.
The fleet has just concluded a very successful series of exercises in Western Cape waters. Some of the exercises included surface gunnery shoots, anti-air warfare exercises, replenishment-at-sea (RAS) approaches, Officer-of-the-Watch maneouvering and boarding exercises (simulations of how to board vessels suspected of illegal activities). Although the recent spate of bad weather made the sea conditions less than pleasant, the professionalism of the sailors of all the ships was more than up to the task. The sailors are looking forward to some time off this weekend to explore Cape Town.
All the ships will be open to the public from 0900 – 1400 on Saturday and Sunday. The people of Cape Town are invited to go on board the vessels and to interact with the sailors of the three countries. There are no costs involved, but members of the public are kindly asked to refrain from carrying dangerous weapons when they visit the ships.
The Indian Navy’s INS MUMBAI (a destroyer) is a very large, impressive vessel and is nearly 160m long. Although the INS KARMUK (a corvette) is smaller, it is still armed to the teeth with 16 surface missiles and an armoury of other offensive weapons. Both the Brazilian ships, BNS INDEPENDENCIA and BNS DEFENSORA, are impressive ships that are about the same size as our own VALOUR CLASS frigates, SAS AMATOLA and SAS ISANDLWANA.
The fleet will be departing the V&A Waterfront on Monday 12 May and will then proceed to sea for a further series of more advanced exercises. During this phase the fleet will split in two, with an Indian, Brazilian and South Africa ship in each force. Then the two forces – red vs blue – will conduct a series of Battle Exercises during which they will simulate a war situation where the forces try to “kill” each other. This Battle Exercise will be a culmination of all the exercises that occurred this week and is a very good means of preparing sailors for war scenarios in peace time.
Source: SA Navy
Exercise Good Hope III commences
SAS Amatola receives the refuelling probe during a RAS between FGS Berlin & SAS Amatola - Image: SA Navy
25 February 2008 dawned a clear and sunny day in the naval harbour of Naval Base Simon’s Town. It is here that Task Group 501, comprising of South African and German Naval vessels commenced on EXERCISE GOOD HOPE III. EXERCISE GOOD HOPE III is a multinational exercise between the German Armed Forces (Navy and Air Force) and the SANDF (mainly the Navy and Air Force) taking place in the Cape Town, Simon’s Town and Overberg area.
Our day started at 0800B when the Officer Commanding (OC) Captain Michael Girsa, briefed his ships company on the flight deck. The OC welcomed all the new members that had joined the ship for the Exercise. He furthermore passed his appreciation to the ships company for a job well done in getting the ship ready to sail as scheduled. The OC spoke of the forthcoming days’ events and how only good habits would help through this exercise. After a meticulous final check, the naval tugs assisted helped this operationally ready warship out of port. SAS AMATOLA sailed at 0900B.
At 1145B, ‘hands to flying stations’ was piped. An Oryx Helicopter from AFB Ysterplaat landed on the flight deck while SAS AMATOLA sailed out of False Bay. SAS AMATOLA plays host to the Commander Task Group (CTG) 501.02 Captain Steven-Jennings and his staff. The Task Force is divided into two Task Groups, with Captain Michael Budde of the Federal German Navy as CTG 501.01 which comprises of FGS HAMBURG, FGS KÖLN, FGS BERLIN, FGS WESTERWALD and task group 501.02 comprising the SAS DRAKENSBERG, SAS ISLANDWANA, SAS AMATOLA, SAS GALESHEWE, SAS ISAAC DHYOBA, SAS UMKOMAAS.
Similar exercises have been conducted twice in the past, between the Armed Forces of the two countries. These exercises are the largest undertaken by the German Defence Force outside of its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) obligations. Good relationships exist between Germany and South Africa, not only on the military side but also politically and economically. The SAS AMATOLA is expecting to exercise drills and evolutions enabling training of the new personnel that have joined the ship in the art of modern naval warfare. It is expected that the crew will gain a lot of understanding and skills from this exercise. The task group will be alongside over the weekends with our first port of call being the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for some much needed rest and recovery. Until then the five day passage will be filled exercises and training.
Source: www.navy.mil.za
Third Combined Military Exercise between SA and Germany: Exercise Good Hope III
From 18 February to 18 March the seas and skies surrounding Cape Town will be used to conduct military exercises between South Africa and Germany. This series of exercises will be called EXERCISE GOOD HOPE III.
This will be the third time that military exercises will be conducted in South African waters between the two countries, with the last exercise taking place two years ago. During this year's exercise there will be more than 1 800 personnel, 15 ships and 16 aircraft from both countries taking part.
The "theatre of operations" will be around Cape Town and some exercises will be conducted at the Overberg Military Test Area near Bredasdorp and Arniston/Waenhuiskrans. Some of the types of exercises will include live missile and gun firings, anti-submarine warfare with mock torpedo attacks, anti-aircraft drills, fleetwork and maneuvering and more.
The objectives that both countries want to achieve with these exercises are:
- To enhance and maintain the comprehensive defence capabilities of the two armed forces.
- To develop a common understanding of military interoperability and foster mutual trust, respect and co-operation between the German Armed Forces and the SANDF.
- To upgrade operational means and methods of multi-national conventional forces by employing different types of equipment whilst conducting and exercising according to a common set of guiding principles.
The German Defence Force will be represented by two Frigates (FGS HAMBURG and FGS KÖLN) and two Combat Support Vessels (FGS BERLIN and FGS WESTERWALD), six Tornado Fighter Aircraft and two Lynx Helicopters. The SANDF will send three Frigates (SAS AMATOLA, SAS ISANDLWANA and SAS SPIOENKOP), one Submarine (SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE) two Strike Craft (SAS GALESHEWE and SAS ISAAC DYOBHA), two Minehunters (SAS UMZIMKULU and SAS UMKOMAAS), two Inshore Patrol Vessels (SAS TERN and SAS TOBIE) and the Combat Support Vessel SAS DRAKENSBERG. In addition to this there will also be six Cheetah Fighter Aircraft and two Oryx Helicopters.
The public of Cape Town will be invited to view the German vessels at the V&A Waterfront on Sat 01 Mar to Sun 02 Mar 08. Thereafter the public can view most of the SA Navy and German vessels during the annual Navy Festival from 14 -16 Mar 08 in Simon's Town.
Source: SA Navy
Dramatic sea chase off SA coast
A dramatic sea chase involving international intelligence agencies and a combined police, navy and Special Forces team has ended off the South African coast with a ship suspected of carrying a ton of cocaine being stopped and boarded.
Details of the operation have been kept under wraps until now while several international follow-up actions were being done.
A parcel containing 25kg cocaine that washed up on a beach at Gansbaai near Hermanus last Thursday was a possible indication of what had happened to the cargo.
Rear-Admiral Philip Schoultz, Chief Director Operations of the Defence Force, lifted the veil slightly on Monday when he referred to the operation for the first time.
He said the operation had begun with a call from a high-ranking foreign diplomat, whose identity remains a secret.
"He asked if we couldn't help with drugs that were being shipped to South Africa, destined for the market here.
"But the Defence Force doesn't have any law-enforcement mandate, that's a police function."
Dakota sent on sea search
After a high-level discussion between police and the Defence Force, planning for the operation got under way.
Preliminary intelligence indicated that the ship was sailing down the western coast and would round Cape Point on a specific date.
"There was a critical time in our planning that we couldn't get from the international source, so we estimated where the ship would be, judging from its speed and size."
"An air force Dakota was sent to search an area of 166km x 740km for a ship that fitted our descriptions.
The Dakota crew were told by the ship's captain that his was a fishing factory vessel. He was en route from Abidjan in the Ivory Coast to Maputo, to buy fish, he said.
The Special Forces water unit at Langebaan sent photographs of the ship to the Defence Force joint operations centre, where they and police already had been working together for a day.
The ship was not flying any flag, which made it a stateless vessel in maritime terms. It also meant that the navy could board it even in international waters, on grounds that it appeared suspicious.
The SAS Isandlwana, one of the navy's new frigates, followed the suspect ship covertly for 24 hours.
The absence of a flag persuaded Schoultz and his team to send a boarding-party.
Police sniffer dogs found nothing on board and the skipper showed them papers indicating that the ship was registered in Guinea (Conakry).
The ship could not be impounded.
Shortly afterwards, however, it turned around and headed back to its port of origin.
Drugs dumped at sea?
Police received further information from abroad that the ship apparently had had a rendezvous with another ship in the Atlantic Ocean a week earlier.
Schoultz said the ship was stopped when it reached Abidjan, but no drugs were found on board.
"We suspect the drugs were thrown overboard. We're happy that our operation succeeded, because that ton of drugs never reached the streets of South Africa," he said.
Source: Beeld/avcom.co.za
Navy Fires Exocets
The South African Navy will fire Exocet surface to surface missiles on board the frigates SAS AMATOLA and SAS ISANDLWANA on Thursday 01, November 2007. The missiles will be fired as part of the South African Navy’s annual Fleet’s combat preparation exercise called RED LION, which started on Monday 22, October 2007.
The objective of the preparation exercise is to enhance the capabilities of South Africa National Defence to ensure global maritime safety and security in the Southern African region and to provide an opportunity for the South African Navy to hone its skills in numerous maritime disciplines. This year’s Exercise RED LION will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will concentrate on the simulation exercises which will be conducted in the West Coast area and the second phase will culminate in the firing of missiles at sea.
The South African Navy’s Task Group will comprise of hydrographic vessel SAS PROTEA, VALOUR CLASS Frigates, SAS AMATOLA, SAS ISANDLWANA, SAS SPIOENKOP, SAS MENDI and the HEROINE CLASS Submarine SAS MANTHATISI, a WARRIOR CLASS strike craft, SAS GALESHEWE, ISAACK DYOBHA and the Mine Warfare vessels SAS UMKOMAAS and SAS UMHLOTI. Elements of the South Air Force, Army Special Forces and South Military Health Services will also be involved in the exercise. The main objectives to be achieved during the military exercise are as follows:
· To evaluate the Fleet’s combat readiness in multi- threat scenario.
· To evaluate and develop Operational Boat Squadron and Operational Diving Team capabilities.
· To evaluate the capability of the Fleet Command to support forces of distant and sustained deployment.
The target will be a derelict mine warfare [ex Federal German Ship Konstanz – M1081] vessel that is no longer in use. Exercise RED LION will end on Friday 23, November 2007. During exercise RED LION, all safety procedures will be adhered to ensure safety of personnel and marine life. [The Konstanz was acquired in 2000 along with five sister vessels of whom four were commissioned into South African service. The Konstanz was retained for spares].
Source: SA Navy
SA submarine outwits Nato force
A lone South African submarine left some Nato commanders with red faces on Tuesday as it "sank" all the ships of the Nato Maritime Group engaged in exercises with the South African Navy off the Cape coast.
The S101 -- or the SAS Manthatisi -- not only evaded detection by a joint Nato and South African Navy search party consisting of several ships combing the search area with radar and sonar, it also "sank" all the ships taking part in the fleet.
At several times during the exercise -- which lasted throughout Monday night and Tuesday morning -- a red square lit up the screens where the surface ships thought the submarine was. But it remained elusive.
This gave Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota something to brag about when he landed on the SAS Amatola on Tuesday to speak to the media
"To be able to frustrate detection by Nato nations is no mean achievement; it speaks of the excellence of the equipment we acquired for this purpose," Lekota said.
And while this left one of the world's strongest military alliances frustrated, it was also a sign that the group had a capable partner in Africa, Lekota said.
"With sustained inter-operability with foreign forces such as Nato, we are well positioned to respond to any unforeseen circumstances that may confront either ourselves or other regions," he said.
Lekota was quite clear that a working relationship with Nato was desired.
"They have a partner of reliable capability because we are forging working relations here. We are building mutual confidence for what can be done and what we can do together as Nato and South Africa, or as Nato and Southern African nations," Lekota said.
These sentiments were echoed by the commander of the Nato maritime group, Rear Admiral Mahon, who said the deployment would see the group sailing right around Africa.
"I can't speak for what the future will hold but certainly this was valuable. Africa is a strategic continent. The freedom of the seas, energy, security, they are all critical issue to Nato countries," he said.
The exercises would continue till the end of the week and would include, ship-to-ship refuelling, search-and-seizure exercises and various other scenarios faced by modern navies.
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Nato, SA in naval-warfare exercise
Forget the blazing guns of yesteryear -- these days naval warfare is a high-tech and sophisticated operation.
This became clear on Monday as an exercise involving Nato warships and the South African Navy got under way off the South African coast.
On board the Portuguese Navy's Avaras Cabral, an Augusta Westland Helicopter similar to those carried by South African Navy frigates is loaded with sensors and other detection equipment.
The ship is engaged in anti-submarine warfare.
"Once we found the submarine we simply load the helicopter with a torpedo and drop it on the sub," Lieutenant Miguel Pinheiro Somoej explains. So much for looking the enemy in the eye, swinging a sword like the pirates of the olden days.
This is also a frightening thought for the crew of the South African Navy submarine S101, because while the submarine might be operating in South African waters, it is being hunted by a Portuguese frigate.
The Portuguese vessel is one of six Nato warships currently engaged in a naval-warfare exercise with the South African Navy.
It is the first time that South Africa's new submarine and two of the four new frigates -- the SAS Amatola and the SAS Isandlwana -- have been involved in a combined exercise.
Other South African Navy ships as well as aircraft of the South African Air Force will also be involved in taking on Nato's Maritime Group One.
Besides the Portuguese, frigates from Canada and The Netherlands as well as ships from Germany, the United States and Denmark also form part of the Nato flotilla.
The Nato group is travelling around the African continent making port calls at several African nations, but it is only with the SA Navy that it is conducting full naval exercises.
"It is expected that these exercises will inspire mutual confidence and respect between Nato maritime forces and the South African Navy, allowing for even greater cooperation in possible future combined exercises or operations," a Nato statement on the exercise explains.
"The deployment aims to demonstrate the alliance's continuing ability to respond to emerging crisis situations on a global scale and foster close links with regional navies and other maritime organisations," Nato said.
But while the exercise might have a conventional naval warfare flavour to it, it also includes boarding of ships and other exercises that would help the South Africans and Nato cope with the real threat in African waters these days.
Piracy, armed robbery and terrorism activities on the high seas are increasingly becoming a threat.
The International Maritime Bureau reports that piracy and armed robbery increased by 37% in the second quarter of 2007 compared with that of 2006.
The total number of attacks in the first six months of 2007 was 126, many in African waters.
In Nigeria, 19 incidents have been reported, including the boarding of 15 vessels and one hijacking. Forty crew members were kidnapped and 24 taken hostage.
In Somalia, 17 incidents were reported. Eight vessels were hijacked and 85 crew members taken hostage.
Another sign of the increasing importance of a security operation in African waters comes from the US Navy, which plans from 2008 to have a "big-deck" presence in the Gulf of Guinea.
"My aspiration is to have a ship there 365 days a year," said Admiral Harry Ulrich, commander of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa.
The South African Navy has long held the position that its new fleet would be used for anti-piracy and anti-poaching operations.
The training with Nato is its first big joint operation to discover how this might be carried out.
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Reworked content: Valour class article with new picture
Drawings of all current MEKO 200 designs have been added to the Valour class article.
Drawings of current Meko A200 class vessels - Image: MConrads (from photobucket.com)
Lekota receives SAS Mendi frigate 2
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota officially received the frigate SAS Mendi on behalf of the government at the Port Elizabeth harbour on Tuesday.
The SAS Mendi is the fourth Meko A-200 San frigate built for South Africa by the German arms company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
Lekota said the commissioning of the ship was an important milestone for South Africa.
SAS Mendi was named after the SS Mendi which sank on February 21 1917 during World War I. The ship carried the last contingent of the South African Native Labour Corps from Cape Town to France.
The contingent comprised five white officers, 17 non-commissioned officers and 805 black privates.
Lekota said the commissioning of the ship was a spiritual return of the troops.
He said the SAS Mendi was a symbol of sacrifice, brotherhood and hope.
"The task of the SAS Mendi will be to participate in the maritime defence of our country, the region and the whole continent of Africa."
The SAS Amatola, SAS Isandlwana, and SAS Spioenkop were the first frigates to be commissioned.
Rear Admiral Robert Higgs said the SAS Amatola and the SAS Isandlwana had already participated in a number of exercises.
SAS Mendi arriving from Germany a few months ago - Image: SA Navy
"The SAS Amatola participated in the silver jubilee of the Nigerian navy in Lagos. It overshadowed other navies. It captured the hearts of the Nigerian media and was held up as a symbol of success in the continent."
He said the SAS Spioenkop and SAS Mendi would soon participate in other exercises.
The 121m frigates are specially adapted to the particular demands of the South African navy and are able to perform a variety of operations including defence, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of fishing and economic zones.
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
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