Royal South African Navy
From Roach Busters
The Royal South African Navy (RSAN) 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.
The RSAN is the largest navy in Africa, and 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 RSAN currently employs 125,000 active duty personnel (including the 5,000-personnel strong Royal South African Marine Corps), with another 3,000 in reserve. The RSAN operates 79 active-duty ships and about 125 aircraft.
Units
Navy Office
HMSAS Immortelle, located in Pretoria.
Fleet Command Headquarters
Located in Cape Town.
Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre
Located in a bunker at Silvermine.
Naval Bases
- HMSAS Saldanha (Located on the west coast and houses the Naval Gymnasium.)
- HMSAS 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
Royal South African Marine Corps
The Royal South Africa Marine Corps (RSAMC) 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 HMSAS Willem van Oranje and HMSAS Filips Willem van Oranje. An elite company, named the Royal Marine Amphibious Company (RMAC), 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-measures training from units of the Army.
Equipment
Armored vehicles
- FV107 Scimitar light tank/reconnaissance vehicle
- FV101 Scorpion light tank/reconnaissance vehicle
- AMX-10P Marine amphibious infantry fighting vehicle
- ERC 90 Sagaie amphibious infantry fighting vehicle
- Véhicule Blindé Lége amphibious infantry fighting vehicle
- Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé amphibious armored personnel carrier
- RG-31 Nyala mine-protected armored personnel carrier
- RG-32 Scout mine-protected armored personnel carrier
- RG-33 mine-protected armored personnel carrier
- Bandvagn 206 tracked all-terrain armored vehicle
- BvS 10 tracked all-terrain armored vehicle
Artillery
- Rascal 155mm self-propelled howitzer
- G7 105mm towed howitzer
- L118 Light Gun 105mm towed howitzer
- Valkiri-5 towed multiple rocket launcher
- M3 81mm mortar
- Vasliyek 82mm automatic mortar
- Brandt 120mm mortar
- ZT-3 Swift anti-tank guided weapon
- FT-5 92mm rocket launcher
- Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless launcher
Aircraft
- Atlas Oryx medium utility helicopter
- MBB/Kawasaki BK 117A utility/transport helicopter
- Denel AH-2A Rooivalk attack helicopter
Royal South African Naval Reserve
The Royal South African Naval 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 RSAN'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.
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is responsible for providing aerial transport, reconnaissance, and air support for the other units of the RSAN. 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)
- HMSAS Pretoria
- HMSAS Bloemfontein
- HMSAS Cape Town
Frigates (12 in service)
- 8 Valour class frigates
- HMSAS Vaal
- HMSAS Umzimkulu
- HMSAS Limpopo
- HMSAS Elsieskraal
- HMSAS Liesbeek
- HMSAS Maputo
- HMSAS Orange
- HMSAS Umfolozi
- 4 Transvaal class frigates (modified Karel Doorman class)
- HMSAS Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
- HMSAS Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg
- HMSAS Thomas François Burgers
- HMSAS Paul Kruger
Fast attack craft (9 in service)
- 9 Askari class missile boats (modified Sa'ar 4.5 class)
- HMSAS Mageba
- HMSAS Ndaba
- HMSAS Jama
- HMSAS Senzangakhona
- HMSAS Shaka
- HMSAS Dingane
- HMSAS Mpande
- HMSAS Cetshwayo
- HMSAS Dinuzulu
Submarines (3 in service)
- 3 Heroine class diesel-electric attack submarines
- HMSAS Manthatisi
- HMSAS Charlotte Maxeke
- HMSAS Queen Modjadji
Mine countermeasures vessels (8 in service)
- 4 Umzimkulu class coastal mine hunters
- HMSAS Umkomaas
- HMSAS Umhloti
- HMSAS Umgeni
- HMSAS Umzimkulu
- 4 City class coastal minesweepers
- HMSAS Tshwane
- HMSAS Mangaung
- HMSAS Kapa
- HMSAS Thekwini
Patrol vessels (34 in service)
- 3 T Craft class inshore patrol vessels
- HMSAS Tobie
- HMSAS Tern
- HMSAS Tekwane
- 31 Namacurra class small harbor patrol boats
Auxiliary vessels (2 in service)
- HMSAS Drakensberg fleet replenishment ship
- HMSAS Outeniqua logistic support ship
Amphibious warfare vessels (2 in service)
- 2 Rotterdam class amphibious transport docks
- HMSAS Willem van Oranje
- HMSAS Filips Willem van Oranje
Tugs (3 in service)
- HMSAS De Mist coastal tug
- HMSAS De Neys harbor tug
- HMSAS 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
- 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
