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SAS Mendi (F148)
Encyclopedia
SAS Mendi (F148) is the last of four Valour class
frigate
s built for the South African Navy
by the European South African Corvette Consortium and entered service in March 2007.
defence group) and a number of South African companies.
The ships were built to the MEKO
modular design concept, and are designated by the manufacturer as the MEKO A-200SAN class. Some controversy exists as to the class type of the vessel, with both the manufacturer and the South African Navy referring to her as a "corvette
", but other similar vessels in other navies being referred to as frigates.
As with all the other ships of the Valour class, the Mendi is named after a famous South African battle or instance of great valour. In this case the sinking of the SS Mendi in the English Channel
during World War I
. On the 23 August 2004, en-route from the shipyards to South Africa, the SAS Mendi and HMS Nottingham
(D91), a Type 42 destroyer
, met at the site where the SS Mendi
sank and lay wreaths in remembrance of those who died in service for their country
The SAS Mendi was built at the Howaldtswerke
-Deutsche Werft shipyards in Kiel
, Germany
, and arrived in South Africa on 20 September 2004.
On September 5, 2008 Mendi led seven of the South African Navy's newest vessels in a Presidential Fleet Review, the first to be held in South Africa since the 75th anniversary of the Navy in 1997.
Valour class frigate
The South African Valour class frigates are the major surface ships of the South African Navy. Their German manufacturer designates these warships as the MEKO A-200SAN class, member of its MEKO family of naval ships...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s built for the South African Navy
South African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
by the European South African Corvette Consortium and entered service in March 2007.
Construction
Mendi, as with all the Valour class vessels, was manufactured by the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC), consisting of the German Frigate Consortium (Blohm+Voss, Thyssen Rheinstahl and Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werf), African Defence Systems (part of the French ThalesThales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
defence group) and a number of South African companies.
The ships were built to the MEKO
MEKO
The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
modular design concept, and are designated by the manufacturer as the MEKO A-200SAN class. Some controversy exists as to the class type of the vessel, with both the manufacturer and the South African Navy referring to her as a "corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
", but other similar vessels in other navies being referred to as frigates.
As with all the other ships of the Valour class, the Mendi is named after a famous South African battle or instance of great valour. In this case the sinking of the SS Mendi in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On the 23 August 2004, en-route from the shipyards to South Africa, the SAS Mendi and HMS Nottingham
HMS Nottingham (D91)
HMS Nottingham was a batch two Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy, named after the city of Nottingham, England. She was launched on 18 February 1980, and commissioned on 8 April 1983 as the sixth ship to bear the name....
(D91), a Type 42 destroyer
Type 42 destroyer
The Type 42 or Sheffield class, are guided missile destroyers used by the British Royal Navy and the Argentine Navy. The first ship of the class was ordered in 1968 and launched in 1971, and today three ships remain active in the Royal Navy and one in the Argentinian Navy...
, met at the site where the SS Mendi
SS Mendi
SS Mendi was a steamship of the Elder Dempster Line, chartered by the British government as a troopship, which sank off the Isle of Wight in 1917 with the loss of 646 lives...
sank and lay wreaths in remembrance of those who died in service for their country
The SAS Mendi was built at the Howaldtswerke
Howaldtswerke
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Kiel. In 2009 it was the largest shipyard in Germany and has more than 2,400 employees. It has been part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems owned by ThyssenKrupp, since 2005...
-Deutsche Werft shipyards in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and arrived in South Africa on 20 September 2004.
Notable Deployments
- A deployment to Brazil and Ghana from Aug to Sep 2007
- Operation Boniso 2004
- SAGA training with the German Navy
- Exercising with FNS Nivose off Cape Point
- Conducted ExocetExocetThe Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
MM 40 missile firings with SAS IsandlwanaSAS Isandlwana (F146)SAS Isandlwana is the second of four Valour class frigates for the South African Navy.-Construction:They were manufactured by the European South African Corvette Consortium , consisting of the German Frigate Consortium , African Defence Systems and a number of...
in 2007 - Exercise Red Lion
- Exercised with HMS SouthamptonHMS Southampton (D90)HMS Southampton was a batch two Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the city of Southampton, England, and built by Vosper Thornycroft, in Southampton...
off Cape Town
On September 5, 2008 Mendi led seven of the South African Navy's newest vessels in a Presidential Fleet Review, the first to be held in South Africa since the 75th anniversary of the Navy in 1997.
External links
- Photos of F148
- Valour class entry at South African NavySouth African NavyThe South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
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