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

Louis Vosloo has taken some pictures of the SA Navy Festival 2008.

German Navy Hamburg, currently on visit due to Exercise Good Hope III - Image: Louis Vosloo

German Navy Berlin, currently on visit due to Exercise Good Hope III - Image: Louis Vosloo

New submarine S102 in dry dock beside the decomissioned S98 - Image: Louis Vosloo

Naval Base Simonstown, Cape Town, saw the ceremonial handover today of the Super Lynx Mk 64 helicopters to the South African Air Force (SAAF) and South African Navy (SAN).

Super Lynx MK64 194 - Image: Dean Wingrin

The symbolic handover of the Super Lynx by the Minister of Defence, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, to the Lt. Gen. Carlo Gagiano (Chief of the SAAF) and R Adm Moseou Magalefa (Acting Chief of the SAN) provided a significant boost to maritime and air defence capabilities. In his speech, Lekota emphasised the transformation undertaken in the Department of Defence towards jointness of operations. The naval frigate and airforce helicopter comprise a potent organic partnership. While the airforce was accountable for the helicopters, they will be totally and indivisibly integrated with the combat ships of the Navy.

Super Lynx MK64 193 - Image: Dean Wingrin

The South African Navy's acquisition of four new ThyssenKrupp frigates has allowed South African manufacturers to benefit from supply and maintenance contracts worth R860-million, through the Defence Industrial Participation (Dip) programme.

The State arms acquisition agency, Armscor, said on Thursday that the Dip programme on the Navy's frigate platforms had now been completed. The offset related only to the platforms and not the combat systems, which were installed in South Africa with high local content.

Companies benefiting from Dip contracts for the naval vessels are DCD Dorbyl, Bennett's Engineering, Titanium Industries, Booyco Engineering, Siemens Cape Town, and MTU Cape Town.

These companies supplied significant elements of the frigates' electrical, diesel, high-tech exhaust and integrated platform management systems, superstructures and mast modules, refrigeration and ventilation plants, gearboxes and hydraulic power units.

Skills and technology transfer were also essential in the programme, to ensure that the frigates and their key systems could be maintained in South Africa by South Africans, thereby securing relevant shipbuilding skills and engineering skills more broadly for the country.

The companies involved have also won additional business valued at almost R49-million as a result of the quality of their work on the South African frigates.

The Dip programme, under the strategic defence acquisition programme, required defence manufacturers supplying South Africa to source components and systems from local manufacturers, assemble essential elements locally, and transfer skills and technologies to local partners, as a way of assisting local manufacturers to integrate into the global economy.

Armscor is responsible for monitoring Dip performance, and the Department of Trade and Industry monitors the separate civilian component of the programme known as National Industrial Participation.

The South African Navy has taken four Valour-class MEKO A-200-SAN frigates into full service, following the commissioning of the fourth ship, the SAS Mendi, in Port Elizabeth in March this year.

Source: Engineering News

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

As SAS Amatola set sail for BOST, more or less regular SITREPs are available on the official SA Navy website.

The 76 mm gun being fired during a NGS drill - Image: SA Navy

The South African Navy conducted its first combined tactical Exocet Missile firing exercise recently. The two frigates, SAS Spioenkop and SAS Mendi, fired the two missiles at MFV Azalea, a derelict fishing trawler given to the SA Navy by I&J fishing company to sink. The firing was conducted on Thursday 28 June in Exercise Area Pandora, 50 nautical miles south of Cape Point.

The cover disengages from the missile launcher - Image: SA Navy (Naval Weapons Analysis Section (NWAS))

Notice the cover flying off to the left of the picture - Image: SA Navy (Naval Weapons Analysis Section (NWAS))

The two frigates were sailing approximately 7 nm abeam of each other, when they altered course to launch their missiles. The SAS Spioenkop, with SAS Mendi stationed to port, fired her missile to starboard whilst SAS Mendi fired her missile to port.

One of the Frigates as seen through the periscope of the SAS Manthatisi - Image: SA Navy

SAS Protea was also in the sights of SAS Manthatisi - Image: SA Navy

26 June 2007 was the first time since 1982 that South African Navy frigates participated in SMOC and ASW exercises. This was also the first time that the new Valour Class Frigates participated in these exercises and was seen as a significant highlight in the progression to achieving their capabilities.

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)

The South African Navy is at present considering three additional acquisitions, although it is not clear when or if they will be funded:

• The first is the possibility of purchasing a fifth Valour-class frigate, which was provided for as an option in the original contract.
• The second is a programme for the acquisition of a number of multi-purpose hull vessels to replace the four current elderly mine-hunters/sweepers and the three remaining strike craft.
• The third, under Project Millennium, is a multi-mission strategic projection vessel, to be used for sealift, command and control, medical evacuation and humanitarian assistance and search and rescue.

Source: en.wikipedia.org (Thanks to Jan for his comment in More rumours about Helicopter Carrier surface)