Valour class frigate
Encyclopedia
The South Africa
n Valour class frigates are the major surface ships of the South African Navy
. Their German
manufacturer designates these warships as the MEKO A-200SAN class, member of its MEKO
family of naval ships. They were designed and built using principles of stealthy
design, including the extensive use of "X-form" structure design in which right angles and vertical surfaces are avoided, and techniques to reduce the infrared
signature, such as expelling her exhaust fumes just above the waterline. Blohm + Voss
, the designers, claim that this class has the radar signature of a vessel one-half her size, 75% less infrared
emissions than previous designs, as well as a 20% lower life-cycle cost, 25% lower displacement, and 30% fewer crewmen.
from France was stopped at the last minute in 1977 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 418
; one of its three "Type 12" (Rothesay-class
) anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates, the SAS President Kruger, was lost in an accident in 1982, while the last, the SAS President Pretorius (F145), was decommissioned in 1986 due to obsolescence.
Project Sitron was part of the Strategic Defence Package signed on December 3, 1999 with the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC). The contracts became effective on April 28, 2000. The Amatola arrived in South African waters in November 2004, the Isandhlwana in February 2005, the Spioenkop in May and the Mendi in September 2005.
The Meko ships of the South African Navy are collectively called the “Valour” class, and each commemorates an incident of conspicuous bravery. "The symbolism, however, is not in the battle itself, and who the victors were, but the extreme valour shown by the forces involved — both the victors and the defeated", navy spokesman Commander Brian Stockton said in 2004. The Amatola is named for the redoubt of the famed Xhosa chief Sandile, who fought British colonial expansion in the 19th Century, and SAS Isandhlwana, named after the hill dominating the site of one of the most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. Spioenkop is named for the January 1900 battle
between Boer and British forces for the possession of the hill on the banks of the Thukela (Tugela) River
in now KwaZulu-Natal. Spioenkop hill marks the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1899–1902 Anglo Boer War.
There is a progression in the names and the fourth warship, therefore, takes its name from a naval incident in World War I
– but unlike the others, her name commemorates not a battle, but valour during a maritime disaster. The 4230-gross-ton (GRT) passenger ship SS Mendi
was ferrying the mostly-Pondo 5th Battalion, SA Native Labour Corps (SANLC) from Britain to France when the steamer collided with the 11,000 GRT liner SS Darro during the early hours of February 21, 1917. Described as South Africa's worst naval disaster, 607 members of the SANLC, nine of their white countrymen and 33 British sailors died when the troopship sank eleven miles off St Catherine's Light in the English Channel. The Rev. Isaac Wauchope Dyobha led the doomed men in song and dance as their ship went down. On her way home from Germany, the SAS Mendi, with , laid a wreath at the coordinates of the disaster on August 23, 2004.
These frigates were built by the Blohm + Voss
shipyards in Germany, two in Hamburg
, and the other two in Kiel
.
helicopters, which will significantly improve and extend its surveillance, operational and sea rescue capabilities. They are be capable of day or night operations in conditions up to Sea State 6[7].
Routine tasks will include:
Peace and civil support missions could include:
Typical wartime duties could include:
and infrared
detection. In addition to these features, the Meko A-200SAN class is distinctive with a very new propulsion system which is composed by a water-jet drive, in addition to two propellers. Its CODAG-WARP system (COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine-WAter jet and Refined Propellers) consist of a steerable propeller and a water jet. The power is provided by a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines. The propulsion plant can be operated in four modes:
These frigates are expected to spend about 80% of their at-sea time in modes I and II.
The ship's steering gear consists of a steering unit and twin semi-balanced underhung rudders. There is an emergency steering station in the superstructure in the event of damage to the bridge and they can also be operated by hand from the steering gear compartment. To improve the ship's performance in a seaway, they are fitted with a B+V Simplex Compact stabiliser system.
This class of warship has seven independent Noske Kaeser air-conditioning plants allowing the ship to operate at a preset temperature and moisture level in ocean water ranging between 4 °C and 30 °C, and the air temperature between −4 °C and 32 °C. This also keeps the air pressure in the citadel five millibars higher than on the outside to prevent the drawing in of RBC (radioactive, biological, or chemical) contamination. These ships are also fitted with Sulzer und Weise seawater fire-fighting pumps and sprinkler systems. These are also ready to wet down the warship's ammunition magazines. In addition, a CO2 fire-extinguishing system protects the gas turbine and diesel engineering areas. The galleys are fitted with an ANSUL system and the flight deck and hangar with a Noske Kaeser Hy FEx foam fire extinguishing system. Two Pall Rochem reverse-osmosis plants generate 15 cubic meters of fresh water each every 24 hours. This water is provided to the galleys, messes, and drinking water supplies, and it is also used for cooling the guns, the air-conditioners, and the engine room, in addition for washing the helicopters. Water pumped to the guns, sensors, and air-conditioners is chilled by two Noske Kaeser refrigerators. An oil-fired hot-water boiler, made by the same company, provides the ship's heating, whereas the hot water for the galley and messes comes from a 600 liter, 45 kilowatt electric geyser.
This class of warship is conspicuous for a lack of any funnels. To add to their stealth characteristics, the exhaust fumes from the Meko A200's gas turbines and diesel engine
s are cooled by spraying water into the exhaust duct and then expelled just above the ship's waterline, making the frigate almost invisible to most infrared detectors. In 2004, the project officer Rear Admiral (J.G.) Johnny Kamerman explained that the ships’ design features incorporated stealth characteristics that gave the Valour-class very low radar, acoustic, and magnetic signatures. "It is the first major warship in the world with a horizontal exhaust and water jet propulsion, and has an X-form outer hull," he said. Its manufacturers added that the design has the radar cross-section of a missile patrol boat, a 75% lower infrared signature than previous designs, as well as a 20% lower life-cycle cost, 25% less displacement and 30% fewer crewmen. The lack of funnels also frees up desirable room amidships for armaments, crew quarters, and store rooms.
This class's combat-management system (CMS), which apparently accounts for about 40 percent of each warship's cost, was purchased from the Thales Detexis company. The Tavitac system is also fitted to the French Navy
's La Fayette-class
frigates, and updated versions are aboard the Saudi Arabia
n F3000-class air-defence frigates, and the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Charles de Gaulle. Kamerman said that he was very proud of the ships' combat system and the South African ingenuity that went into their design. "Seventy-five percent of the combat suite is home-grown. It's the largest local-content percentage of all the defence packages. The local content makes testing and integration so much easier. The foreign stuff must be done in a tight time-frame and flying their experts here is expensive. The guys who built our radars are just 40 km away in Stellenbosch," Kamerman said of Reutech Radar Systems, one of the contractors. Local content also speeded up repair and maintenance. "It is local support in-country, not a local capacity created artificially or a bunch of foreigners flown in."
The acquisition contract also included a comprehensive logistics package, accounting for 7.5 percent of the order volume. The package includes adequate and prompt spare parts supply, documentation and training. Also included was a computer-based "Naval Logistic Management System" that controls the on-board maintenance planning and execution by automatically generating weekly check-lists and repair schedules.
Replenishment at sea can take place over the bow, over the stern, or amidship. Liquid and dry goods as well as passengers weighing up to 250 kilograms can be transferred this way. Vertical replenishment via helicopters can take place over the helideck and/or the foredeck.
Kamerman said that these ships were designed to "take punishment" and that they were designed for inherent growth. They have spaces with all the necessary fittings for rapid fitting of additional equipment without needing modifications. This means that the frigates could increase their surface-to-air missile
capabilities from 16 launch cells up to 32 launch cells in a relatively few hours. It is expected that this class of frigates will be substantially upgraded over the warships’ 30 to 40 year operational lifetimes. Kamerman has said that the ships had plenty of space to accommodate new equipment and new weapons, and that they were designed to allow for easy removal of outdated equipment through readily-accessible hatches.
helicopters (for up to sea state six day and night operations); or one Westland Super Lynx
helicopter plus two UAV
s; or one Atlas Oryx
(for up to sea state five day or night operations); or one Rooivalk (for up to sea state five day or night operation).
platform.
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...
n Valour class frigates are the major surface ships 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....
. Their German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer designates these warships as the MEKO A-200SAN class, member of its MEKO
MEKO
The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
family of naval ships. They were designed and built using principles of stealthy
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
design, including the extensive use of "X-form" structure design in which right angles and vertical surfaces are avoided, and techniques to reduce the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
signature, such as expelling her exhaust fumes just above the waterline. Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
, the designers, claim that this class has the radar signature of a vessel one-half her size, 75% less infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
emissions than previous designs, as well as a 20% lower life-cycle cost, 25% lower displacement, and 30% fewer crewmen.
Ships of the class
| ship name | Builder | laid down | launched | delivered | in service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS Amatola (F145) SAS Amatola (F145) SAS Amatola is the first of four Valour class frigates for the South African Navy.-Construction:They were manufactured by the European South African Corvette Consortium , consisting of the German Frigate Consortium , African Defence Systems and a number of South... |
Blohm + Voss Blohm + Voss Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a... , Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
2 August 2001 | 6 June 2002 | 2003 | 2006 |
| SAS Isandlwana (F146) SAS Isandlwana (F146) SAS Isandlwana is the second of four Valour class frigates for the South African Navy.-Construction:They were manufactured by the European South African Corvette Consortium , consisting of the German Frigate Consortium , African Defence Systems and a number of... |
Howaldtswerke Howaldtswerke Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Kiel. In 2009 it was the largest shipyard in Germany and has more than 2,400 employees. It has been part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems owned by ThyssenKrupp, since 2005... , Kiel Kiel Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the... |
26 October 2001 | 5 December 2002 | 2004 | 2006 |
| SAS Spioenkop (F147) SAS Spioenkop (F147) SAS Spioenkop is the third of four Valour class frigates for the South African Navy.-Construction:They were manufactured by the European South African Corvette Consortium , consisting of the German Frigate Consortium , African Defence Systems and a... |
Blohm + Voss, Hamburg | 28 February 2002 | 2 August 2003 | 2004 | 2007 |
| SAS Mendi (F148) SAS Mendi (F148) SAS Mendi is the last of four Valour class frigates built for the South African Navy by the European South African Corvette Consortium and entered service in March 2007.-Construction:... |
Howaldtswerke, Kiel | 28 June 2002 | Oct 2003 | 2004 | 2007 |
History
For most of 1980s and 1990s, the South African Navy had no operational ships in this class. The purchase of SAS Good HopeARA Drummond (P-31)
ARA Drummond is the lead ship of the Drummond class of three corvettes of the Argentine Navy. She is the second vessel to be named after Navy Sgt Francisco Drummond.-Service history:...
from France was stopped at the last minute in 1977 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 418
United Nations Security Council Resolution 418
United Nations Security Council Resolution 418, adopted unanimously on 4 November 1977, imposed a mandatory arms embargo against apartheid South Africa. This resolution differed from the earlier Resolution 282, which was only voluntary...
; one of its three "Type 12" (Rothesay-class
Rothesay class frigate
The Rothesay class, or Type 12M frigates were a class of frigates serving with the Royal Navy, South African Navy and the New Zealand Navy....
) anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates, the SAS President Kruger, was lost in an accident in 1982, while the last, the SAS President Pretorius (F145), was decommissioned in 1986 due to obsolescence.
Project Sitron was part of the Strategic Defence Package signed on December 3, 1999 with the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC). The contracts became effective on April 28, 2000. The Amatola arrived in South African waters in November 2004, the Isandhlwana in February 2005, the Spioenkop in May and the Mendi in September 2005.
The Meko ships of the South African Navy are collectively called the “Valour” class, and each commemorates an incident of conspicuous bravery. "The symbolism, however, is not in the battle itself, and who the victors were, but the extreme valour shown by the forces involved — both the victors and the defeated", navy spokesman Commander Brian Stockton said in 2004. The Amatola is named for the redoubt of the famed Xhosa chief Sandile, who fought British colonial expansion in the 19th Century, and SAS Isandhlwana, named after the hill dominating the site of one of the most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. Spioenkop is named for the January 1900 battle
Battle of Spion Kop
The Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
between Boer and British forces for the possession of the hill on the banks of the Thukela (Tugela) River
Tugela River
The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The river originates in the Drakensberg Mountains, Mont-aux-Sources, and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls...
in now KwaZulu-Natal. Spioenkop hill marks the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1899–1902 Anglo Boer War.
There is a progression in the names and the fourth warship, therefore, takes its name from a naval incident in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
– but unlike the others, her name commemorates not a battle, but valour during a maritime disaster. The 4230-gross-ton (GRT) passenger ship SS Mendi
SS Mendi
SS Mendi was a steamship of the Elder Dempster Line, chartered by the British government as a troopship, which sank off the Isle of Wight in 1917 with the loss of 646 lives...
was ferrying the mostly-Pondo 5th Battalion, SA Native Labour Corps (SANLC) from Britain to France when the steamer collided with the 11,000 GRT liner SS Darro during the early hours of February 21, 1917. Described as South Africa's worst naval disaster, 607 members of the SANLC, nine of their white countrymen and 33 British sailors died when the troopship sank eleven miles off St Catherine's Light in the English Channel. The Rev. Isaac Wauchope Dyobha led the doomed men in song and dance as their ship went down. On her way home from Germany, the SAS Mendi, with , laid a wreath at the coordinates of the disaster on August 23, 2004.
These frigates were built by the Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
shipyards in Germany, two in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and the other two in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
.
Operation
Frigates are designed to be capable of conducting sustained operations at sea, and they are designed to negotiate sea conditions such as those found off the South African coast. These frigates are designed to carry up to two AgustaWestland SuperLynx 300Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopters, which will significantly improve and extend its surveillance, operational and sea rescue capabilities. They are be capable of day or night operations in conditions up to Sea State 6[7].
Routine tasks will include:
- Regular patrols for the protection of marine resources against poaching and pollution in the country's Economic Exclusion Zone
- Law enforcement at sea with respect to piracy and the smuggling of drugs, weapons and other contraband
Peace and civil support missions could include:
- Search and rescue (SAR) missions as far south as the Prince Edward island group
- Evacuating of civilians from coastal areas in times of emergency or crisis
- Providing gunfire and other support for land forces, as well as the transport of limited equipment and personnel in support of land action, especially during peacekeeping missions.
Typical wartime duties could include:
- Patrols
- Defensive sea surveillance
- Combat SAR
- Special operations
- Minelaying and other sea-denial missions
Design
The frigates were built to a modern stealth design to avoid enemy radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
detection. In addition to these features, the Meko A-200SAN class is distinctive with a very new propulsion system which is composed by a water-jet drive, in addition to two propellers. Its CODAG-WARP system (COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine-WAter jet and Refined Propellers) consist of a steerable propeller and a water jet. The power is provided by a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines. The propulsion plant can be operated in four modes:
- I – Economical mode: One diesel engine driving both shafts, maximum propeller speed: 150 rpm.
- II – Maneuvering mode: Both diesel enginess driving both shafts, maximum propeller speed: 200 rpm.
- III. CODAG-WARP: Both diesel engines and the gas turbines turned on, maximum propeller speed: 215 rpm.
- IV – Gas turbine only: Gas turbines powering water jet only.
These frigates are expected to spend about 80% of their at-sea time in modes I and II.
The ship's steering gear consists of a steering unit and twin semi-balanced underhung rudders. There is an emergency steering station in the superstructure in the event of damage to the bridge and they can also be operated by hand from the steering gear compartment. To improve the ship's performance in a seaway, they are fitted with a B+V Simplex Compact stabiliser system.
This class of warship has seven independent Noske Kaeser air-conditioning plants allowing the ship to operate at a preset temperature and moisture level in ocean water ranging between 4 °C and 30 °C, and the air temperature between −4 °C and 32 °C. This also keeps the air pressure in the citadel five millibars higher than on the outside to prevent the drawing in of RBC (radioactive, biological, or chemical) contamination. These ships are also fitted with Sulzer und Weise seawater fire-fighting pumps and sprinkler systems. These are also ready to wet down the warship's ammunition magazines. In addition, a CO2 fire-extinguishing system protects the gas turbine and diesel engineering areas. The galleys are fitted with an ANSUL system and the flight deck and hangar with a Noske Kaeser Hy FEx foam fire extinguishing system. Two Pall Rochem reverse-osmosis plants generate 15 cubic meters of fresh water each every 24 hours. This water is provided to the galleys, messes, and drinking water supplies, and it is also used for cooling the guns, the air-conditioners, and the engine room, in addition for washing the helicopters. Water pumped to the guns, sensors, and air-conditioners is chilled by two Noske Kaeser refrigerators. An oil-fired hot-water boiler, made by the same company, provides the ship's heating, whereas the hot water for the galley and messes comes from a 600 liter, 45 kilowatt electric geyser.
This class of warship is conspicuous for a lack of any funnels. To add to their stealth characteristics, the exhaust fumes from the Meko A200's gas turbines and diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s are cooled by spraying water into the exhaust duct and then expelled just above the ship's waterline, making the frigate almost invisible to most infrared detectors. In 2004, the project officer Rear Admiral (J.G.) Johnny Kamerman explained that the ships’ design features incorporated stealth characteristics that gave the Valour-class very low radar, acoustic, and magnetic signatures. "It is the first major warship in the world with a horizontal exhaust and water jet propulsion, and has an X-form outer hull," he said. Its manufacturers added that the design has the radar cross-section of a missile patrol boat, a 75% lower infrared signature than previous designs, as well as a 20% lower life-cycle cost, 25% less displacement and 30% fewer crewmen. The lack of funnels also frees up desirable room amidships for armaments, crew quarters, and store rooms.
This class's combat-management system (CMS), which apparently accounts for about 40 percent of each warship's cost, was purchased from the Thales Detexis company. The Tavitac system is also fitted to the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
's La Fayette-class
La Fayette class frigate
The La Fayette class units are light multi-mission frigates built by DCN and operated by French Marine Nationale...
frigates, and updated versions are aboard the Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n F3000-class air-defence frigates, and the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
Charles de Gaulle. Kamerman said that he was very proud of the ships' combat system and the South African ingenuity that went into their design. "Seventy-five percent of the combat suite is home-grown. It's the largest local-content percentage of all the defence packages. The local content makes testing and integration so much easier. The foreign stuff must be done in a tight time-frame and flying their experts here is expensive. The guys who built our radars are just 40 km away in Stellenbosch," Kamerman said of Reutech Radar Systems, one of the contractors. Local content also speeded up repair and maintenance. "It is local support in-country, not a local capacity created artificially or a bunch of foreigners flown in."
The acquisition contract also included a comprehensive logistics package, accounting for 7.5 percent of the order volume. The package includes adequate and prompt spare parts supply, documentation and training. Also included was a computer-based "Naval Logistic Management System" that controls the on-board maintenance planning and execution by automatically generating weekly check-lists and repair schedules.
Replenishment at sea can take place over the bow, over the stern, or amidship. Liquid and dry goods as well as passengers weighing up to 250 kilograms can be transferred this way. Vertical replenishment via helicopters can take place over the helideck and/or the foredeck.
Kamerman said that these ships were designed to "take punishment" and that they were designed for inherent growth. They have spaces with all the necessary fittings for rapid fitting of additional equipment without needing modifications. This means that the frigates could increase their surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
capabilities from 16 launch cells up to 32 launch cells in a relatively few hours. It is expected that this class of frigates will be substantially upgraded over the warships’ 30 to 40 year operational lifetimes. Kamerman has said that the ships had plenty of space to accommodate new equipment and new weapons, and that they were designed to allow for easy removal of outdated equipment through readily-accessible hatches.
Planned upgrades
- Autonomous underwater vehicleAutonomous Underwater VehicleAn autonomous underwater vehicle is a robot which travels underwater without requiring input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification that includes non-autonomous remotely operated underwater vehicles...
s: AUVs are expected to revolutionise undersea warfare the way UAVs have air warfare. It is anticipated each of the frigates and the multi-purpose hull vessels will carry an AUV for minehunting purposes, obviating the need for specialist vessels.
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Navy is following the ongoing development of rotor-propelled UAVs and plan to purchase some, to a scale of two per ship, when the technology matures.
- Land Attack Missiles: As of 2008 the class deliberately lacks a land-attack cruise missileCruise missileA cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
capability for political reasons: such weapons are seen by some as “too aggressive” and out of keeping with the Valour-class’s “defensive posture”. However, like its peers the SA Navy recognises the growing importance of fighting in the littoral battlespace and supporting land forces during war and peace operations. As a result, a land attack missile capability is likely to be added as funds become available and sensitivities are assuaged.
- Upgrading the Umkhonto missile: DenelDenelDenel Ltd is a South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate established in 1991. It was created when the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split off in order for Armscor to become the procurement agency for South African Defence Force , now known as the South...
is ready to further develop a version fitted with a radar seeker and a extra solid-fueled booster should a customer desire these upgrades. This would suggest the Umkhonto VLS (vertical launch system) can accommodate missiles capable of medium ranges and area defence (the current Umkhonto-IR is, by contrast, a short-range point-defencePoint-defencePoint-defence is the defence of a single object or a limited area, e.g. a ship, building or an airfield, now usually against air attacks and guided missiles...
system. It is not known if a higher speed version of the missile is to be developed. Tests in 2005 appeared to demonstrate the system's ability to defeat subsonic targets. However, several navies and air forces already have supersonic anti-ship missiles. How Umkhonto will deal with these is not known in the public domain.
- A new main gun: The Otobreda 76 mmOtobreda 76 mmThe Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
(3-inch) caliber naval gun that is fitted to this class is an interim cost-saving measure. Senior naval officials are well aware this naval gun is too small to effectively support forces ashore. In the intermediate term, a navalised version of either the 105 mm Denel G7 gun or the 155 mm Denel G6 gun is considered to be a good choice because of their longer range and the already-existing variety of land-attack munitions for both calibers. The South African Navy was impressed by the testing of a German 155 mm PzH2000 gun turret in December 2002 aboard the German NavyGerman NavyThe German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
frigate Hamburg, replacing the 76 mm naval gun and a later test aboard the German frigate Hessen. In January 2006, the Jane's International Defence ReviewJane's International Defence ReviewJane's International Defence Review is a monthly magazine reporting on military news and technology.The IDR is one of a number of military-related publications named after Fred T. Jane, an Englishman who first published Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898. It is a unit of Jane's...
reported that the "development" of the MONARC (modular naval artillery concept) naval 155-millimeter gun turret has been expedited following what the contractor Rheinmetall described as the turret's "tentative pre-selection" as part of the armament solution for the German Navy's future F125 class frigateF125 class frigateF125 is the project name for the Type 125 Baden-Württemberg class of frigates, currently in development for the German Navy by ARGE F125, a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen...
development program.
Aircraft
The hangar and flight-deck design enables a wide range of helicopter options to fit requirements such as: two Westland Super LynxWestland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopters (for up to sea state six day and night operations); or one Westland Super Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopter plus two UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s; or one Atlas Oryx
Atlas Oryx
The Atlas Oryx is a medium-sized utility helicopter manufactured by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa.-Design and development:...
(for up to sea state five day or night operations); or one Rooivalk (for up to sea state five day or night operation).
Additional units
Under an initial deal in 1999, the South African Navy (SAN) was to receive five units of the class. However, budgetary constraints limited the initial purchase to the four units that have been delivered thus far. The final acquisition has been canceled in favour of an amphibious transport dockAmphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
platform.