The SA Navy has received the first of four corvettes ordered for it by government in 1999.
DEfence Systems Daily, the Internet defence publication, on Monday reported that SAS Amatola, the first of four Meko A-200 corvettes being built in Germany for South Africa, was officially handed over to the SAN during a ceremony last week on Thursday at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg.
Herbert von Nitzsch, Blohm + Voss GmbH chief executive, Rear Admiral JEG Kamerman, the SAN project director and Fritz Nortje, Armscor’s programme manager, signed the handing over document.
The Amatola will leave the Blohm + Voss yard for South Africa on Thursday.
The corvette will be fitted out with weapons and electronic systems at Simon’s Town by a consortium consisting of Thales Navales France and African Defence Systems.
The International European South African Corvette Consortium was awarded the four ship contract in 1999.
The German part of the consortium consists of Blohm + Voss GmbH as lead yard, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG and Thyssen Rheinstahl Technik GmbH.
The third of the series of four corvettes, the SAS Spioenkop, is at present under construction at Blohm + Voss GmbH and will be handed over to the South African Navy in March 2004.
The second corvette, the SAS Isandlwana, as well as the fourth unit, SAS Mendi, are being built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel. – Sapa