The South African Navy will host the Presidential Fleet Review on 05 September 2008 in Simon’s Town. The aim of the Fleet Review is to introduce the new South African Navy to the Commander in Chief, President T.M. Mbeki and the people of South Africa.

During the Presidential Fleet Review, the South African Navy will demonstrate its broad range of capabilities to the South African nation to show case its readiness to protect our national interests and sovereign integrity.

This event would be seen as a culmination of more than a decade of extremely hard work by members of the South African Navy to ensure that our ships are operational and that the personnel are competent and professional to crew them.

The Presidential Fleet Review will be broadcast on Navy FM on 05 September 2008 from 07:00-16:00.  Navy FM will be broadcast on 103.2MHz during the review and listeners from as far as Muizenberg will be kept updated on all the detail of the review as well as news, weather and interesting commentary of the day’s events. In conjunction with the technical expertise of Capital Sounds, who will provide all of the production facilities and music, we will also bring you live coverage of the Presidential Parade in the afternoon, including the Commander-in-Chief’s speech. Navy FM is interactive and you are welcome to send SMS’s to 0836333171 or e-mail the studio on navyfm@mweb.co.za.  Tune in to Navy FM on 103.2MHz on 05 September 2008 to keep up with the events.

Official poster of the review event

The ships that will participate in this review are: 

SAS PROTEA (review ship), SAS DRAKENSBERG, SAS AMATOLA, SAS ISANDLWANA,
SAS SPIOENKOP, SAS MENDI, SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE, SAS QUEEN MOJDAJDI I,
SAS GALESHEWE, SAS ISAAC DYOBHA, SAS UMKOMAAS, SAS UMZIMKULU, SAS TOBIE
AND SAS TERN.

Our Frigates sailing in each other's wake - the same formation that will be used during the Presidential Fleet Review.

Program of events for the day are as follows:

Notes: The invitation is for the invited guest and spouse only.  Guests are requested not to bring any personal assistants or bodyguards with them onboard the allocated ships (owing to limited space) or to the luncheon at Admiralty House.

Guests are requested to display the enclosed Parking Disk prominently, in order to facilitate parking arrangements and to ensure correct directions.

LIST OF OFFICERS COMMANDING SA NAVAL SHIPS:
History	CAPT T. STOKES	SAS PROTEA
History	CAPT C. COETZEE	SAS DRAKENSBERG
SHIPS DATA SAN MEKO A 200
History	CAPT M.A. GIRSA	SAS AMATOLA
History	CDR M. BOUCHER	SAS ISANDLWANA
History	CAPT C.G. MANIG	SAS SPIOENKOP
History	CAPT J.J. SCHUTTE	SAS MENDI
SHIPS DATA OF HEROINE CLASS SUBMARINES
History	CDR J.P. BEUKES	SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE
History	CDR A.B. SOUMA	SAS QUEEN MODJADJI I
STRIKE CRAFT
History	CDR G.E. HALLET	SAS GALESHEWE
History	CDR J.A. MBOTHO	SAS ISAAC DYOBHA
SHIPS DATA OF MINEHUNTERS
History	LT CDR T.W. NKOMONDE	SAS UMKOMAAS
History	CDR J.A. MABULA	SAS UMZIMKULU
History	LT L.P. MOKHINE	SAS TOBIE
	LT M. BOTHA	SAS TERN

HISTORY OF THE FLEET REVIEW

The first fleet review, according to history, was held “impromptu,” on a whim of Henry VIII to “see the fleet together”.  He treated all his captains to a banquet and had them row him around the anchored ships. 

The new Super Lynx 300 Maritime Helicopters to be used on the SA Frigates.

First Presidential Fleet Review held during Navy 75

This tradition of “Reviewing the Fleet” is still practiced today.  The SA Navy International Review, held during the Navy 75 celebrations in 1997, was anything but impromptu and rowing our former President around Table Bay would have been unthinkable! 

	SAS DRAKENSBERG sailing abeam of SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE.
Madiba's Fleet Review	Ships sailing in formation in the Presidential Fleet Review held during Navy 75

Pride, pomp and all due ceremony held sway as former President Nelson Mandela arrived at the quayside, while SAS PROTEA lay in pristine splendour awaiting her distinguished guest.  The guard of honour snapped to attention, every button, every slightest movement honed to sharpest perfection for the President’s inspection.  All stood in solemn salute until the lyrical strains of the National Anthem subsided.  President Mandela boarded to join his Chief of the Navy and the many dignitaries who had already embarked.  To the cheers of the enormous crowd of onlookers the reviewing ship proceeded to follow the mine hunter SAS UMHLOTI into Table Bay.  Her other escorts, SAS DRAKENSBERG and the mine hunter SAS UMKOMAAS followed in her wake.  The traditional gun salute rang out from Lion Battery, heralding the start of the Review.

With the reviewing ship heading South, 13 foreign vessels sailed North, led by SAS OUTENIQUA which fired the 21 gun salute as she passed abeam of SAS PROTEA.  During this sail past, 3 Oryx helicopters a Boeing 707 and 3 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft) from the SA Air Force as well as an Aurora MPA from Canada flew low over the reviewing ship.  SAS PROTEA then turned and headed back to pass a number of representative merchant and auxiliary ships lying at anchor.

A typical scene onboard the bridge of a Frigate whilst sailing.	Two HEROINE CLASS submarines sailing with a VALOUR CLASS Frigate.

Accompanying the review vessel all the way from the mouth of the harbour and back, were dozens of yachts and other small craft, kept at a careful distance by SAPS Water Wing and Namacurra HPB’s.

Despite the cold, wind and the initial light rain, spirits soared – each ships’ company manned and cheered, some accompanied by their ships’ band.  As each ship passed SAS PROTEA, former President Mandela took the salute; the various Chiefs of Navy each took their place with Vice Admiral Robert Simpson-Anderson at his side.  It was truly a day to be remembered!

As the returning review ships sailed into harbour to berth at the V&A Waterfront, the voice of the Commander-in-Chief of the National Defence Force could be heard over SAS PROTEA’s main broadcast, ending the review on a particularly exhilarating note.  Thrilled and clearly moved, former President Nelson Mandela sent the following message:

“It is a source of great pride to join you all in celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the South African Navy. 

“It is a particular pleasure to welcome the naval chiefs and representatives of navies who have come from around the world to honour our Navy and our country.  You presence confirms that our newly achieved democracy has turned the sea into a factor that joins us rather than separates us.  You and your ships come as envoys of peace and will always be welcome in our waters.

“It was a moving experience to take the salute at the International Fleet Review.  The dramatic display of power and mobility of naval forces provided a wonderful and impressive sight.  The knowledge that our Navy and so many other international navies were saluting our young Rainbow Nation, has made the occasion both immensely humbling and deeply inspiring.

A powerful Navy at sea - two VALOUR CLASS Frigates accompanying a HEROINE CLASS Submarine.	A Super Lynx 300 Maritime Helicopter on SAS ISANDLWANA's flightdeck.

“It was also most satisfying to see the ships of our merchant and fishing fleets taking part in the Review.  They play an essential part in our economy.  Our prosperity and welfare of our people depend to a large degree on them.  The sea is a vital national interest and that is why we maintain the Navy.

“Just as we believe that all people should be free, so too as a nation we believe in the freedom of the seas.  That is a matter of national strategic interest.  We are a maritime nation trading all over the world.  We accept our obligation to combine with other maritime nations to uphold the freedom of the seas and to protect our interests through naval power.  We also undertake to manage the resources of our huge Exclusive Economic Zone wisely for the benefit of the people of the region.  Ladies and Gentlemen:

“We are proud to recall the contribution that the South African Navy made during the Second World War in the struggle against Nazism and Fascism.  Members of the Navy served in every naval theatre of that war, often far from home and many times in harsh conditions.  The actions and sacrifices of those South Africans, including many who were then still denied freedom in their own country, helped bring peace and freedom to the world.

Two of the HEROINE CLASS Submarines sailing in formation.

“Now that South Africa itself is free and we are building a new nation, the Navy, like all our institutions and as part of he National Defence Force, has set out on the path of its own transformation.  In this regard I welcome the change in the names of our strike craft – it is a positive sign of our new democracy.

“The government appreciates the value of the Navy to a democratic South Africa, in which trade and the protection of maritime resources have such importance.  We need the professional skills and dedication of our naval servicemen and women.  We thank you for your commitment and are proud of your achievements.

“We would like to assure Vice Admiral Simpson-Anderson, the men and women of the South African Navy that we recognize the needs of the Navy.  Changing priorities have led to a reduction in the Defence budget.  But we do recognize our responsibility for ensuring that our country has an adequate and appropriate naval force.  The need to moderate our fleet is not a matter of debate.

“I expect that he Defence Review will herald the renaissance of the South African Navy, the maritime shield of the Nation and the guardian of our seas.

Die Vloot is die maritieme skild can onse Nasie; die bewaker van ons see.

“Umkhosi wolwandle umgcini wolwandle lwethu.”

“I thank you all for a wonderful day and I wish you success in all your endevours.”

A banquet was held after the Review at the Cape Sun Hotel.

ooOoo