The South African Navy & Marine and Coastal Management: Category Aircraft

SA Navy Festival 2008 Pictures

admin — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:14:00 +0000

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

Third Combined Military Exercise between SA and Germany: Exercise Good Hope III

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:50:00 +0000

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

Super Lynx handed over

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:32:00 +0000

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 Eagles Have Landed

admin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:41:00 +0000

On Friday morning, the 13th of July 2007, the first two Super Lynx 300 Mk64 touched South African soil when they were unloaded from the Antonov An-124 freighter aircraft that delivered them to Cape Town International Airport. The nose of the aircraft opened to allow the unloading of the two Lynx helicopters, as well as a consignment of spares and ground support equipment.

Ready for Take-off on first flight in RSA - Image: SA Navy

The event was witnessed by Col Jakes Jacobs (representing Director Air Force Acquisition), Lt Col Rob Sproul (Project Officer Project MAULSTIC) and R Adm(JG) Kevin Watson (Project Director Project SITRON), amongst the eager group of participants at the airport.

First Two SAAF Lynx Arrive in South Africa

admin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:29:00 +0000

It was a significant Friday the 13th July 2007 for 22 Squadron. On this day the squadron took delivery of its first two new Agusta-Westland Super Lynx Mk 64 naval helicopters.

Once operatoinal they will be deployed on the South African Navy's Valour- class frigates, although for practical reasons operated by the South African Air Force.

Both arrived at Cape Town International Airport aboard an Antonov AN 124 (RA-82043) the day before without any fanfare and were assembled there before being flown to their new base at Ysterplaat.

Lynx together with Oryx - Image: Louis Vosloo

Lynx 193 was first to depart and arrived at Ysterplaat at around 13h45 after an air-to-air photo sortie accompanied by two Oryxes and a single Allouette III, followed by 194 at around 17h00. Both were devoid of any of the visible sensors on the nose, so prominently evident on the SAAF examples displayed at International air shows recently.

Lynx - Image: Louis Vosloo

Both arrived at Yeovil in the UK prior to being loaded on to the Antonov 124, still wearing dual SAAF/RAF markings, the latter being ZK117 (193) and ZK 118 (194)

A further two (191 and 192, ex ZK115 and ZK116 respectively) are still to come. Tail number 192 was recently displayed at the Paris Air show, whilst the first example, 191, was extensively shown and flown at the Farnborough Air show last year.

Lynx - Image: Louis Vosloo

The 22 Squadron Alouette IIIs will be officially withdrawn from service at Ysterplaat Air Force Base on August 3, 2007. This will mark the end of the SAAF service for the Alouette III which served the SAAF since the early 1960s and is the last SAAF helicopter in service which saw action during the war in the Namibian and Angolan 'operational' area. After withrawal of the Alouette III, the Cessna 185 will be the last SAAF aircraft type left in service which saw service in this conflict.....the last SAAF warbird in service!

Source: airpic.co.za

Last two Super Lynx depart for South Africa

admin — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:06:00 +0000

The last two of four Super Lynx 300 Mk 64 maritime helicopters ordered by the SAAF left Yeovilton on 26 July at 13h30 aboard An-124-100 RA-82044 ('VDA 2681'). Aboard the aircraft were Lynx 191 and 192.

They should have arrived at Cape Town IAP on 27 July and then flown to AFB Ysterplaat.

First Pictures of New Lynx in Cape Town

admin — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:14:00 +0000

First pictures of the new SAAF Lynx after their arrival in Cape Town have been posted at avcom.co.za.

SAAF Lynx doing a fly-past the tower of Cape Town International Airport before routing to Ysterplaat - Image: Brent Best

Mixed emotions as Lynx choppers fly in

admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:02:00 +0000

There's a new type of military helicopter in South Africa: two Air Force Oryxes and an Alouette escorted the first of the South African Defence Force's Lynx machines from Cape Town International to the Ysterplaat Air Force Base at the weekend.

The two Lynxes were delivered from Agusta-Westland in the UK by a gigantic Antonov cargo aircraft.

Four have been ordered, and will primarily see duty on board the South African Navy's new frigates.

The helicopters, flying in formation, did a circuit around the Cape town city bowl on Friday before flying up the West Coast and then landing at Ysterplaat, where the base's staff gathered to witness the event. For helicopter buffs it was something of a bitter-sweet day.

There was great excitement as the new Lynxes flew into view, but it was one of the last times the Alouette III will be seen flying in our skies.

Ysterplaat's 22 Squadron is the only unit still operating the Alouette III. They will be withdrawn from service at a ceremony on August 3.

Source: Independent Online

Is the SANDF properly equipped for its expanding peacekeeping role?

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:07:00 +0000

In his State of the Nation address last month, President Thabo Mbeki stated, “[A]mong the greatest achievements of the peoples of Africa in the past two-and-a-half years has been the restoration of peace in the Great Lakes region. We are proud, as South Africans, of the role that our people have played in helping to bring this about – from the young men and women in our National Defence Force to employees of public and private institutions . . . we will continue to work with the sister people of the DRC, as well as Burundi, the Comoros and Sudan, in particular, to ensure that the condition of peace and stability thus far obtained translates without pause into concerted action for economic reconstruction and social development. However . . . we cannot underplay the challenges that we face in dealing with the remaining areas of conflict . . . Our government will respond appropriately and as our capacity permits . . . ” Back in 1994, it looked as if the future role of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was to be a ‘self-defence’ force in the mould of Japan’s, restricted to the defence of home territory and with minimal counterattack capabilities.

Today, in dramatic contrast, the SANDF finds itself operating as an expeditionary force far from home, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, and the Darfur region of the Sudan. Pretoria to Bujumbura in Burundi is a distance of 2 491 km, to Ndjamena in Chad (the hub for the Darfur operation) it is 4 430 km, while the distance from Berlin to Moscow is only 1 608 km.

Currently, it seems that South Africa has 1 300 military personnel in the DRC, 540 in Darfur, and 750 in Burundi, a total of 2 600; but the numbers in Burundi are being increased to about 1 500 and reinforcements are also being sent to Darfur, which means that, in the near future, South Africa will have some 4 500 troops deployed abroad.

These expeditionary missions are not, officially, combat operations.

SAAF Naval Aviation News

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:49:00 +0000

The Chief of the SA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, hosted a Media Day at AFB Makhado to brief the press on the state of the airforce.

Thanks to the Unofficial South African Airforce Website, the items relevant for the South African Naval aviation:

C-47 / MPA replacement
Although the requirement for a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) was a high priority for the airforce, it was not seen as a high priority by the SANDF as the SAAF and Navy had received new equipment and the Army was next. However, a new joint effort by the Joint Operations Division would prioritise capabilities and an MPA could be phased in from 2015.
“We are taking some stopgap measures in the meantime. We have to look at upgrading some of the C47TP sensors,” Gagiano said. “The fleet is currently fitted with rudimentary sensors, the pilots having little more than their eyes and binoculars with which to identify ships. Maritime patrol aircraft are often fitted with sophisticated synthetic aperture radar and optronic sensors. It is likely the latter will be fitted to the C47s as part of their stop-gap upgrade.”
Command and Control
Although the airforce was still structured on a mobile approach, Gagiano said that mobile radar was not the answer in Africa. Locally, the airforces mobile and static radar systems were integrated with both ship-based and civilian radar systems. The acquisition of new radar systems was not a high priority, but it should be a high priority for a tactical airforce which required airborne sensors to deploy.
Super Lynx to be delivered in May 2007
South Africa has ordered four Super Lynx 300 Mk 64 helicopters from AgustaWestland to operate from the SA Navy’s Meko A200SAN class frigattes. The helicopters will provide a surface search capability in the anti-surface warfare roles, search and rescue (SAR), maritime patrol and utility duties.
The Project Maulstic team has started the level 6 implementation phase and expect to have all four helicopters delivered by the end of May 2007.
The outstanding development aspects include Electronic Warfare, secure communications and wind-envelope trials on the frigattes. Operational Test and Evaluation will start shortly after delivery and will be performed in a phased approach.
Two flying crew consisting of two pilots and three navigators are presently being trained in the UK while twelve technical members and ten avionic members had been qualified.

Source: www.saairforce.co.za