Historically, the Navy operated six submarines in total, but three were retired in the early 2000s due to old age. The Navy also operated 8 strike craft as its primary fast attack units, which were gradually phased out during the 2000s.
The majority of the South African Navy's fleet is based at Naval Base Simon's Town near Cape Town in the Western Cape, the navy's main headquarters and dockyard. Naval BaseDurban serves as a forward-operating facility for patrol vessels and mine warfare units.
South Africa operates a single class of diesel-electricattack submarines, the Heroine-class, consisting of three boats that entered service between 2005 and 2008. The class is based on the German Type 209/1400MOD design, built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Thyssen Nordseewerke in Germany, and customized to meet South African Navy requirements. Acquired under the Strategic Defence Package of the late 1990s, these submarines replaced the three aging French-built Daphné-class submarines that had been in service since the 1970s. Their introduction restored South Africa's submarine arm, making the country one of only three African nations—alongside Algeria and Egypt—with an active submarine fleet.[1]
Despite their technological sophistication, the submarines have faced maintenance and budget challenges typical of smaller fleets, often limiting operational availability to one or two active boats at a time. Nonetheless, they remain the most capable and strategic assets in the South African Navy, serving as a critical component of the country's maritime deterrence posture. While no replacement program has been formally announced, analysts suggest that by the 2030s the navy will need to consider a successor platform to preserve its undersea warfare capability.[3]
South Africa operates a single class of stealthguided-missile frigates, the Valour-class, comprising four vessels commissioned between 2006 and 2007. Based on the German MEKO A200 design, the ships were constructed by Blohm+Voss in Hamburg, with final assembly and fitting-out conducted in Durban. Acquired under Project Sitron, the program was launched to restore a blue-water surface combat capability that had been dormant since the retirement of the President-class frigates decades earlier. The Spanish Bazán 59B destroyer design initially topped the navy's acquisition list, however, these were deemed too costly and larger than required, and the Navy opted for the MEKO to preserve funding for submarine acquisition.[6]
The Valour-class was designed for stealth and versatility, incorporating features to reduce detection by enemy radar and infrared sensors. As multi-role surface combatants, they perform anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare missions. Their armament includes a 16- to 32-cell Umkhonto Vertical Launch System (VLS) fitted with Umkhonto-IR Block II surface-to-air missiles, capable of engaging multiple aerial threats simultaneously. They are also armed with eight Exocet MM40 Block II anti-ship missiles, two twin 324 mm torpedo launchers, and a 76 mm OTO Melara naval gun for surface and shore targets. Close-in protection is provided by a Denel 35 mm Dual Purpose CIWS and Reutech Rogue remote weapon stations, supported by autocannons for counter‑UAV and counter‑small‑boat roles — these lighter weapons help defeat drones and swarm threats so that the missiles are conserved for higher‑value targets. The flight deck and hangar accommodate up to two helicopters, extending their reach for surveillance, anti-ship, and anti-submarine missions.[7]
Originally planned as a five-ship program, budget constraints reduced the acquisition to four vessels. Since commissioning, the class has undergone mid-life refits under Project Syne, focusing on propulsion, electronic warfare, and combat management upgrades to extend service life into the 2030s.[8] Proposals for additional enhancements—such as UAV integration, upgraded Umkhonto missiles, replacement of the interim 76 mm gun with a larger naval gun, and the potential acquisition of BrahMos supersonic anti-ship and cruise missiles—remain pending due to financial limitations.[9] Despite these delays, the Valour-class frigates continue to serve as the most advanced and capable surface combatants in sub-Saharan Africa, providing South Africa with the region's only true blue-water naval strike capability.[10]
The Warrior-class Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPV) are the newest surface combatants in the South African Navy, introduced to enhance maritime security within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. Built under Project Biro by Damen Shipyards Cape Town, the vessels feature a modern, modular design optimised for patrol, interdiction, and low-intensity operations in littoral waters. The class was conceived to succeed the ageing Warrior-class missile strike craft while providing a flexible platform capable of performing a wide range of peacetime and contingency operations.[12]
These multi-role vessels support mine countermeasures, search and rescue, submarine torpedo recovery, humanitarian assistance, and anti-pollution operations, while also performing constabulary missions such as intercepting illegal trafficking, combating illegal fishing, and counter-piracy. Their modular design allows for containerised mission modules, enabling rapid adaptation for specialised tasks, including mine warfare, with facilities to carry one 20-foot or four 10-foot containers. Each ship is equipped with a 20 mm Reutech Super Rogue remotely operated cannon, heavy machine guns, advanced Reutech RTS 3200 radar/optronics systems, and Link-ZA compatible communications suites, while rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) extend their boarding and interdiction capabilities.[13][14]
Three vessels — SAS Sekhukhune I, SAS King Shaka Zulu, and SAS Adam Kok III — were delivered between 2022 and 2024. Despite this, the Navy's Blue Print Force plan calls for at least 15 inshore and offshore patrol vessels to fully safeguard South Africa's maritime interests.[15] Future expansion may include additional MMIPVs and larger offshore patrol vessels (MMOPVs), alongside a replacement for the ageing replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg. The Warrior-class MMIPVs thus represent a flexible, multi-mission platform central to South Africa's maritime security and the protection of its marine resources and economic zones.[16]
Warrior-class strike craft SASGaleshewe at Naval Station Durban before retirement
The Warrior-class strike craft were the backbone of the South African Navy's fast attack capability from the late 1970s into the early 21st century. A total of nine vessels were constructed, with three built in Israel and the remaining six completed at Sandock-Austral in Durban. Based on the Israeli Reshef-class (Sa'ar 4) design, the ships were acquired under Project Japonica to provide a compact, fast, and heavily armed platform capable of coastal defence and sea control. Their introduction allowed the Navy to deliver credible strike capability cost-effectively during the South African Border War and the subsequent democratic era.[17]
The Warrior-class vessels were armed with Gabriel 2 anti-ship missiles, a 76 mm OTO Melara naval gun, a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon autocannons, and additional heavy machine guns, giving them significant anti-surface firepower for their size. Their design emphasised high speed, manoeuvrability, and striking power, enabling operations as fast attack missile craft (FAC-M) in coastal waters.[17] They were also capable of supporting special operations, most notably during Operation Kerslig in 1981, when strike craft deployed reconnaissance and demolition teams off the coast of Luanda, Angola, demonstrating the vessels long-range strike and covert operational capabilities.
Although highly capable during their operational peak, the class became increasingly obsolete in the 21st century. Eight of the nine vessels were retired, with six sold for scrap or sunk as target ships and two retained in reserve. Only one remains nominally commissioned while being gradually replaced by the Warrior-class MMIPVs under Project Biro. Despite budget constraints and the gradual phase-out, the Warrior-class strike craft are remembered as some of the most formidable small surface combatants ever operated in sub-Saharan Africa, and their legacy continues in the naming of the new multi-mission patrol vessels.[18]
The T Craft-class patrol vessels are a class of inshore patrol boats currently in service with the South African Navy. A total of three vessels were constructed in Cape Town by T Craft International, entering service between 1992 and 1996. Initially identified only by their pennant numbers, the class was formally renamed in 2003: SAS Tobie (P1552), SAS Tern (P1553), and SAS Tekwane (P1554). Three additional vessels of this type were also built for Israel in 1997.[19]
The vessels are equipped with a Racal-Decca I-band surface search radar and are armed with a single 12.7 mm (.50 BMG) M2 Browning heavy machine gun. Designed for flexibility in constabulary roles, each boat can carry a small boarding team of marines and deploy a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) carried in a stern well for boarding operations.[19]
The T Craft-class remains an important part of South Africa's inshore patrol fleet, designed for missions such as harbour protection, boarding operations, counter-smuggling, fisheries protection, and general constabulary tasks. Their catamaran design, shallow draught, and boarding capabilities make them well-suited for littoral and coastal security operations.[19]
Size
Performance
Armament
Other features
Displacement: 37 t Length: 22 metres (72ft)Complement: 16
Maximum speed: 32 knots (59km/h; 37mph)Range: 530 nautical miles (980km; 610mi) at 12 knots (22km/h; 14mph)
The Riverine Patrol Boats are a class of locally built inshore craft operated by the South African Navy's Maritime Reaction Squadron. Three vessels were acquired in the mid-2010s to replace the earlier Project Xena patrol boats, which had served in the riverine role since the early 2000s. Built by Marine & General Engineering in Durban and designed by KND Naval Design, the class was developed specifically for operations in shallow and confined waterways.[20]
The boats measure 12 metres in length and are constructed for speed and manoeuvrability, with twin 450 hp MarineDiesel VGT-series engines driving Castoldi water jets. This gives them a top speed of 40–45 knots and excellent handling in riverine and littoral environments. Armament typically consists of a single 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and two 7.62 mm SS-77 machine guns, while each vessel has capacity for a small crew and up to 12 embarked troops.[20]
Equipped with modern navigation and communication systems, including Furuno radar and GPS, as well as Hytera and Icom radios, the boats offer a versatile platform for patrol, interception, and boarding operations. Their design also allows the carriage of a rigid-hull inflatable boat in the stern well to support boarding parties.[20]
Size
Performance
Armament
Other features
Displacement: 8 t Length: 12 metres (39ft)Complement: 12
Maximum speed: 40–45 knots (74–83km/h; 46–52mph)Range: 180 nautical miles (330km; 210mi) at 12 knots (22km/h; 14mph)
1 × .50 calibre heavy machine gun 2 × 7.62 mm calibre light machine guns
The Namacurra-class patrol boats are a class of harbour patrol vessels built in South Africa for the South African Navy. A total of 33 boats were constructed between 1980 and 1981 by Tornado Products in South Africa. The class was designed primarily for harbour protection, base security, and inshore patrols, playing a key role in safeguarding naval facilities during the apartheid era.[21]
The class was introduced to replace the ageing harbour protection craft then in service, providing a modern and more agile alternative. Their main role has been harbour patrol, anti-smuggling operations, base security, and close inshore defence.[21] The Namacurra boats saw extensive use throughout the 1980s and 1990s in both naval bases and forward-deployed locations. Their small size limited their endurance at sea, but they proved well-suited for short-range constabulary and security missions.[21]
Today, 26 of these vessels remain in service, continuing to serve as the South African Navy's principal harbour patrol craft, complementing larger classes such as the T Craft-class inshore patrol boats and the modern Warrior-class MMIPVs.[21]
Size
Performance
Armament
Other features
Displacement: 4 t Length: 9.5 metres (31ft)Complement: 4
Maximum speed: 30 knots (56km/h; 35mph)Range: 180 nautical miles (330km; 210mi) at 12 knots (22km/h; 14mph)
1 × .50 calibre heavy machine gun 2 × 7.62 mm calibre light machine guns
The River-class minehunters are a class of coastal mine countermeasures vessels built in Durban by Sandock Austral during the early 1980s, based on the German Frankenthal-class design but modified with glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hulls to reduce their magnetic signature. Equipped with minehunting sonar and PAP104 remotely operated vehicles, they provided South Africa with a specialised mine countermeasures capability.[22]
Although four vessels were originally delivered, their current status is unclear. They were known to have been reassigned to secondary roles as offshore patrol vessels and diving tenders after their minehunting systems were retired, leaving them without an active mine warfare capability. It is believed that two of the four vessels may remain in reserve or limited service, though no official confirmation has been given.[22]
The River-class was intended to be replaced under Project Biro by a new generation of Multi-Mission Offshore Patrol Vessels (MMOPVs), which would carry modular unmanned mine countermeasure systems. However, severe budget cuts have stalled this programme, with only three smaller Warrior-class MMIPVs funded and the MMOPVs shelved.[23]
In October 2023, SA Navy Chief Vice Admiral Monde Lobese confirmed that the Navy will instead pursue Project Motso, which aims to containerise the mine countermeasures capability so that it can be deployed aboard the Warrior-class MMIPVs. These vessels are now expected to assume the roles of minehunting, in addition to their patrol duties. Lobese stressed that even the threat of a single sea mine could close a port such as Durban for weeks, with devastating economic consequences.[24]
Size
Performance
Armament
Other features
Displacement: 390 t full loadLength: 48 metres (157ft)Complement: 40
Maximum speed: 16 knots (30km/h; 18mph)Range: 2,000 nautical miles (3,700km; 2,300mi)
1 × 20mm Oerlikon autocannon2 × 12.7mm heavy machine guns
The SAS Drakensberg (A301) is a fleet replenishment ship and the largest vessel ever built in South Africa. Constructed by Sandock Austral in Durban and commissioned in 1987, she was designed as a multi-role combat support ship capable of providing fuel, dry stores, ammunition, and other supplies to the fleet at sea, thereby extending the operational endurance of South Africa's naval forces.[25]
Displacing approximately 12,500 tons fully loaded and measuring 147 metres in length, the Drakensberg was fitted with replenishment-at-sea (RAS) stations on both beams and aft, allowing her to simultaneously refuel and resupply multiple warships. The vessel also features extensive cargo holds, workshops, medical facilities, and the capacity to embark troops and vehicles for secondary transport or humanitarian operations.[25]
The Drakensberg has participated in numerous international deployments, naval exercises, and goodwill missions since entering service, including peace support operations in Africa and disaster relief efforts. She has represented South Africa abroad, visiting ports across Europe, Asia, and the Americas as a symbol of the Navy's blue-water capability.[25]
Although still in service, the Drakensberg is over three decades old and nearing the end of her operational life. In 2023, plans have been announced to replace her with a new-generation combat support vessel, but as with other South African Navy procurement projects, this is dependent on budget availability. Until then, the Drakensberg remains the Navy's sole combat support ship and a vital element of fleet sustainability and long-range deployment capability.[26]
Size
Performance
Armament
Other features
Displacement: 12,500 t full loadLength: 147 metres (482ft)Complement: 150
Maximum speed: 21 knots (39km/h; 24mph)Range: 8,500 nautical miles (15,700km; 9,800mi)
4 × 20 mm Oerlikon GAM-BO1 autocannons 4 × Browning 12.7mm heavy machine guns
5,500 metric tonnes of diesel fuel 750 metric tonnes of ammunition and dry stores 210 metric tonnes of fresh water2 × Delta 80 landing craft utility 2 × RHIBs (rigid hull inflatable boats) Aviation: 2 × Atlas Oryx helicopters
The SAS Protea (A324) is a hydrographic survey vessel of the South African Navy, based on the British Hecla-class design. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the River Clyde in Scotland, she was launched in 1972 and commissioned the same year. The vessel was designed to conduct detailed hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, providing accurate nautical charts and seabed mapping essential for safe navigation, naval planning, and maritime trade.[27]
The Protea is fitted with hydrographic sonar, echo-sounders, and oceanographic equipment, along with onboard laboratories and data-processing facilities. She also has a helicopter landing deck and can accommodate embarked survey teams and scientists in addition to her naval crew, allowing her to support both military and civilian hydrographic operations.[27]
Throughout her more than 50 years of service, the Protea has been central to charting South African waters and supporting international survey cooperation. She has participated in numerous naval exercises, undertaken diplomatic port visits abroad, and remains one of the Navy's most recognisable vessels. Despite her age, she has been periodically refitted to extend her operational life, underscoring her importance as South Africa's sole hydrographic ship.[27]
The Protea is scheduled to be replaced by the SAS Nelson Mandela, a state-of-the-art hydrographic survey vessel being constructed by Sandock Austral Shipyards in Durban under Project Hotel. The Nelson Mandela will introduce modern digital hydrographic systems, autonomous survey craft, and advanced oceanographic sensors to ensure South Africa maintains a world-class hydrographic capability.[28] Until her replacement enters service, the Protea continues to serve as the Navy's flagship survey vessel and one of its longest-serving ships.[29]
The South African Navy operates a small but essential fleet of harbour tugboats that provide vital support functions at its naval bases in Simon's Town and Durban. These vessels are primarily used for towing, berthing assistance, firefighting, salvage, and general harbour duties, ensuring that larger warships such as the Valour-class frigates, submarines, and the fleet replenishment vessel SAS Drakensberg can safely enter and leave port.
The tugboats are of varying classes and generations, they are built locally in South Africa, reflecting the Navy's long-standing reliance on domestic shipyards for support craft. They are generally small displacement vessels with powerful diesel engines and specialised towing equipment, capable of operating in both harbour waters and limited offshore conditions when required. Equipped with firefighting monitors, towing winches, and reinforced hulls, the tugs play a critical role in emergency response and fleet logistics.
While not combatants, the Navy's tugboats are indispensable force multipliers, enabling day-to-day fleet operations and providing essential safety at sea and in harbour. They also serve in secondary roles such as search and rescue, pollution control, and supporting naval exercises.
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