South African Navy

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Revision as of 03:35, 9 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 primary bases are located in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Lüderitz, and Walvis Bay. Vice Admiral Mhlobo ka Tshiwo is the commander of the navy.

Classified as a medium navy, the South African Navy is the second smallest branch of the SADF (the smallest being the South African Military Health Service); nevertheless, it is the strongest navy in Africa, and one of the best in the world. The Ministry of Defence has plans to fully modernize the SAN into a blue water navy by 2012.

The navy's primary missions include sea patrols of territorial waters; anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations; protection of the Cape Sea Route; search and rescue missions; and preventing illegal entry into the country. The navy employs small riverine patrol craft, deployed at bases on Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi, to accomplish the latter mission.

South Africa purchased its first aircraft carrier (the HMS Invincible (R05)) from the United Kingdom in 2004; current plans are underway to develop an indigenous aircraft carrier, as well as other vessels.

Inventory

nine harriers twelve helicopters

Mission

• Sea patrols of territorial waters
• Establish presence in disputed territorial waters and protect current interests
• Anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, search and rescue
• Maintain security of territorial waters
• Active logistical support role of combatants and island garrisons
• Maintain security of Sea Lines of Communications

Wartime

• Littoral defense of local seas
• Blockade or protection of vital ship routes and choke points
• Tactical transport, support, and amphibious operations of ground forces
• Air defense
• Anti-submarine operations
• Engagement of enemy shipping
• Active logistical support role of combatants and island garrisons

The fleet

Surface combatants

• 9 Zambezi class cruisers
  • 2 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk multimission maritime helicopters
    • 1 HH-60H Rescue Hawk combat search and rescue helicopter
    • 1 MH-60R Seahawk multimission maritime helicopter
• 25 Shaka class destroyers
  • 2 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk multimission maritime helicopters
    • 1 SH-60B Seahawk surface warfare helicopter
    • 1 SH-60F Oceanhawk anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue helicopter
• 5 Dolfyn class corvettes
• 20 Valour class frigates
  • 1 Westland Super Lynx 300 maritime attack helicopter
• 30 Warrior class fast attack craft
• 15 Askari class fast attack craft
  • 2 Eurocopter Panther utility helicopters
    • 1 AS 565 AA/AB attack helicopter
    • 1 AS 565 SA/SB anti-submarine warfare helicopter

Aircraft carriers

• 2 Jan Smuts class supercarriers
  • 50 Dassault Rafale M multirole fighters
  • 15 Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard carrier-borne strike fighters
  • 5 EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft
  • 4 C-12 Huron RC-12D electronic surveillance aircraft
  • 4 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye AEW aircraft
  • 2 ES-3A Shadow ELINT aircraft
  • 2 C-2 Greyhound carrier borne transports
  • 6 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk multimission maritime helicopters
    • 2 SH-60B Seahawk surface warfare helicopters
    • 2 SH-60F Oceanhawk anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue helicopters
    • 2 HH-60H Rescue Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters
  • 12 Eurocopter Panther utility helicopters
    • 3 AS 565 MA/MB naval search and rescue helicopters
    • 3 AS 565 SA/SB anti-submarine warfare helicopters
    • 3 AS 565 N3 maritime patrol and surveillance helicopters
    • 3 Panther 800 light utility helicopters
• 1 Jan van Riebeeck class supercarrier
  • 45 T-45 Goshawk naval trainers
    • 30 T-45A two-seat basic and advanced jet trainers
    • 15 T-45Cs (improved version of the T-45A)
  • 10 TAV-8B Harrier II two-seat trainers
  • 10 Bell Griffin HT1 advanced training helicopters
  • 15 TC-12B naval trainers

Submarines

• 20 Type 209 diesel-electric attack submarines
• 15 Scorpène class diesel-electric attack submarines
• 2 Vanguard class SSBNs
• 2 Ohio class SSGNs
• 3 Los Angeles class SSNs

Amphibious forces

• 7 LHD-1 Wasp class amphibious assault ships
• 4 LPD 4 Austin class Landing Port, Dock (LPD)
• 8 San Antonio class Landing Port, Dock (LPD)
• 8 Newport class Landing Ship, Tank (LST)

Auxillaries

• 6 Supply class fast combat support ships
  • 3 MH-60S Knighthawk transport and vertical replenishment helicopters
• 7 Drakensberg fleet replenishment ships
  • 1 Atlas Oryx medium utility helicopter
• 7 Henry J. Kaiser class oilers
  • 1 MH-60S Knighthawk transport and vertical replenishment helicopter
• 11 Huon class mine hunters
• 11 Alta class minesweepers
• 4 Hecla class survey ships
  • 1 Super Lynx 300 maritime attack helicopter
• 5 seaplane oilers
• 2 Mystic class DSRVs
• 6 RORO ships
• 4 Christiaan Barnard class hospital ships
  • 5 A109A Mk.II MAX aeromedical evacuation helicopters
• 4 Stalwart class tactical auxiliary general ocean surveillance ships
• 7 T-AKR 287 Algol SL-7 Type fast sealift ships
• Various tankers and other support craft

Organization

The navy is organized into several operational fleets, which are as follows:

Amphibious fleet

The amphibious fleet has permanently assigned amphibious vessels to transport Army personnel. A small number of frigates are assigned to the fleet on a short-term basis to act as escorts.

Battle fleet

The battle fleet is comprised of the majority of the navy's destroyers, frigates, and corvettes, assigned on a long-term basis.

Aviation fleet

The aviation fleet is assigned aircraft carriers, which are escorted by destroyers and frigates (assigned on a long-term basis).

Submarine fleet

The navy's submarines are all assigned to this fleet - as can be surmised by the name.

Naval aviation

The navy also has a large aviation element, comprising numerous aircraft. They are as follows (note that these do not include aircraft stationed on carriers and other ships, or aircraft assigned to the Marine Corps or Coast Guard):

• Dassault Rafale multirole fighter
  • Rafale M: Naval version
• Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard carrier-borne strike fighter
• CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift cargo helicopter
• MH-53E Sea Dragon mine countermeasures helicopter
• Eurocopter Panther utility helicopter
  • AS 565 UA/UB: Utility version
  • AS 565 AA/AB: Attack version
  • AS 565 MA/MB: Naval search and rescue version
  • AS 565 SA/SB: Anti-submarine warfare version
  • AS 565 N3: Maritime patrol and surveillance version
  • Panther 800: Light utility version
• AV-8 Harrier II STOVL jet multirole aircraft
  • AV-8B Harrier II: Night attack version
  • AV-8C Harrier: Upgraded version
  • TAV-8B Harrier II: Two-seat trainer version
  • BAE Harrier II: STOVL strike aircraft
• Agusta A109 utility helicopter
  • A109A Mk.II MAX: Aeromedical evacuation version
  • MH-68A Stingray: Short range armed interdiction version
• Bell 412 multipurpose utility helicopter
  • Bell Griffin HT1: Advanced training version
  • Bell Griffin HAR2: Search and rescue version
  • Agusta-Bell AB 412 Grifone: Military utility transport version
• Westland Lynx helicopter
  • Super Lynx 300: Maritime attack version
• Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk multimission maritime helicopter
  • SH-60B Seahawk: Surface warfare version
  • SH-60F Oceanhawk: Anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue version
  • HH-60H Rescue Hawk: Combat search and rescue version
  • MH-60S Knighthawk: Transport and vertical replenishment version
  • MH-60R Seahawk: Multimission version
• Lockheed S-3 Viking anti-submarine aircraft
  • ES-3A Shadow: ELINT version
  • KS-3A: Air tanker version
  • KS-3B: Air tanker version
  • US-3A: COD version
• E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft
  • E-2C: Improved version with new electronics, surveillance radar, and search radar
  • E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Latest version
• EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft
• C-2 Greyhound carrier borne transport
• C-12 Huron civil utility aircraft
  • TC-12B: Navy training version
  • RC-12D: Electronic surveillance version
• P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
  • UP-3A: Utility transport version
  • EP-3E Aries II: ELINT version
  • EP-3J: FEWSG version
  • P-3N: Coast guard version
  • CP-140 Aurora: Longe-range maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare version
• T-45 Goshawk naval trainer
  • T-45A: Two-seat basic and advanced jet trainer
  • T-45B: Land-based version
  • T-45C: Improved T-45A with glass cockpit, inertial navigation, and other improvements

Marine Corps

The South African Marine Corps (SAMC) is a naval amphibious force responsible for providing power projection from the sea utilizing the mobility of the navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. The SAMC has the unique ability to rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the world within days. The basic structure for all deployed units is a marine air-ground task force that integrates a ground combat component, an air component, and a logistics combat component under a common command element. The SAMC are elite, highly-mobile troops whose capabilities are matched by few.

Combat units

Active units

• 4 seaborne infantry divisions
• 6 special operations forces battalions
• Naval aviation brigade

Reserve units

• 2 seaborne infantry division
• 3 special operations forces battalions

List of units

Active

1st Seaborne Infantry Division
2nd Seaborne Infantry Division
3rd Seaborne Infantry Division
4th Seaborne Infantry Division
1st Special Operations Forces Battalion
2nd Special Operations Forces Battalion
3rd Special Operations Forces Battalion
4th Special Operations Forces Battalion
5th Special Operations Forces Battalion
6th Special Operations Forces Battalion

Reserve

5th Seaborne Infantry Division
6th Seaborne Infantry Division
7th Special Operations Forces Battalion
8th Special Operations Forces Battalion
9th Special Operations Forces Battalion

List of units by province

Cape Province

1st Seaborne Infantry Division
4th Seaborne Infantry Division
5th Seaborne Infantry Division
1st Special Operations Forces Battalion
2nd Special Operations Forces Battalion
7th Special Operations Forces Battalion
8th Special Operations Forces Battalion

Natal

2nd Seaborne Infantry Division
6th Seaborne Infantry Division
3rd Special Operations Forces Battalion
4th Special Operations Forces Battalion
9th Special Operations Forces Battalion

South-West Africa

3rd Seaborne Infantry Division
5th Special Operations Forces Battalion
6th Special Operations Forces Battalion

Combat unit types

Seaborne infantry

A light, easily-deployable division that is organizationally and structurally similar to a light infantry division, seaborne infantry units have excellent tactical mobility, strong armaments, and minimal logistical requirements, but suffer poor protection. The main difference between seaborne and light infantry are that the former employs amphibious vehicles and deploys from naval vessels, rather than by land transports (as can be surmised by their name).

Special operations forces

The special operations forces conduct specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions. Units are typically composed of relatively small groups of highly-trained personnel equipped with specialist equipment and armament, operating under principles of self-sufficiency, stealth, speed, and close teamwork.

Naval aviation

The naval aviation brigade provide heavy lift capabilities, reconnaissance, and fire support for other units of the Marine Corps.

Equipment

Individual weapons

• R4 assault rifle
  • R5 carbine
  • R6 mini-assault rifle
• Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle
• Vektor SS-77 general purpose machine gun
• BXP submachine gun
• FN Minimi light machine gun
• Milkor MGL semi-automatic grenade launcher
• RBS 70 MANPADS
• Armsel Striker shotgun
• Vector Z88 pistol
• Heckler & Koch P9S suppressed pistol
• Heckler & Koch P11 underwater pistol
• Denel NTW-20 20mm sniper rifle
• Galat'z designated marksman rifle
• Accuracy International Arctic Warfare folding sniper rifle
• Starstreak lightweight multiple launcher

Armored vehicles

• See Leeu Main Battle Tank¹
• Stridsvagn 103 Amphibious Main Battle Tank
• Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie Armored Fighting Vehicle
  • VCI: Infantry combat vehicle
  • VCP: Command post vehicle
• Véhicule Blindé Léger 4x4 All-Terrain Vehicle
  • VBL MILAN: Anti-tank medium range (up to 2000 meters)
  • VBL ERYX: Anti-tank short range (up to 600 meters)
  • VB2L POSTE DE COMMANDEMENT: Command version
  • VBL RECO 12.7: Reconnaissance version
  • VBL AT4CS: Anti-tank short range (<250 meters)
• AMX-10P Infantry Fighting Vehicle
  • AMX-10P: Variant with Milan or HOT ATGM launcher
  • AMX-10P/Milan: ATGM launcher vehicle, with two launchers
  • AMX/HOT: ATGM launcher vehicle (Toucan II turret, 4 launchers)
  • AMX-10 TM: Mortar carrier towing 120mm RT-61 mortar
  • AMX-10 PAC 90: Fire support/AT variant with Giat 90mm gun
  • AMX-10P Marine: Improved swim variant w/ 12.7/25/90mm gun
  • AMX-10 PC: Command variant with varied command stations
  • AMX-10 RC: Wheeled (6x6) fire support vehicle with 105mm gun
• Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé Armored Personnel Carrier
  • Armored personnel carrier
  • Anti-tank missile launcher (HOT missiles)
  • 12.7mm turret
  • 20mm turret
• LAV 25 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
  • LAV-AT: Anti-tank variant
  • LAV-M: Mortar-equipped variant
  • LAV-AD: Air defense variant
  • LAV-R: Recovery variant
  • LAV-C2: Command variant
  • LAV-LOG: Logistics variant
  • LAV-MEWSS: Electronic warfare variant
  • LAV-EFSS: Fire support variant
• Sisu Pasi Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
  • Sisu XA-180: Original version
  • Sisu XA-181: Air defense variant
  • Sisu XA-202: Command version
• Petit Véhicule Protégé Armored Car

¹Amphibious variant of the Leeu MBT.

Artillery

• G1 88mm towed artillery
• G2 140mm towed artillery
• G4 155mm towed artillery
• G5 155mm towed howitzer
• G6 155mm self-propelled howitzer
• G7 105mm towed howitzer
• Condor 155mm truck-mounted artillery piece
• M40A1 106mm recoilless launcher
• Bateleur 127mm 40 tube multiple rocket launcher
• Valkiri-22 24 tube self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
• Valkiri-5 towed multiple rocket launcher
• M167 Vulcan air defense gun
• Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun
• Oerlikon 35mm anti-aircraft gun
• Skysweeper 75mm anti-aircraft gun
• M224 60mm lightweight mortar
• Brandt 60mm long-range gun-mortar
• M252 81mm medium mortar
• Vasliyek 82mm automatic mortar
• M120 120mm mortar

Missiles

Surface-to-surface

• MGM-52 Lance
• MGM-140 ATACMS

Anti-tank

• AGM-114 Hellfire
• BGM-71 TOW
• Bofors RB56
• Euromissile HOT
• FGM-148 Javelin
• FGM-172 SRAW
• Ingwe
• MILAN

Surface-to-air

• Crotale
• FIM-92 Stinger
• M1097 Avenger
• MIM-23 Hawk
• MIM-104 Patriot
• Mistral
• Umkhonto

Air-to-surface

• AASM
• AGM-65 Maverick
• AM 39 Exocet
• MBDA Apache
• RBS15
• Storm Shadow

Air-to-air

• AIM-9 Sidewinder
• AIM-92 Stinger
• AIM-120 AMRAAM
• AIM-152 AAAM
• MBDA Meteor
• MBDA MICA
• R550 Magic

Aircraft

• BAE Harrier II STOVL strike aircraft
• OH-58 Kiowa observation/scout helicopter
  • OH-58A Kiowa: Four place observation helicopter
  • OH-58C: Equipped with a more robust engine
  • OH-58D: Features additional mission capability of target acquisition and laser designation
  • Kiowa Warrior: Armed version of the OH-58D Kiowa
• Westland Lynx military utility helicopter
  • Super Lynx 300: Maritime attack version
• Sikorsky SH-60F Oceanhawk ASW and search and rescue helicopter
• Agusta A109 search and rescue/utility helicopter
  • A109LUH light utility helicopter
  • A109 A109A Mk.II MAX aeromedical evacuation helicopter
  • A109K2 search and rescue/air ambulance helicopter
• CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift cargo helicopter
• Eurocopter Panther military utility helicopter
  • AS 565 MA/MB: Naval search and rescue version
  • AS 565 SA/SB: ASW version
  • AS 565 CA: Anti-tank version

Coast Guard

The South African Coast Guard (SACG) is a branch of the South African Navy tasked with defending the nation's coasts, harbors, rivers, and lakes. Its duties include, but are not limited to: Maritime law enforcement; anti-smuggling and anti-piracy; interdiction of illegal immigration by sea; search and rescue; aids to navigation; mariner assistance; protection of natural resources; and national defense (alongside the SAN). The SACG currently operates 230 boats in addition to numerous aircraft.

Equipment

Individual weapons

• Vektor Z88 pistol
• Heckler & Koch P9S suppressed pistol
• Heckler & Koch P11 underwater pistol
• Armsel Striker shotgun
• R4 assault rifle
  • R5 carbine
  • R6 mini-assault rifle

Boats

• Motor Life Boat (MLB) - 25
• Utility Boat (UTB) - 18
• Deployable Pursuit Boat (DPB) - 12
• Aids to Navigation Boats (ANB) - 15
• Transportable Port Security Boat (TPSB) - 10
• Short Range Prosecutor (SRP) - 15
• Long Range Interceptor (LRI) - 15
• SACG Defender - 42
• Patrol Boat, River (PBR) - 30
• Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) - 20
• Combat Boat 90 military assault craft - 20
• Cyclone class patrol ships - 4
• Fremantle class patrol boats - 2
• Armidale class patrol boats - 2

Aircraft

• Eurocopter Panther military utility helicopter
  • AS 565 UA/UB: Utility version
  • AS 565 MA/MB: Naval search and rescue version
• Agusta A109 search and rescue/utility helicopter
  • A109LUH light utility helicopter
  • A109 A109A Mk.II MAX aeromedical evacuation helicopter
  • A109K2 search and rescue/air ambulance helicopter
• Bell 412 multipurpose utility helicopter
  • Bell Griffin HAR2 search and rescue helicopter
• SH-60 Seahawk multimission maritime helicopter
  • MH-60R Seahawk: Latest version
• P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
  • P-3N: Modified for coast guard missions