The clouds gathered, the heavens opened and it poured. Some among the crowd
said : " Icamagu livumile" (The heavens agree) just hours before the arrival of
the last of the three arms deal submarines last week, which has been named after
the rain queen the Queen Modjadji at the naval base in Simon's Town. The SAS
Modjadji was welcomed on Thursday.
The navy has called the occasion of the arrival Operation Siphelele (We are all
here) as it signals the end of the acquisition programme that was initiated by
the 1996 defence review process under the presidency of Nelson Mandela.
Among other acquisition programmes in the controversial multibillion rand arms
deal that bedevils the African National Congress,
and especially Thabo Mbeki's presidency, the process recommended that the navy
be re-equipped with four frigates armed with helicopters and three submarines.
There is still an option for a fifth frigate and a fourth submarine.
R-Adm Hanno Teuteberg, director of fleet force preparation, says the navy has
decided to no longer utilise the option for a fourth submarine because the three
that have been bought have proved to be adequate.
The new submarines can spend longer at sea than the older ones. They can spend
up to 10 months a year operating before coming in for maintenance, compared with
the old ones, which worked for three months and required a two-month maintenance
period.
"What we thought we could do with four submarines, have been met by these
three," Teuteberg says.
However, he is mum about the option of motivating for the fifth frigate at
least for the near future amid speculation that this would remain the navy's
trump card should anything unfortunate happen to any of the newly acquired
vessels.
The navy needs the weaponry to ensure the protection of
maritime trade coming through the ports *1.
It has the ability to command and control the country's sea posts through proper
surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence to ensure quality antismuggling
and antipiracy operations, and to support fishery patrols.
With the submarines, it has the capability to conduct
search and rescue operations on the rough seas *2 surrounding SA and
engage in antisubmarine warfare or defence.
Teuteberg says that by 2010 the navy alone will have done sufficient training
and preparation for a wide range of operations. This will be a substantial
complementary factor to other national security initiatives by the South African
Police Service and South African National Defence Force (SANDF). He says that
this is a huge deterrent to individuals and organisations
that might target SA during the 2010 Soccer World Cup *3.
"We are extremely happy that our strategic acquisition programme has been
completed," Teuteberg says.
The navy has also timed the arrival of the SAS Queen Modjadji, which left
Germany for Spain on April 2 at high speed *4, as
part of testing for any major defects. Leaving Spain on April 22 and heading to
SA mostly submerged *5, this also ensured that it
was further tested rigorously, says Teuteberg.
The submarine has a 45-member crew that left SA in January for training in
Germany.
Teuteberg says that the crew symbolises the levels of transformation in the
navy, as among them is submarine Com Warren Souma, who is the first South
African to work his way up through the ranks to command a submarine.
He is also the first to have a highly trained woman
crew member, petty officer Candice Chetty, who serves as
chef *6.
There is also Lt-Com Thamsanqa Matsane from Bushbuckridge in Limpopo, who has a
three-year military degree from the military academy, Saldanha. Matsane will sit
for a board examination in order to qualify as a submarine officer.
Asked about the navy's role in the region, Teuteberg says most operations
complemented or acted within the broader security objectives of both the African
Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
"We do a lot of co-operation with our SADC neighbours in particular, where we
engage in joint exercises and training."
He said that SA's ability to monitor and safeguard its coastal borders was
dependent on its neighbours' competencies and skills to do the same.
"An unchecked oil spill *7 in Mozambique is more
than likely to end up on the Durban beaches and therefore we must co-operate
with our neighbours if we want to keep our shores safe," Teuteberg says.
The end of the acquisition process also seals the debate
*8 of whether or not SA should have spent billions of rands buying the
arms when the country is not facing any immediate foreign threat.
The deed has been done and the focus must be on proper
oversight through Parliament, so that the defence force can
perform its duties *.
With acknowledgements to Hopewell Radebe
and Business
Day.
*1Now this is a good start to defining the requirement.
*2And this is a particularly bad follow-up in defining
secondary missions for a coastal submarine.
Just how does one evacuate a surface vessel and board a submarine in rough seas.
Maybe the author misheard the admiral and meant frigate.
*3Knock me down with an albatross feather : four frigates
and three coastal submarines to provide protection for the 2010 Soccer World
Cup.
*4Rubbish : the vessel travelled mostly at low speed -
partly due to the cost of diesel, the consumption of which increases at higher
speed.
*5Rubbish : the vessel travelled mostly on the surface - as
this is the requirement of international maritime law.
*6All warships require a highly trained chef.
*7And a frigate or submarine can detect an oil spill , let
alone do something about it?
This is something for a maritime patrol aircraft for detection and an
anti-pollution vessel for control.
*8Not quite - the debate is only just beginning with the
bullshitting of the SA Navy on behalf of the Department of Defence and SA
Government.
The court of enquiry hasn't even started sitting on exactly why the SA Navy
needed three coastal submarines at a cost of R9 billion (2008 Rands) and exactly
why Thabo et cie decided to swing the deal to Ferrostaal at the final hour.
*9While the submarines need sea time for proper training
and preparedness, inventing nonsensical threats and tasks which consume
taxpayers' money and the life of the vessels, is not a proper duty.
It is far better to re-affirm the military asset's primary and secondary
missions and then to conduct training and exercises in direct support of those
tasks.
Otherwise it's back to those bad ole bad ole days of boy-men and men-boys
playing soldiers.