The South African Navy has named the second (2nd) of three multi-mission inshore patrol vessels (MMIPVs) in Durban harbor.
During the ceremony, the vessel was officially named SAS King Shaka Zulu . Named for the great Zulu King the vessel was built entirely in South Africa at Damen Shipyards Cape Town.
It was designed to deliver rapid response capabilities along South Africa’s extensive 2,798-kilometre coastline and it is poised to play a pivotal role in safeguarding national waters, according to the navy.
The vessels feature Sea Axe hull design, patented by Damen. They are equipped with advanced military equipment to bolster the navy’s ability to respond effectively and swiftly to threats such as piracy, illegal fishing, and smuggling operations.
“I must congratulate Damen Shipyards Cape Town, Armscor, the Defence Materiel Division and the SA Navy who all formed part of the Integrated Project Team for their absolutely sterling work of building these ships on time, in budget and to specification. This was indeed a monumental task and serves as a testament to the willingness of various companies and organisations to come together to produce something that will benefit the people of South African for many years,” Vice Admiral Monde Lobese said.
“South Africa must continue to prioritise supporting local vessel suppliers because this creates jobs and develops transferrable skills which are in demand and can be used in other industries. New technologies are developed, opportunities from abroad are facilitated, and a base for growing exports is created and taken advantage of. As a result of our work on the MMIPV project, DSCT has exported vessels built here and equipped with South African products to Djibouti and UAE,” Sefale Montsi , Director of Damen Shipyards Cape Town, stated.