Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems, South Africa, On February 16, 2006, the first MEKO A-200 SAN corvette for the South African Navy, the SAS Amatola, was ceremonially commissioned.
In the presence of numerous guests of honour, among them Mrs. Zanele Mbeki – sponsor of the vessel and wife of the South African President – Dr. Klaus Borgschulte, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, acknowledged the commitment of the South African government to the renewal of both the technical features and the staff of the naval forces of the country.
The SAS Amatola is the first of a series of four corvettes built by the ThyssenKrupp Marine System yards in Hamburg (Blohm + Voss) and Kiel (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft) for the South African Navy. In September 2003, the SAS Amatola was transferred to South Africa to be outfitted with weapons and electronic systems. She was followed by the SAS Isandlwana in December 2003, the SAS Spioenkop in March 2004 and, finally, the SAS Mendi in June 2004.
All four corvettes have been or are being fitted out in Simonstown with weapons and electronic systems by a consortium composed of African Defence Systems and Thales Naval France.
Besides unique stealth characteristics, the MEKO A-200 corvettes are the first vessels world-wide with a waterjet drive in addition to refined propellers. Furthermore, infrared signatures have been considerably reduced and the exhaust escapes just above the waterline after having been cooled down in a special way so that funnels are not required any more.
The corvettes have been designed to meet the special requirements of the South African Navy and are able to fulfil various different defence, environmental protection and fishery and economic zone protection tasks. In addition, the corvettes are equipped for operation within international task forces with peacekeeping and disaster control missions.
The comprehensive modernization programme of the South African Navy comprises, in addition to the three MEKO A-200 corvettes, three 209/1400 mod. submarines being built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel and Nordseewerke in Emden.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems
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