South African Navy

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Revision as of 13:45, 30 July 2008

South African Navy ensign.

The South African Navy (SAN) is the branch of the South African military tasked with the maritime defense of the nation. Its current commander is Vice Admiral Mhlobo ka Tshiwo.

Classified as a medium navy, the South African Navy is nevertheless the strongest navy in Africa, and one of the best in the world. It is rapidly being modernized into a full blue water navy.

The navy's primary missions include sea patrols of territorial waters; providing naval defense for regional countries; anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations; protection of the Cape Sea Route; search and rescue missions; and preventing illegal entry into the country.

As of 2008, the SAN currently employs 125,000 active duty personnel (including the 5,000-personnel strong South African Marine Corps), with another 3,000 in reserve. The SAN operates 80 active-duty ships and about 150 aircraft.

Units

Navy Office

SAS Immortelle, located in Pretoria.

Fleet Command Headquarters

Located in Cape Town.

Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre

Located in a bunker at Silvermine.

Naval Bases

SAS Saldanha (Located on the west coast and houses the Naval Gymnasium.)
SAS Wingfield (Located in the Greater Cape Town area. Houses the Naval Armaments Depot and workshops.)
Naval Base Cape Town
Naval Base Port Elizabeth
Naval Base East London
Naval Base Durban
Naval Base Simonstown
Naval Base Lüderitz
Naval Base Walvis Bay

South African Marine Corps

The South Africa Marine Corps (SAMC) was set up as a sub-branch of the Navy in 1979, with the primary purpose of protecting harbors. Marines were also deployed at Katima Mulilo in Namibia during the Angolan Civil War, where they were responsible for patrolling the Zambezi River. The Marines also acted as regular infantry at the border as well as performing counter-insurgency operations inside Angola in support of UNITA.

The Marines have an amphibious landing capability by operating from SAS Outeniqua and SAS Drakensberg. An elite company, named the Marine Amphibious Company (MAC), exists to ensure the beach-head capability for landing large task forces.

The Marines also field a small elite reconnaissance detachment, under the direct control of the Marine CO, that receives airborne, diver, and urban counter-meassures training from units of the Army.

Some of the equipment used by the SAMC includes the SK-105 Kürassier light tank, the Cadillac Gage Commando amphibious APC, and numerous other armored and unarmored vehicles.

Navy Reserve

The South African Navy Reserve, modeled on the Royal Naval Reserve unit system, consists of 3,000 reserve posts. These posts are pooled and members drawn from them as needed to augment full-time units and ships' companies.

South African Coast Guard

The South African Coast Guard, which operates the Navy's patrol vessels, is responsible for maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, protection of natural resources, and maritime security. One of its most important duties is preventing illegal entry into the country; it has units deployed in Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, and along the Mozambican coast for this. Members receive both military and law enforcement training (mostly the latter), and are lightly armed with pistols, carbines, submachine guns, and other light weapons.

South African Naval Aviation

South African Naval Aviation is responsible for providing aerial transport, reconnaissance, and air support for the other units of the Navy. It operates a variety of rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft to accomplish its missions.

Inventory

Ships (80 in service)

Destroyers (3 in service)

3 Hoofstad class guided missile destroyers (modified Type 42 class)
- SAS Pretoria
- SAS Bloemfontein
- SAS Cape Town

Frigates (12 in service)

8 Valour class frigates
- SAS Vaal
- SAS Umzimkulu
- SAS Limpopo
- SAS Elsieskraal
- SAS Liesbeek
- SAS Maputo
- SAS Orange
- SAS Umfolozi
4 Transvaal class frigates (modified Karel Doorman class)
- SAS Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
- SAS Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg
- SAS Thomas François Burgers
- SAS Paul Kruger

Fast attack craft (9 in service)

9 Askari class missile boats (modified Sa'ar 4.5 class)
- SAS Mageba
- SAS Ndaba
- SAS Jama
- SAS Senzangakhona
- SAS Shaka
- SAS Dingane
- SAS Mpande
- SAS Cetshwayo
- SAS Dinuzulu

Submarines (3 in service)

3 Type 209 diesel-electric attack submarines
- SAS Manthatisi
- SAS Charlotte Maxeke
- SAS Queen Modjadji

Mine countermeasures vessels (8 in service)

4 Umzimkulu class coastal mine hunters
- SAS Umkomaas
- SAS Umhloti
- SAS Umgeni
- SAS Umzimkulu
4 City class coastal minesweepers
- SAS Tshwane
- SAS Mangaung
- SAS Kapa
- SAS Thekwini

Patrol vessels (34 in service)

3 T Craft class inshore patrol vessels
- SAS Tobie
- SAS Tern
- SAS Tekwane
31 Namacurra class small harbor patrol boats

Auxiliary vessels (2 in service)

SAS Drakensberg fleet replenishment ship
SAS Outeniqua logistic support ship

Amphibious warfare vessels (3 in service)

2 Rotterdam class amphibious transport docks
- SAS Willem van Oranje
- SAS Filips Willem van Oranje
1 Barbe class utility landing craft
- SAS Junker

Tugs (3 in service)

SAS De Mist coastal tug
SAS De Neys harbor tug
SAS Umalusi harbor tug

Other vessels (3 in service)

1 hydrographic survey vessel
1 diving support vessel
1 Antarctic transport

Aircraft

Helicopters

Aérospatiale SA 321L Super Frelon heavy transport helicopter
Agusta A109 LUH SAR/utility helicopter
Atlas Oryx medium utility helicopter
MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A utility/transport helicopter
Westland Lynx helicopter
- Super Lynx 300 maritime attack helicopter
Eurocopter Dauphin utility/transport helicopter
- AS 365F1 utility helicopter
- AS 565MA/MB naval search and rescue helicopter
- AS 565SA/SB ASW helicopter

Fixed-wing

CASA C-212 Aviocar 200M maritime patrol aircraft
CASA CN-235 MPA maritime patrol aircraft

@@ Line 131: / Line 131: @@
 ===Aircraft===
 ====Helicopters====
+*Aérospatiale SA 321L Super Frelon heavy transport helicopter
 *Agusta A109 LUH SAR/utility helicopter
 *Atlas Oryx medium utility helicopter