×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
NAVAL WARFARE INDEX
MODERN FLEETS
WARSHIPS BY COUNTRY
SHIPBUILDERS
COMPARE WARSHIPS
SHIPS BY CONFLICT
SHIPS BY TYPE
SHIPS BY DECADE
SHIPS BY CLASS
MODERN VESSELS
Naval Warfare

SAS Amatola (F145)


Guided-Missile Frigate / Corvette Warship [ 2006 ]



SAS Anatola F145, a frigate serving the South African Navy, became the lead ship of the Valour-class when she was commissioned in 2006



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/07/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
SAS Amatola (F145) is an active guided-missile corvette / frigate warship in service with the South African Navy. She represents the lead ship of the Valour-class numbering four-strong. These are the most powerful surface warships of the service and feature a broad mix of armament, all-modern processing systems and sensors, and incorporate various stealth elements to their structure. Five total ships were initially planned though one was ended through cancellation.

While described as frigates, the Valour-class holds many qualities that make some sources categorize the group as corvettes.

SAS Amatola was ordered on December 3rd, 1999 with the building contracted awarded to Blohm + Voss of Hamburg, Germany. This was necessitated by the fact that South Africa lacked the local industry to construct a naval warship of this size and capability. Her keel was laid down on August 6th, 2001 and she was officially launched on June 6th, 2002. Her commissioning was had on February 16th, 2006 and she was assigned the homeport of Simon's Town (Capetown) where she maintains an active service status today (2016).©MilitaryFactory.com
The vessel was completed with integrated stealth elements such as enclosed mastworks (forward and aft), low profile smoke funnels and continuous slab-type hull lines. Full helicopter facilities are seated over the stern in the form of a hangar and helo-deck, allowing the warship to launch and recover a navy helicopter (up to two can be carried, one on deck and the other in the hangar space). The bridge is set atop the forward superstructure overlooking the forecastle and offering excellent views of the horizon ahead. A second superstructure is set aft of amidships and integrated into the smoke funnel structures. The ship's radar cross section is reduced through use of angled faces all about the design - very few traditional protrusions are seen - even hand rails being omitted.

Internally, SAS Amatola is given a CODAG (CObined Diesel And Gas) arrangement allowing for maximum power / efficiency in dashing / cruising actions. The arrangement sees the diesel engines used for cruising and the gas turbines activated for high-speed movements. The vessel goes one further in that it relies on a Blohm + Voss CODAG "WARP" (Waterjet And Refined Propeller) system allowing both shafts to be powered by any single engine installation while the low-drag centerline waterjet can be pushed by the gas turbine power source. The diesel units supply up to 7,940 horsepower to the two shafts. The gas turbine can output as much as 26,820 horsepower. All told, the vessel can make headway at speeds nearing 30 knots with a range out to 8,000 nautical miles.

SAS Amatola is crewed by 152 personnel made up of officers and enlisted. She displaces 3,760 tons and sports a length of 397 feet, a beam of 53.6 feet and a draught of 19.5 feet. Onboard systems include a Thales MRR-3D NG G-band multirole radar fit, a Reutech electro-optical tracker unit and a Thales UMS4132 Kingklip sonar system. Various decoys and jammers are fitted for self-preservation.

In terms of armament, SAS Amatola carries both conventional and missile-minded weaponry. 1 x 76mm Otobreda (Italy) turreted deck gun is seated over the forecastle. 1 x 35mm Denel Dual-Purpose (DP) twin-barreled gun is also fitted as are 2 x 20mm Oerlikon Mk 1 systems for shorter-ranged firepower. As a guided-missile warship, she is outfitted with 2 x 4-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS) cleared to fire the MBDA MM40 "Exocet" Block 2 Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM). There is another 8-cell VLS and this handled Umkhonto Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) to counter ranged airborne threats.

Her aft heli-deck supports a SuperLynx 300 (or similar) navy helicopter. This serves the vessel in various functions including over-the-horizon scouting/reconnaissance, Search And Rescue (SAR) and anti-shipping/anti-submarine warfare. The hangar space is fully enclosed and offers complete repair and refit facilities for the air wing.

Since 2006, SAS Amatola has been an active participant in South African naval activities in the region - conducting various unit training and readiness operations and exercises (Good Hope II / III / IV, INTEROP WWEST, BOST, AMAZOLO, IBSAMAR I/III and Altasur VII). Since 2011 she has been committed to anti-piracy actions in the Mozambique Channel ("Operation Copper").©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



South Africa
Operators National flag of South Africa
2006
Commissioned
South Africa
National Origin
152
Complement
Valour-class
Hull Class
4
Number-in-Class
SAS Amatola (F145); SAS Isandlwana (F146); SAS Spioenkop (F147); SAS Mendi (F148)
Ships-in-Class


Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
Offshore Operation
Activities conducted near shorelines in support of allied activities.
Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.


397.0 feet
(121.01 meters)
Length
53.6 feet
(16.34 meters)
Beam
19.5 feet
(5.94 meters)
Draught
3,760
tons
Displacement


2 x Diesel engines developing 7,840 horsepower each with 1 x Gas turbine generating 26,820 horsepower to 2 x shafts; 1 x waterjet.
Propulsion
30.0 knots
(34.5 mph)
Surface Speed
7,995 nm
(9,200 miles | 14,806 km)
Range
1 knot = 1.15 mph; 1 nm = 1.15 mile; 1 nm = 1.85 km


1 x 76mm /62 Otobreda Compact deck gun (forecastle)
1 x 2 35mm LIW (Denel) 35DPG dual-purpose cannon (twin-barreled).
2 x 20mm Oerlikon Mk 1 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS).
2 x 4-cell (8) MBDA MM40 Exocet Block 2 surface-tosurface missile launchers (amidships)
2 x 8-cell (16) Umkhonto surface-to-air vertical missile launchers (forecastle).


Up to 2 x Westland SuperLynx 300 navy helicopter.


Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period
Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 1
Image of the SAS Amatola (F145)
Image from the South African Navy website.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)