Iran, Russia, and China hold naval exercise with SA as observer
Naval units from Iran, China and Russia commenced a joint naval exercise ‘Marine Security Belt 2024’ in the Gulf of Oman this week Tuesday,...
Technology to protect South Africa’s oceans: experts find that a data-driven monitoring system is...
Nine years ago South Africa put in place an innovative information management system designed to monitor and protect its seas. The country is surrounded...
Bulk carrier Abdullah highjacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean as piracy ramps up
Pirates have seized a Bangladeshi-flagged and owned ship, the bulk carrier Abdullah, en route from the port of Maputo in Mozambique. The vessel was...
Houthi ship attacks put sailors’ lives at risk – EU
Last week’s attack on the bulk carrier True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden drew condemnation from the European Union (EU), which is now...
New vessels needed for the SA Navy more than ever
With Houthi rebels attacking ships off the Horn of Africa and Red Sea and consequently diverting shipping around the Cape, SA Navy (SAN) Chief...
Tanker hit by missile off Aden, two seafarers killed
In a further escalation of the events in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a Greek bulk carrier, True Confidence (IMO 9460784) has...
West Africa’s coast was a haven for piracy and illegal fishing – how technology...
The Gulf of Guinea – a coastal region that stretches from Senegal to Angola – is endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, mineral and...
Is Iran planning a naval base at Port Sudan?
There is speculation that Iran is planning to establish a naval base in the African Red Sea port of Port Sudan.
Officially, Iran says it...
Houthi attacks continue as Italian destroyer gets into the action
There has been little let-up in the ongoing drama off the Yemeni coast in both the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with further...
Houthi’s may have scuttled abandoned British bulker Rubymar
Reports coming out of the Middle East suggest the Houthi militia may have had a hand in scuttling the drifting UK-owned bulk carrier Rubymar.
British...
Rubymar becomes first vessel to sink after Houthi attack
Over the last four months, Houthi forces have attacked dozens of vessels in and around the Red Sea, with the first recorded sinking taking...
SA Navy blesses third inshore patrol vessel amid CNavy warning on ship capacity
Ahead of official launch and naming, the South African Navy (SAN) blessed its third and latest addition to its Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessel (MMIPV)...
German frigate Hessen into action in Red Sea, shoots down drones
The German Navy frigate Hessen, which has joined the EU naval mission named Aspides (meaning shield) to help protect and secure merchant shipping wanting...
SA Navy will hit the high seas this year with ship visits to Russia...
The South African Navy will this year send the frigate SAS Amatola to Russia for a parade and the logistics vessel SAS Drakensberg to...
SA Navy prepared to divorce itself from the Armscor Dockyard – Lobese
The Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, is tired of the inefficiency and poor performance of the Armscor Dockyard, which...
Third SA Navy MMIPV to be christened on Friday
Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) and the SA Navy (SAN) will christen the latest addition to the fleet – multi-mission inshore patrol vessel (MMIPV)...
SAN Chief attends Indian Navy Exercise Milan
An SA Navy (SAN) delegation headed by Vice Admiral Monde Lobese was in the Indian city Visakhapatnam this month (February) participating in and observing...
EU Red Sea naval operation will safeguard freedom of navigation
The third European Union (EU) naval operation off Africa – Aspides – was launched yesterday (Monday, 19 February) as a defensive maritime security effort...
Houthi missiles strike more merchant vessels in the Red Sea
Three ships have become the latest targets for Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, with one vessel sustaining severe enough damage to warrant it...
Germany sends frigate Hessen to join EU mission in Red Sea
After receiving approval from the German government to join a European Union military mission to assist in protecting shipping in the Red Sea, the...
Another ship damaged in Houthi attack
A merchant vessel has suffered minor damage after coming under fire from a Houthi missile in the Gulf of Aden, while US forces have...
Damen signs partnership agreement with Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
Damen Shipyards Group has signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) as part of the National Industrial...
Another ship damaged by Houthi missiles
Houthi rebels have hit another merchant vessel off Yemen, damaging a cargo ship transiting the Red Sea.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in...
Impact of Red Sea crisis on Africa – red flag or red herring?
Still reeling from the effects of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war, African countries face yet another geopolitical hurdle with the Red Sea crisis and...
Manthatisi BOI at review stage
The SA Navy (SAN) appointed board of inquiry (BOI) into the September incident resulting in three deaths when a training exercise involving a submarine...
Milkor announces a new patrol craft at the World Defence Show
During the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia this week Milkor has revealed the latest addition to its naval portfolio, the 16 metre long...
Houthi attacks on shipping continue
Houthi forces in Yemen continue to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with further attacks against civil and military vessels.
In...
Exercise Good Hope VIII strengthens South African-German maritime cooperation
Exercise Good Hope VIII, the latest instalment of the bi-national maritime exercise between the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the German Navy,...
Red Sea maritime situation worsens
Threats to maritime safety in the Red Sea have widened and now include the Gulf of Aden and north-western Indian Ocean.
Last week and during...
Houthi militant attacks in the Red Sea raise fears of Somali piracy resurgence
Renewed attacks on ships by suspected Somali pirates since November 2023 have fuelled fear of a new threat of piracy off the east coast...
VBSS drills a key part of Exercise Good Hope VIII
One of the highlights of the first week of the Good Hope VIII exercise between the South African and German navies saw visit, board,...
Indian Navy rescues another pirated vessel off Somalia
The Indian Navy has foiled two hijackings by Somali pirates within days, rescuing 19 crew in the latest incident off the Horn of Africa.
The...
Yet another merchant vessel attacked in the Red Sea
In what is becoming an almost daily occurrence, Houthi forces have attacked another merchant vessel transiting the Gulf of Aden.
US Central Command said Houthis...
SA Navy in intensive care – Lobese
First port of call for Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thabang Makwetla in 2024 was SA Navy (SAN) Headquarters, continuing a schedule of...
Morocco receives more Metal Shark boats
Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie has taken delivery of four Fearless Super Interceptor boats manufactured by Metal Shark.
Metal Shark said the latest delivery of four brings...
Africa needs a stronger voice on resolving the Red Sea crisis
The Red Sea crisis is now a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) priority, with three meetings held this year already. Following several months of...
Exercise Good Hope VIII underway
The eighth edition of Exercise Good Hope, between the South African and German Navies, has commenced off South Africa’s West Coast, although on a...
Second OPV 58S offshore patrol vessel arrives in Senegal
The Senegalese Navy’s second of three new OPV 58S offshore patrol vessels has arrived home after a delivery voyage from France.
The Niani arrived at...
US strikes more Houthi weapon sites; US bulk carrier bombed by drone
The US military reports that Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted further strike actions against Houthi missile launch sites on Wednesday 17 January.
On the same...
Germany, South Africa kick-off Exercise Good Hope VIII next week
After a six-year hiatus compounded by the global challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa and Germany are set to reignite their maritime...
US approves possible sale of Swiftships patrol boats to Egypt
Egyptian plans to beef up internal and external defence capabilities received a shot in the arm with the United States Defence Security Co-operation Agency...
Houthi missile strikes US merchant ship
A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck a US-owned and operated cargo ship on Monday 15 January, US Central Command said in a statement.
The vessel,...
Red Sea crisis: expert unpacks Houthi attacks and other security threats
Recent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militia in the Red Sea have put the vital shipping region in the spotlight. The Yemen-based rebels...
US and UK military launch attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen amid fears of...
Following repeated attacks using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), anti-ship and ballistic missiles and a manned multiple boat attack on commercial and US and UK...
IMB concerned about first ship hijacking off Somalia in six years
The just released 2023 International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy report notes a slight increase in incidents and expresses concern over the first successful hijacking...
Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea: success rests on good relations with its...
On 1 January, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding granting Addis Ababa direct access to the Gulf of Aden. This strategic agreement...
Houthi rebel Red Sea attacks and the threat of escalation and supply chain chaos...
US and UK warships have repelled a mass drone attack launched by Yemeni Houthis rebels at commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The incident,...
US and UK counter large Houthi attack in Red Sea
United States and United Kingdom forces in the Red Sea have countered a large Houthi attack directed at merchant vessels in international shipping lanes,...
Agaléga, India’s semi-secret Indian Ocean naval base
India has been quietly turning an Indian Ocean tropical island into a strategic naval outpost.
The Indian Ocean island is one of two Agaléga islands...
TKMS hands over third Meko frigate to Egyptian Navy
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has handed over the frigate Al-Qadeer to the Egyptian Navy during a ceremony in Germany, marking the third of four...
