Chapter 2 - P rogramme 1 - Department of Defence

Overview
| Department of Defence |
CHAPTER 6
Programme 4: Maritime Defence
The financial year 2007/08 was a successful and
challenging year for the South African Navy in
meeting the requirements for force preparation
and readiness, including finalising the integration
of the Strategic Defence Packages on the one hand
and strengthening its good governance regime on
the other. Thus the year under review saw the SA
Navy focusing on two major areas. Firstly, in terms
of force preparation, the SA Navy maintained
the approved Force Structure Elements and the
associated Force Structure, including the personnel,
at the required readiness levels in order to meet
the maritime defence commitments in a sustained
manner. Secondly, the SA Navy pursued the
objective of inculcating a culture of selfless service
delivery within the boundaries of moral and ethical
conduct and values, including good governance and
accountability, as well as pragmatically implementing
the Department’s Human Resource Strategy 2010.
The DOD Strategic Plan for FY 2007/08 specifically
provided for the maintenance of ordered naval
defence capabilities; the establishment of capabilities
needed to participate in multinational peace
support operations; cooperation with counterparts
throughout the Region with respect to combined
exercises, training and the conduct of exchange
visits; and playing an active role within the internal
maritime sector with respect to the protection
of marine resources/assets, combating maritime
crime, search and rescue, hydrographic services
and assistance with respect to disaster relief. To this
end, several achievements are worthy of note, as are
some challenges.
International cooperation was enhanced through
staff talks with the navies of Argentina, Germany,
India and Pakistan. These talks resulted in the
exchange of information on varied maritime
matters, the exploration of mutually beneficial
training opportunities and participation in valuable
multinational maritime exercises. The Chief of the
Navy’s attendance of the International Sea Power
Symposium, held at the US Naval War College in
Newport, Rhode Island, USA where the chiefs of
the navies of Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria were also
present, further enhanced maritime relations with
countries on the Continent. Material assistance was
provided to Malawi and Namibia and the Chief of
the Navy from Mozambique was hosted during the
year. A significant achievement was the credible
performance of the SA Navy with the NATO Task
Group during Exercise AMAZOLO, held in South
African waters, whilst Exercise GOOD HOPE III
enabled the SA Navy to test its frigate doctrine,
tactics and interoperability with the German Navy
and Air Force.
Exercises held with the navies of Brazil, France,
Germany, Ghana, Kenya, the Netherlands, Tanzania
and the United States of America provided the
opportunity to improve interoperability with
modern and well-established navies. These exercises
served to confirm the SA Navy as a competent and
credible maritime force. The deployment of SAS
Amatola to the United Kingdom and the successful
completion of the Basic Operational Sea Training
(BOST) work-up inspection, her participation in the
90th anniversary of the sinking of the troopship SS
Mendi, as well as the deployment of SAS Mendi to
Brazil and Ghana, provided opportunities to test
deployment and support of maritime assets over
long distances.
The SAS Manthatisi became the first submarine
internationally to be fully classed in terms of
Germanischer Lloyd’s submarine rules. The first
Submarine Officer Commanding Course in nine
years was successfully concluded, with one officer
qualifying as a Submarine Officer Commanding. This
training initiative, as well as joint trials conducted
with the SA Air Force’s Hawk aircraft and successful
missile firings, demonstrated the integration of the
Strategic Defence Packages into service and their
use in the training and qualifying of members.
During the year under review, the SA Navy thus
focused on the operationalisation of the new
ships and submarines, including the Lynx maritime
helicopter, into the fleet, together with optimising
its supporting elements. This process served to
ensure that the higher-order user systems are able
to attain the required levels of capability in a costeffective
and efficient manner. This has led to a
careful appreciation of levels of capability, modelled
against cost, with optimum solutions being derived
for the short, medium and long term.
135 Annual Report FY 2007 - 2008
| Chapter 6 - Programme 4: Maritime Defence |