South African Navy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South African Navy
The flag of the South African Navy
Active	1861 – present
Country	South Africa
Type	Navy
Size	6,104 (Active) 1,000 (Reserve)
Part of	South African National Defence Force
Garrison/HQ	Saldanha Bay, Simon's Town, Durban
Colors	Green and White
Commanders
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs	Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Chief of the Navy	Vice Admiral Refiloe Mudimu
Master at Arms of the Navy	Senior Chief Warrant Officer Pragasen Moodley
Notable commanders	ADM Hugo Biermann

The South African Navy is the navy of the South African National Defence Force. The role of the South African Navy is to conduct naval operations in defence of the Republic of South Africa.

The current organisation of the South African Navy dates back to 1 April 1922, when the South African Naval Service (SANS) was created. (However, colonial naval volunteer units date back as far as 1861.) The South African Naval Service was later expanded and renamed to the South African Naval Forces (SANF). In 1951, the South African Naval Forces was renamed to the South African Navy and the ship title HMSAS (His Majesty's South African Ship) was changed to SAS (South African Ship) one year later.

Strength

The South African Navy has a strength of 6,104 active military personnel. The navy is divided into a Combat Fleet and a Support Fleet. The Combat Fleet is made up of five Valour-class frigates, three Heroine-class submarines, three Warrior-class patrol vessels, three T-class patrol vessels, three River-class mine countermeasures vessels, and twenty-one Namacurra-class harbour patrol boats. The Support Fleet is made up of one replenishment vessel, one Hecla-class survey vessel, and three tugboats. The navy also includes an infantry-trained special forces unit called the Maritime Reaction Squadron (MRS).

Images for kids

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  Simon’s Town.

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  SAS Isandlwana docked at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

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  A view of Simon's Town and the naval base