.gif)
SAS Drakensberg (A301)
Encyclopedia
The SAS Drakensberg (A301) is a fleet replenishment ship (AOR)
of the South African Navy
, with the primary role of assisting and supporting the SAN's combat vessels at sea. Built by the (now defunct) Sandock Austral shipyard in Durban, it is the largest and most sophisticated warship to have been built in South Africa
.
heavily influenced the designers of the Drakensberg. The Drakensberg is able to carry 5 500 tons of diesel fuel, 210 tons of fresh water, 100 tons of dry provisions, over 30 tons of frozen food
, 230 tons of containerized cargo or 1 000 tons of palletized and general cargo. The loading and offloading of this cargo is made possible with one 20-ton crane, four 2-ton cranes and a 5-ton hoist, assisted by two lifts of 2.5 and 7.5 tons respectively. Replenishment at sea (RAS) is from two abeam positions or from the RAS
deck astern, with the ability to pump 40 tons of fuel per hour and 15 tons of fresh water per hour. In addition, an on-board plant enables the ship to produce 50 000 litres of fresh water from sea water daily.
The ship carries two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIB) called 'Stingrays' for small-craft duties, as well as two Delta-80 LCUs
for limited amphibious use.
in the Republic of China
(Taiwan), without stopping at any ports along the way (a procedure necessitated by South Africa's political isolation at the time). This was the first time since 1945 that a South African naval vessel had "shown the flag" in the Far East
; it also provided an opportunity for joint exercises with the Taiwanese Navy
.
Under Operation Pullen in 1990, the Drakensberg became the first South African naval vessel to visit the then-Zaire
in over 30 years, laying the groundwork for a series of additional visits to African nations, signifying South Africa's gradual return from isolation. The next year, it set sail on a humanitarian relief mission, offloading 630 tons of supplies in Chittagong, Bangladesh
and 35 tons of supplies in Mersin
, Turkey
. In 1992, it became the first SAN vessel to proceed further south than 54 degrees south
latitude, in a mission to assist the damaged SA Agulhas
.
The Drakensberg's greatest voyage, arguably, was Operation Narsau in May 1994, following South Africa's first fully democratic elections and the election of Nelson Mandela
. In three months, it visited Lisbon
, Rosyth
, Copenhagen
, Rotterdam
, Zeebrugge
, Rouen
, London
, Cadiz
, São Tomé and Príncipe
, Bioko Island and Gabon
in the process becoming the first SAN vessel to visit Denmark and Belgium. While not quite living up to the high standards set by the 1994 voyage, the 1995 voyage to Abu Dhabi
, Karachi
, Mumbai
and Muscat
is also notable for its diversity in destinations.
In 1996, the Drakensberg became the first SAN vessel in over 20 years to visit the United States
, when it called at the ports of Norfolk
, Newport
and New York City
, which followed a naval exercise with over 25 other vessels at the US Navy's base at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
. During a time of increased budget cuts, it would be three years until it embarked on another long-range voyage, this time to Brazil
, Argentina
and Uruguay
to partake in the Atlasur IV naval manoeuvres.
In 2006, the Drakensberg was sent to France
by President Thabo Mbeki
to collect a giant rotor to replace the damaged rotor at Koeberg nuclear power station
. The rotor was offloaded at Cape Town
harbour just after 16:00 on 6 April 2006.
In 2011, the Drakensberg was sent to West Africa, officially for training purposes. The deployment drew criticism from ECOWAS, who claimed that the deployment was related to ongoing conflict in Cote d'Ivoire
.
Replenishment Oiler
A replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....
of the South African Navy
South African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
, with the primary role of assisting and supporting the SAN's combat vessels at sea. Built by the (now defunct) Sandock Austral shipyard in Durban, it is the largest and most sophisticated warship to have been built in South Africa
South Africa
The 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...
.
Design
The design and shortcomings of the TafelbergSAS Tafelberg
SAS Tafelberg was a replenishment ship of the South African Navy. The ship started life as the Danish tanker Annam before undergoing various conversions into her final configuration.-Early history:...
heavily influenced the designers of the Drakensberg. The Drakensberg is able to carry 5 500 tons of diesel fuel, 210 tons of fresh water, 100 tons of dry provisions, over 30 tons of frozen food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, 230 tons of containerized cargo or 1 000 tons of palletized and general cargo. The loading and offloading of this cargo is made possible with one 20-ton crane, four 2-ton cranes and a 5-ton hoist, assisted by two lifts of 2.5 and 7.5 tons respectively. Replenishment at sea (RAS) is from two abeam positions or from the RAS
Underway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
deck astern, with the ability to pump 40 tons of fuel per hour and 15 tons of fresh water per hour. In addition, an on-board plant enables the ship to produce 50 000 litres of fresh water from sea water daily.
The ship carries two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIB) called 'Stingrays' for small-craft duties, as well as two Delta-80 LCUs
Landing Craft Utility
The Landing Craft Utility is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers....
for limited amphibious use.
Operational history
Since its commissioning in November 1987, the Drakensberg has built up a record of being the most travelled ship currently in SAN service. This began fairly early: Barely a year after its commissioning, it set sail along with the SAS Frans Erasmus for Chile on 15 February 1988, returning to South Africa on 15 April. This was followed two years later in May 1990, when the Drakensberg accompanied the strike craft SAS Jan Smuts and Hendrik Mentz on an epic voyage to KeelungKeelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
in the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan), without stopping at any ports along the way (a procedure necessitated by South Africa's political isolation at the time). This was the first time since 1945 that a South African naval vessel had "shown the flag" in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
; it also provided an opportunity for joint exercises with the Taiwanese Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
.
Under Operation Pullen in 1990, the Drakensberg became the first South African naval vessel to visit the then-Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
in over 30 years, laying the groundwork for a series of additional visits to African nations, signifying South Africa's gradual return from isolation. The next year, it set sail on a humanitarian relief mission, offloading 630 tons of supplies in Chittagong, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and 35 tons of supplies in Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In 1992, it became the first SAN vessel to proceed further south than 54 degrees south
54th parallel south
The 54th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 54 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
latitude, in a mission to assist the damaged SA Agulhas
SA Agulhas
The SA Agulhas is an ice-strengthened research vessel. She was built in 1977, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Shimonoseki, Japan. The SA Agulhas is South Africa's polar research vessel...
.
The Drakensberg's greatest voyage, arguably, was Operation Narsau in May 1994, following South Africa's first fully democratic elections and the election of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
. In three months, it visited Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
, Bioko Island and Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
in the process becoming the first SAN vessel to visit Denmark and Belgium. While not quite living up to the high standards set by the 1994 voyage, the 1995 voyage to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
is also notable for its diversity in destinations.
In 1996, the Drakensberg became the first SAN vessel in over 20 years to visit the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, when it called at the ports of Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which followed a naval exercise with over 25 other vessels at the US Navy's base at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. During a time of increased budget cuts, it would be three years until it embarked on another long-range voyage, this time to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
to partake in the Atlasur IV naval manoeuvres.
In 2006, the Drakensberg was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by President Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
to collect a giant rotor to replace the damaged rotor at Koeberg nuclear power station
Koeberg nuclear power station
Koeberg nuclear power station is the only nuclear power station in South Africa and the entire African continent. It is located 30 km north of Cape Town, near Melkbosstrand on the west coast of South Africa. Koeberg is owned and operated by the country's only national electricity supplier, Eskom...
. The rotor was offloaded at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape 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...
harbour just after 16:00 on 6 April 2006.
In 2011, the Drakensberg was sent to West Africa, officially for training purposes. The deployment drew criticism from ECOWAS, who claimed that the deployment was related to ongoing conflict in Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
.