|
Piracy: SA Navy to Return to Mozambique Channel |
| Publication |
Ports & Ships Maritime News |
| Date | 2012-11-13 |
| Reporter | Terry Hutson |
| Web Link | www.ports.co.za |
The South African Navy is to return to active
anti-piracy patrols in the Mozambique Channel,
after having taken part in recent naval
exercises involving ships of the Indian, South
Africa, Brazilian, Uruguayan and Argentine
Navies.
The combat support vessel SAS
is to return for her second deployment this year
and will be based in the northern Mozambique
port of Pemba. It can be assumed that the South
African Air Force will station reconnaissance
aircraft back at Pemba in support of the
mission. The aircraft were withdrawn earlier
this year after the failure of the navy to place
a ship on patrol.
In August the frigate SAS Amatola aborted
her planned deployment to the naval base at
Pemba after she developed engine troubles in her
remaining diesel engine – the other having been
out of commission for some time. Within days of
leaving Durban the Amatola was seen arriving
back off the port before heading south for her
home base in Simon's Town. It is understood that
the ship returned
using her gas turbine-driven waterjet
propulsion*2.
The problems with the frigates' engines are not
new. In November 2010 Rear-Admiral Bernhard
Teuteberg, the
navy's chief director: maritime strategy told
members of Parliament's defence portfolio
committee that the starboard propulsion
unit on one of the frigates (SAS Amatola) was
"broken". He said that an investigation had
discovered a
shortcoming on an underwater exhaust valve
and referred to it as a
design fault
peculiar to the sea conditions *1 in
which the SA Navy operates.
"It happened when the vessel was rolling
excessively and therefore the pressure changed
as the exhaust went down," he said. The admiral
explained that there was water ingress to the
engine which damaged the crankshaft.
This led to an investigation of the navy's three
other frigates but despite precautionary
measures similar problems have occurred on at
least two other ships.
Both of SAS Mendi's
engines are said to be out of commission.
Following the recent abandoned attempt to
reach Pemba SAS Amatola received repairs that
enabled her to take a full part in the two naval
exercises with visiting foreign navies. The ship
is due to have at least one of her troublesome
engines replaced during her major refit at
Simon's Town.
The problem isn't unique to this one ship and
a total of four
replacement diesel engines are on order for the
frigate fleet *1.
With acknowledgement to Terry Hutson and Ports & Ships Maritime News.
*1
But he does not always tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth.
In any case, at the very best, the great
Kamerman-Klass Korvetten (KKK) has a very
serious design fault.
The southern oceans always cause a starboard
engine to go broke?
Shit design, German shit for brains.
*2
Shit design, German shit for brains.
An engine/exhaust design fault causes R12
billion worth of the most modern stealth
frigates in the world (albeit with no ASW
capability and 70 km anti-ship missile) to be
inoperable!?
The newest SAN frigate, SAS Mendi, taken into
service only about 5 years ago, is sitting
alongside in DED state (Dock Essential Defects).
It's been there since February this year and is
likely to be there for another year or two.
None of the 4 frigates are properly operational.
But my theory is different.
I believe that the diesel engines that the
German selected are only just powerful enough to
make the frigates pass trials, i.e. just make
specified top speed in benign sea conditions. In
typical sea conditions, like "racing" up to
station at Pemba or wherever, or using one
engine instead of two to save fuel, the engines
are under stress. This either causes reduced
engine life or causes breakdown.
I say this because engines of other small naval
vessels of other navies, but the same
manufacturer and not the same shipyard, have
suffered similar failures.
It it logical that the shipyard, especially one
all of being pressed for price, in the process
of going bankrupt and having offered and paid
bribes to win the contract in the first place,
will select the smallest and cheapest engines
that will pass sea trials.
Such a shipyard is Blohm+Voss GmbH, a subsidiary
of Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems.
Concurrent Quiz for the Week
Which juristic person(s) is/are the previous
employer(s) of natural persons Sven Muller,
Jurgen Koopman, Christoph Hoenings, Klaus-J
Muller and current employer of natural person
Jonathan Edwin Gold Kamerman?
2nd Concurrent Quiz for the Week
Who (juristic and or natural person) paid
and who received the DM2,5 million to halt the
selection of the KKK from the Spanish Bazan 590B
to give the German Blohm+Voss MEKO 200AS a
second and winning bite at the cherry?
What year was this?
Yes, 120 green kiloWatthours up for grabs this
week.
If you reject both my energy prize and wildlife
donation, I can offer a seat at the Seriti
Commission (S&T excluding unless in bona fide
home town).
Yes, it's that seat called the witness box.