First Sea Axe vessel in South Africa

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAMEN.

The 62m by 11m vessels have been designed by Damen to deliver a rapid response capability that is both efective and cost efcient. The vessel is the frst Damen Sea Axe vessel to operate in South Africa where, along with its sister ships, its primary role will be to counter piracy, illegal fshing and smuggling operations. However, their ability to accommodate at short notice containerised mission modules gives them a true multi-mission capability. The patented design delivers exceptional seakeeping behaviour with the straightedged bow cutting through the water, thereby improving comfort and safety while reducing emissions and fuel consumption. The Sea Axe hull shape guarantees the best seakeeping performance at high speeds. The combination of superior seakeeping and the position of the wheelhouse results in the highest possible level of operability. The long and slender Sea Axe hull ofers exceptionally low resistance, delivering excellent fuel efciency at all speeds.

Damen Shipyards Cape Town (known as DSCT) builds ships in Africa for Africa and has to date constructed and delivered

Length o.a. Beam o.a. 62.2m 11.5m

Draught max

4.0 m Hull material Steel Superstructure Steel/Aluminium Endurance 48 days Speed Up to 30 knots

Sam Montsi – Chairman of the Damen Shipyards Cape Town Board.

over 40 vessels for various countries on the African continent. These vessels have included ofshore patrol vessels, dredgers, tugs, naval craft, and supply vessels. The Level 2 BEE rated company strives to be an employer of choice in the South African shipbuilding sector and is committed to furthering the future of the local South African Maritime Blue Oceans Economy by expanding employment opportunities within it through the provision of internships, apprenticeships, learnerships and training.

DSCT endeavours to build vessels that use local materials and services and, where necessary, assists in the development of local suppliers and service providers to ensure that they meet the standards required for world class quality vessels. Through these eforts, DSCT actively participates in contributing towards local maritime entrepreneurship and job creation. DSCT forms part of the global marine solutions network Damen Shipyards Group.

The MMIPV project is also playing an important role in creating skilled new jobs and acting as a catalyst for the development of regional supply chains. On its own, the MMIPV project is expected to generate more than one million man-hours of work during the construction of the three MMIPVs and will support more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs at Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT). In addition, the yard is also focusing on nurturing small businesses to maximise local content.

Sam Montsi, Chairman of the Damen Shipyards Cape Town Board, comments, “The delivery is a signifcant milestone in the story of Damen Shipyards Cape Town. It is the frst time that a naval vessel of this calibre has been built at the yard and it is also the frst of its class! Despite the COVID 19 pandemic, this beautiful vessel has been built to the required quality level which is an achievement that was realised by South African people, as most of the work and materials that went into the construction were sourced locally. The yard has signifcantly grown during this process both in the quality of work and the safety standards achieved. This project has also allowed the yard to increase the impact of its transformation strategy by consistently delivering relevant development to the communities of South Africa.” Work on the remaining two vessels is well underway at DSCT, with the second vessel handover being planned for 2023 and the third for 2024.