The former SAS Assegaai, the South African Navy’s sole remaining Daphne-class submarine, is to be preserved as a museum exhibit. The boat is to be placed on display at the SA Navy Museum in Simon’s Town.
The Assegaai, pennant number S99, was decommissioned in November 2003 and is currently alongside at an inner berth in Simon`s Town. She was launched on 21 July 1970 and commissioned on 27 August 1971 as the SAS Johanna van der Merwe at the Dubigeon-Normandie yard at Nantes Chantenay in France.
The Assegaai was the last of three submarines built for SA. The others were the SAS Spear (S97, ex Maria van Riebeeck) and the SAS Umkhonto (S98, ex Emily Hobhouse).
A ministerial answer tabled in Parliament says the Spear and Umkhonto have been “disposed of”.
The defence ministry says the Spear was sold to the SA Metal and Machinery Co. (Pty) Ltd “who demolished the submarine in Simon`s Town as scrap during June/July 2003.”
The Umkhonto was wrecked by the same company in Simon`s Town this July and August.
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Displacement, tons:
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869 surfaced; 1,043 dived
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Dimensions, feet (metres):
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189,6 x 22,3 x 15,1 (57,8 x6,8 x4,6)
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Main Machinery:
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Diesel-electric; 2 SEMT-Pielstick 12 PA4 V 185 diesels; 2,450 hp(m) (1,8 MW); 2 Jeumont Schneider alternators; 1,7 MW; 2 motors; 2,600 hp(m) (1,9 MW); 2 shafts
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Speed, knots:
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13,5 surfaced; 16 dived
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Range, miles:
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4,500 at 5kt snorting; 2,700 at 12,5kt surfaced
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Complement:
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47 (6 officers)
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Torpedoes:
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12-21,7 in (550 mm) (8 bow, 4 stern) tubes; ECAN E15 dual purpose; passive homing to 12 km (6,6 n miles)
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Countermeasures:
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ESM; ARUD; radar warning upgraded by Grinaker Electronics
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Weapons Control:
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Trivetts-UEC weapon control system; DCSC-2 being fitted
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Radars:
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Surface search; Thomson-CSF Calypso II; I-band.
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Sonar:
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Thomson Sintra DUUX2; hull-mounted; active/passive search and attack; 8,4 kHz active. Thomson Sintra DUUX2 or UEC; passive rangefinding. Thomson Sintra DSUV2 or UEC; passive search; medium frequency.
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Programmes:
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Ordered from France in 1967
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Modernisation:
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A weapon systems upgrading (including sonar), as well as improved habitability as part of a mid-life improvement programme, was completed in Assegaai in late 1990. Assegaai completed a four year refit on 19 May 1999 and rejoined the fleet.
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