The
South African Navy is the
navyA navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
of the
Republic of South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Formation
The
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922.
The first ships acquired by the newly formed navy were HMSAS
Protea (a hydrographic survey vessel), HMSAS
Sonneblom and HMSAS
Immortelle (both minesweeping trawlers).
Unofficially, however, the SAN can trace its history even further back, to the Natal Naval Volunteers (NNV), which was formed in
DurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
on 30 April 1885 as well as to the Cape Naval Volunteers (CNV), which was formed in
Cape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1905. On 1 July 1913 these two units were amalgamated to form the South African Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).
World War II
In January 1940 a new naval unit, called the Seaward Defence Force, was formed. Rear-Admiral
Guy HallifaxRear-Admiral Guy Waterhouse Hallifax CMG was a South African military commander. He served in the Royal Navy from 1899 to 1935, and ended his RN career on the staff of the last British governor-general of South Africa, the Earl of Clarendon...
CMG, who had retired in South Africa from the Royal Navy, was appointed Director of the Seaward Defence Force. This unit was to be responsible for operating the minesweepers, anti-submarine ships, and the other inspection and signaling duties in South African waters.
The Seaward Defence Force and the South African RNVR were consolidated on 1 August 1942 to form the South African Naval Forces (SANF).
Post-war development
On 1 May 1946 the SANF was reconstituted as part of the
Union Defence ForceThe Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
and in 1951 the South African Naval Forces became the South African Navy.
The
titleA ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
of HMSAS (His Majesty's South African Ship) was changed to SAS (South African Ship) in 1952, and the Crown in the SAN cap badge was replaced with the Lion of
NassauThe House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
from the crest of the country's coat of arms in 1959, two years before South Africa became a
republicA republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
.
The SAN also took part in the various internal and border conflicts of South Africa from the 1960s to the early 1990s, including the "
Border WarThe South African Border War, commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces on the one side and the Angolan government, South-West Africa People's...
".
On 27 April 1994 the SA Navy together with the rest of the
South African Defence ForceThe South African Defence Force was the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. The former Union Defence Force was renamed to the South African Defence Force in the Defence Act of 1957...
(SADF) became part of the
South African National Defence ForceThe South African National Defence Force is the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution...
(SANDF).
Post 1994 Navy
Following the end of Apartheid in South Africa, ships bearing names of noted figures of White rule were removed and renamed after geographical names and less controversial figures in South African history.
21st Century
The current Chief of the South African Navy (SAN) is Vice-Admiral Rofiloe Johannes Mudimu.
A budget of roughly
RThe rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
1.8 billion ($230 million at 2008 exchange rates) was allocated for the Navy for the 2008–2009 fiscal year.
There are currently about 15 active vessels (of all types). It is planned to scale this down to about 12 in 2009–2010. Despite an updated fleet, the navy's capabilities are limited and it would have difficulty contributing to anti-
piracyPiracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
efforts off Somalia. Currently the SAN plans to reduces the number of hours it spends at sea from 9000 in 2010 to 8000 in 2011. With the navy's current budget it will only be able to support one patrol frigate and support ship at sea at any given time. It is thought that such a deployment would deplete its current (2011) annual operational budget.
Chiefs of the South African Navy
V. Adm.
Hugo BiermannAdmiral Hugo Biermann SSA SD OBE was a South African military commander. He began his naval career as a part-time member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the 1930s, and during World War II he served in the Mediterranean and the South of France.After the war, he joined the SA Naval Forces...
,
SSAThe Order of the Star of South Africa was a South African honour. It was instituted on 1 July 1975, and was granted by the state president of South Africa, for services connected with national defence and security. It replaced the Star of South Africa decoration, instituted in 1952. The order...
SDThe Southern Cross Decoration was a South African military decoration. It was instituted on July 1, 1975, and was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force, for outstanding service of the highest order, and utmost devotion to duty. In practice, it was usually a requirement that the...
OBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1958–1972)
V. Adm. James Johnson, SSA
SMThe Southern Cross Medal was a South African military decoration that was in use from 1952 to 2003. There were two distinct versions.The first type, introduced on 6 April 1952, was awarded for outstanding devotion to duty...
DSCThe Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(1972–1977)
V. Adm. Charl Walters, SD SM (1977–1980)
V. Adm. Ronald Edwards, SSA SM (1980–1982)
V. Adm. Andries Putter,
SSASThe Order of the Star of South Africa was a South African honour. It was instituted on 1 July 1975, and was granted by the state president of South Africa, for services connected with national defence and security. It replaced the Star of South Africa decoration, instituted in 1952. The order...
(1982–1985)
V. Adm. Glen Syndercombe, SD SMM (1985–1989)
V. Adm. Andries Putter, SSAS (1989–1990)
V. Adm.
Lambert Jackson WoodburneVice-Admiral Lambert Jackson "Woody" Woodburne DVR, SD, SM, South African Navy is a former Chief of the South African Navy...
,
DVRThe Van Riebeeck Decoration was a South African military decoration that was in use from 1952 to 1975. It was awarded to military officers, for distinguished service in the field....
SD SM (1990–1992)
V. Adm. Robert Claude Simpson-Anderson, SD SM
MMMThe Military Merit Medal was a South African military decoration. It was awarded for services of a high order.It was instituted on 9 October 1974, to replace the Commendation by the Chief of the SADF emblem, and was originally called the "CSADF Commendation Medal"...
(1992–1994)
Post 1994
V.Adm Robert Claude Simpson-Anderson SSAS SD SM MMM (1994–2000)
V. Adm Johan Retief SD SM MMM (2000–2005)
V.Adm Refiloe Mudimu DMG SM MMS MMM (2005–)
Ensigns
South African Naval Service (1922–1939)
Seaward Defence Force (1939–1942)
South African Naval Forces (1942–1946)
|Naval ensign of South Africa (1946-1951).svg|Flag: Argent field defaced with a thin Vert cross, Union of South Africa Flag in the first quarter.|1946–1951
South African Naval Forces
|Naval Ensign of South Africa (1952-1981).png|Flag: Equivalent of St George's Ensign with Argent field defaced with a Vert cross, Union of South Africa Flag in the first quarter.|1952–1981
South African Navy
|Naval Ensign of South Africa (1981-1994).png|Flag: Equivalent of St George's Ensign with Argent field defaced with a thin Vert cross, Union of South Africa Flag in the first quarter. Azure Castle of Cape Town pentagon in third quarter containing Naval lion in Or|1981–1994
South African Navy
|Naval Ensign of South Africa.svg|Flag: Equivalent of St George's Ensign with Argent field defaced with a thin Vert cross, Flag of South Africa in the first quarter|1994 to present
South African Navy
}}
The SAN is a small mainly littoral navy with limited blue-water operational capability.
s, two offshore patrol vessels (Sa'ar 4 class missile boats with their missile capability removed), three
s, two River class coastal minehunters and 26 Namacurra class harbour patrol boats. The auxiliary fleet consists of one fleet replenishment ship (AOR), one survey ship and three tugboats.
There are roughly 5000 active uniformed members augmented by 1500 civilians and 1000 reserve members.
The South African Navy is at present considering additional acquisitions, although it is not clear when or if they will be funded:
To be acquired under Project Biro. Replacement for remaining Warrior Class strike craft. Estimated to be between 80 to 85 meters in length and will be capable of carrying a helicopter, although it is unknown if it will be able to house one as well. They are to be armed with a 76 mm gun and light machine guns. No missiles are planned to be fitted at this time. The OPVs will also carry Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV).
To be acquired under Project Biro. Replacement for remaining T Craft vessels. Estimated to be between 53 to 55 meters in length. They are to armed with a 30 mm gun and light machine guns. No missiles are planned to be fitted at this time.
To be acquired under Project Xena. 10.3m patrol boats to work in conjunction with the Maritime Reaction Squadron (MRS).
To be acquired under Project Hotel. Replacement for SAS Protea. Will be similar to Biro OPV and establish a mobile hydrographic survey team.
Although the SAN does not operate any aircraft itself, aircraft used on ships or supporting the SAN are operated by
There is a planned programme to equip the frigates with UAVs to supplement the helicopters.
anti-ship missile.