South African Navy frigate SAS Amatola is due to depart on the first South African Navy foreign deployment in a decade on Sunday 25 January, when she sails for India to take part in a series of high-profile events hosted by the Indian Navy. These include the International Fleet Review (IFR) and the MILAN multinational naval exercise.
All events will take place in Visakhapatnam, India’s eastern maritime gateway and home to the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command.
Held every ten years, the Indian Navy is set to host its International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam on 18 February 2026, showcasing the rapid expansion and modernisation of India’s naval capabilities. Among the highlights will be INS Vikrant, India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier. Indian Navy vessels will be joined by ships from more than 100 participating nations, deploying warships, submarines, aircraft and senior-level delegations.
Complementing the IFR, a multilateral naval exercise and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs will take place concurrently, fostering what the Indian Navy describes as deeper strategic dialogue and operational synergy.
An International Maritime Seminar will be held on 19 February 2026, followed by the IONS Conclave of Chiefs on 20 February. Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the South African Navy, is expected to attend. During the Conclave, at which the Indian Navy will assume the IONS chairmanship for the second time, naval chiefs from 25 member states, nine observer nations and invited partners will deliberate on maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and information sharing.
Exercise MILAN 2026 is the 13th edition of the Indian Navy’s flagship biennial multilateral naval exercise, which will comprise Harbour and Sea phases, focusing on interoperability, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and search-and-rescue operations. The exercise will simulate hybrid threat environments, blending kinetic operations with cyber and information warfare, enabling participating navies to translate diplomatic engagement into tangible operational cohesion.
Emerging technologies, including unmanned drones, autonomous vessels and AI-driven maritime domain awareness platforms, will feature prominently, alongside discussions on standards and governance to ensure seamless integration. Capacity-building for smaller navies and coast guards forms another key pillar, with initiatives centred on shared logistics, joint training and “technology transfers to fortify regional resilience”. HADR operations will also be simulated, reflecting the Indian Navy’s mandate to safeguard civilian lives and livelihoods during crises.
The MILAN Harbour Phase will take place from 19 to 20 February, followed by the Sea Phase from 21 to 25 February. South African sailors will also participate in the International City Parade, marching along Visakhapatnam’s beachfront at RK Beach.
Historically, South African naval diplomacy has included notable long-range deployments. In 2008, SAS Spioenkop (F147) conducted the first-ever visit by an African warship to the People’s Republic of China, marking a milestone in South African–Chinese naval cooperation.
The last major overseas deployment of a South African frigate occurred in early 2017, when SAS Amatola (F145) embarked on a multi-month mission to the United Kingdom to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of SS Mendi and to undertake advanced sea training. Several West African ports were also visited during that deployment.
However, the trajectory of such ambitious overseas missions has been significantly altered by a decade of declining budgets and maintenance challenges. The most visible indicator has been the steady reduction in achieved sea hours, directly affecting the Navy’s ability to train personnel and deploy ships on long-range missions. Since then, the South African Navy’s presence has largely been confined to regional waters.
While South African frigates have not visited China since 2008 or the United Kingdom since 2017, foreign navies have continued to use South African ports as important diplomatic hubs.
The severity of this decline was highlighted by the cancellation of several long-distance deployments in 2024. Earlier that year, Lobese announced that SAS Amatola was scheduled to travel to St Petersburg, Russia, to participate in the Russian Navy’s Navy Day celebrations. The deployment was later abandoned after sea trials required to confirm full system functionality had not yet been completed, underlining the Navy’s growing difficulty in reciprocating diplomatic visits from partners such as Russia, China and India.
During the same year, a planned mission by SAS Drakensberg (A301) to visit Cuba and Brazil was also cancelled due to the fleet replenishment vessel not being serviceable.
At the time of publication, the SANDF had not responded to a request for confirmation on the SAS Amatola’s historic voyage.
