The South African Navy (SAN) christened the second of three Multi Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPV) with the breaking of a bottle of champagne over its bow and raising of the South African flag from its mast, at Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT), on October 14.

The 62-m-long and 11-m-wide Damen Sea Axe-class vessel was designed by Damen to deliver an effective and cost efficient rapid response capability to the SAN.

The primary role of the navy’s MMIPVs is for inshore patrol to counter piracy, illegal fishing and smuggling operations.

Following the christening, the second MMIPV will be launched into the water and then delivered to the SAN in 2023 after extensive acceptance trials, while the third vessel will be delivered in 2024.

According to Damen, its patented Sea Axe design delivers good seakeeping behaviour with the straight-edged bow cutting through the water, thereby improving comfort and safety, while reducing emissions and fuel consumption. Many of the components are commercially readily available, thereby significantly reducing operating costs.

DSCT director Sefale Montsi says the second MMIPV vessel will soon join her sister, SAS King Sekhukhune II in successfully sailing South African and international waters.

“The project continues to meet the client’s specifications, on time and within budget. DSCT and our growing local supply chain stand ready to deliver more of these much-needed vessels to our navy.”

With the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) being the acquisition agency for the Department of Defence in South Africa, acquisition and supply chain management executive Meshack Teffo says Armscor is pleased with the progress that has been made thus far.

“We are committed to providing the South African National Defence Force with state-of-the-art defence materiel they require to protect the sovereignty of the country. This MMIPV project demonstrates our capability to deliver on complex acquisition solutions. We are looking forward to the delivery of this second MMIPV next year,” he says.

The MMIPV project is also contributing towards creating skilled new jobs and acting as a catalyst for the development of regional supply chains. On its own, the MMIPV project is expected to generate more than one-million work-hours during the construction of the three MMIPVs and will support more than 1 000 direct and indirect jobs.

Beyond work on the vessel, DSCT benefits from the global reach of Damen Shipyards Group to secure new business for South African industry.

DSCT builds ships in Africa, for Africa, and has, to date, built and delivered over 40 vessels, including offshore patrol vessels, dredgers, tugs, naval craft and supply vessels, for various African countries.