South Africa Considers More Frigates

South Africa is reportedly negotiating with the German Frigate Consortium for the procurement of a fifth Valour (Amatola)-class frigate and, possibly, the option for a sixth unit.

Under an initial deal in 1999, the South African Navy (SAN) was to receive five units of the class. However, budget constraints limited the initial purchase to the four units that have been delivered thus far.

Defense Minister Mosiuoa has indicated that the original deal with Germany, which included the frigates and military equipment for the Army and Air Force, is almost paid off and the Defense Ministry could now move forward with additional procurements. Pricing will likely play a big role as to whether the SAN gets one or two additional units.

Under the original agreement, each unit cost $163 million, not including the South African weaponry and integration costs. Recent estimates are that units five and six will cost around $272 million per unit, without weapons and integration.

Assuming the successful conclusion of negotiations between the SAN and the German Frigate Consortium, a construction contract for the fifth unit with options for a sixth could be in place by 2007. The additional units are likely to be identical to the first four units of the class.

The first two units (Amatola and Isandlwana) were commissioned into the SAN as of August 2006; units three and four (Spioenkop and Mendi) are scheduled for commissioning in March and August 2007.

Fincantieri Nets Iraq Patrol Boat Deal

Fincantieri of Italy has won a $101.6 million contract for the delivery of four patrol boats to the Iraqi Navy. The deal includes logistical support and training.

The patrol boats will be based on the Italian Coast Guard Saettia class, with the first unit being delivered in 2009. Units two through four will be delivered at the rate of one unit every six months. The vessels will be the largest in the Iraqi Navy at around 450 tons.

The Iraqi Navy will operate the vessels in a similar role as the Italian Coast Guard, carrying out surveillance, search and rescue, control of maritime traffic and firefighting.

With the patrol boat requirement now being fulfilled, the Iraqi Navy is in the process of trying to acquire up to 15 smaller patrol vessels in the 50-125-ton range. Bollinger Shipyards or another U.S. shipyard is expected to construct the vessels under a Foreign Military Sale program.

Pakistan Orders More Patrol Boats

Pakistan has ordered two additional MRTP 33 patrol boats (advanced fast-attack naval craft) from Turkey's Yonca Onuk. They are likely the first of a total of eight MRTP 33s that will be ordered by the end of 2010.

The MRTP-33 is based on the Turkish Coast Guard Kaan-29 and is designed for littoral warfare operations, including escort and fast-attack missions, insertion and extraction of special forces with naval commando delivery vehicles, and search and rescue. Its twin MTU diesel engines allow a 28-knot patrol speed, while the Honeywell TF50 gas turbine will enable the boat to reach its maximum speed of 55-60 knots. The combined propulsion enables the boat to operate for up to three days at ranges up to 650 nm.

The craft is able to carry larger equipment and payload such as a combined 30mm gun, two 12.7mm machine guns, short-range surface-to-surface stabilized missile launcher, medium-range surface-to-surface guided missiles, electro-optical fire-control systems and decoys.

Taiwan Receives Last Kidd Destroyers

VSE Corp. of Alexandria, Va., has turned over the final two Kidd-class destroyers to the Republic of China Navy. The two ships have been redesignated DDG 1803 Tso Ying and DDG 1805 Ma Kung (formerly Kidd and Chandler).

The transfer follows the delivery and recommissioning of the first two units (DDG 1801 Chi Teh and DDG 1802 Ming The - formerly Scott and Cailahan) to Taiwan in December 2005. The four units will replace the seven Gearing-class destroyers Taiwan received from the United States from 1973-1983 and are currently being decommissioned.

The destroyers are equipped with Harpoon antiship missiles, SM-2 Block IIIA missiles for air defense and will have a limited antisubmarine capability. VSE conducted the reactivations under an $875 million contract from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command.

The Kidd-class destroyers are part of a military package President Bush offered to Taiwan in 2001 that included eight diesel submarines, 12 P-3 antisubmarine warfare/ patrol aircraft, 12 MH-53E Sea Dragon minesweeping helicopters, Mk48 torpedoes and Harpoon antiship missiles.

Nigeria Orders New Helicopters

Augusta Westland has signed a contract with the Nigerian government for the procurement of four AW139 helicopters. The helicopters will be shared by the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian State House and the Government of the River States.

The new helicopters will be utilized for myriad missions, including search and rescue, offshore patrol, oil platform protection and transport. The four helicopters will be delivered to Nigeria by early 2009 and will help modernize an aging naval helicopter force.