Abstract
Up to the abrogation of the Simon's Town Agreement in 1975, the South African Navy acquired the bulk of its equipment from Britain. Efforts to purchase corvettes and submarines from Portugal and France were cancelled during the 1970s as a result of the pariah status of apartheid South Africa. An indigenous naval shipbuilding industry developed in South Africa and succeeded in the building six Israeli-designed missile strike craft under licence and a locally designed replenishment vessel (the SAS Drakensberg) amongst others. After the end of apartheid South Africa purchased frigates and submarines from Germany, while on-board installation and integration of weapon systems and sensors were done in South Africa in cooperation with local and international armaments companies. As South Africa retains a small commercial shipbuilding industry it is anticipated that some of the naval vessels the South African Navy would require in future might be channelled to local shipyards.
Published Version
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