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SA Navy Pledges Its Readiness to Patrol Africa |
| Publication |
Cape Argus |
| Date | 2008-10-06 |
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Web Link |
South Africa's navy is more than prepared and ready to defend the seas
of Africa.
This was revealed in Cape Town on Sunday by senior South African naval officers
during a visit to South Africa by their US counterparts.
"The navy will do everything in its powers to defend the waters of Africa," said
Admiral Rusty Higgs, Flag Officer Fleet of the South African Navy.
Higgs was responding to questions over whether the South African navy would take
part in anti-piracy operations with US naval forces during a Press conference
onboard the US missile cruiser, USS Monterey.
The USS Monterey is part of the US Naval Carrier Task Force assigned to the
nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt. The USS Theodore
Roosevelt stopped in Table Bay last week and is due to leave for the east coast
of Africa tomorrow.
The rest of her carrier group, which includes two submarine destroyers and
missile cruisers are believed to have already joined other US naval vessels off
the coast of Somalia where they are monitoring a Ukranian ship which was
hijacked by pirates two weeks ago.
The ship and its crew of 20 were transporting 30 T72 tanks when it was attacked.
According to the US navy more than 20 000 ships sail through Somalia's waters
every year.
Higgs said the navy's war fighting capabilities had shown that South Africa
could and would, when required, be able to play a significant role in such
operations.
"These roles could, among other things, include the escorting of ships through
dangerous waters.
"Our force preparation has prepared us to be deployed
whenever and wherever we are needed *1.
"We are more than ready for any task and are able, by world naval
standards, to achieve the objectives," he said.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Monterey will be sailing with several
South African naval ships up the country's east coast where they will be
conducting various exercises. It is believed that these exercises will include
possible war simulations.
Higgs along with Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, Commander US Naval Forces Europe,
under whose domain Africa falls, said such exercises were vital for navies.
Fitzgerald said South Africa, especially, was an important ally to the US
because of the country's involvement in Africa.
"Our goal is to strengthen Africa's maritime capabilities against global threats
such as piracy, illegal fishing, which is seeing Africa lose near a $1-billion
(about R8,4-billion) a year through drug smuggling, human trafficking and oil
bunkering (the theft of oil)," he said.
More than 18 percent of US's oil supplies come from Nigeria. Fitzgerald said
such visits and exercises strengthened navies' relationships.
Agreeing, Higgs said more than 50 percent of South Africa's trade relied on the
sea, which meant the country had to play a role beyond its borders.
He said South Africa's relationship with the US allowed the navy to "hone" its
skills so when the "chips are down in the future we can achieve our objectives
together".
Questioned on anti-piracy operations, Fitzgerald declined to say what future
operations would take place against pirates, especially in Somalia, except to
say they knew where their land bases were *2.