South Africa and the United Kingdom, via the hydrographic offices of their respective navies, furthered a longstanding relationship with the signing of an implementation agreement during an official visit to South Africa.
The arrangement will, according to Chief Petty Officer Nkululeko Zulu of the SA Navy Public Relations Department, strengthen the Royal Navy (RN)/SA Navy (SAN) partnership as hydrographic services worldwide move to digitise products and services to boost navigation and maritime safety.
The MoU was cemented in March when the UK Hydrographer, Rear Admiral Angus Essenhigh, came to SAN fleet headquarters in Simon’s Town and the SAN Hydrographic Office (SANHO) at Silvermine. First stop on the RN admiral’s itinerary, on 12 March, was a courtesy call on SAN Flag Officer Fleet (FOF), Rear Admiral Handsome Matsane. Essenhigh and his party were accompanied by SAN Hydrographer, Captain (SAN) Nicolette le Roux. The exchange of views was followed by a visit to the SA Navy’s hydrographic survey vessel SAS Protea (A324), set to be replaced by SAS Nelson Mandela (A187), currently under construction at Sandock Austral Shipyards in Durban.
An Implementation Arrangement was signed on 13 March between the South African Navy Hydrographic Office and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, paving the way for greater collaboration on the development and implementation of the next generation of navigational services.
“As the International Maritime Organisations begin to adopt the second generation of digital products and services from the International Hydrographic Organisation, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence requested a meeting between the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and South African Navy Hydrographic Office to strengthen the partnership and address a significant digital shift,” Zulu explained.
Established in 1955, the SAN Hydrographic Office has supported safer navigation at sea, contributing substantially to maritime safety. The Office is acknowledged as a centre of hydrographic excellence in Africa by the international hydrographic community through its proven professional conduct, products, innovation and service. A further indication of the esteem South African hydrography is held in came in 2017 when immediate past SAN hydrographer, Captain (SAN) Abri Kampfer, was elected first director of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO).
The SA Navy’s hydrographic capabilities will be boosted by the eventual delivery of the SAS Nelson Mandela, which is being acquired from Sandock Austral Shipyards under Project Hotel. Awarded in December 2017, the project to replace the ageing SAS Protea has seen initial delivery date slip from 2022 due to issues including the Covid-19 pandemic, riots and floods. Construction of the new hydrographic survey vessel is still nearing completion.
Construction of the SAS Nelson Mandela, to the Vard Marine 9 105 design, is the major component of Project Hotel, along with acquisition of three survey motorboats, a sea boat and an upgrade to the SAN Hydrographic Office at Silvermine. The new hydrographic vessel and auxiliaries, including the shore-based component, is costed at R2.7 billion.
The 95 metre long SAS Nelson Mandela will, when complete, have a strengthened bow with a view to operations in the Southern Ocean, a range of 10 000 nautical miles and an 18 knot top speed. Advanced survey equipment aboard will include multi and single beam echo-sounders, a side-scan sonar and seabed sampler to recover seafloor material and underlying sub-strata for detailed analytical and testing purposes.
