RAS Exercise with SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE. Article by S Lt Khasuli Photos by LS Venter

On Monday 16 Apr, a RAS exercise, which lasted for approximately 3 hours, between DKB and CME was conducted. This was the first time a Type 209 submarine conducted a RAS with the DKB. The last time this evolution was conducted was during the days of the Daphne Class Submarine. This time round the exercise carried new challenges altogether due to its complexity. The majority of the crew had no prior experience, great seamanship skills displayed by both crews was just unbelievable, and they performed exceptionally well as real pros would.

SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE participated in her first RAS exercise with DKB

On completion of the RAS, a PTX was conducted with the sub. Two Officers from the submarine were transferred to spend two days onboard the DKB and vice versa. With its high casing the Type 209 is a very different beast to do a boat transfer with but the excellent skills of the boats crew and CMEs casing party made it look really easy. “There is a vast difference to serve onboard a submarine compared to a surface ship, the challenges are countless on a submarine but it can be done I’m talking from experience I’ve been there”, stated one of the crewmember of DKB after spending two days onboard SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE.

The RAS party onboard DKB

On Tuesday, day and night gunnery Exercises were conducted as platform to test the skills of the Gunners onboard. Both exercises were executed with impressive accuracy.

On Thursday 19 Apr, DKB and CME passed off the coast of Angola approaching the Namibian border, only 1 466 Nm to go with 3 870 Nm covered.