The Warrior-class strike craft (ex Minister class) are in service with the South African Navy, with the design being a modified Sa'ar 4 (Reshef)-class fast attack craft.[1] The class was initially known as the Minister class as all the boats were named after South African Ministers of Defence, before being renamed Warrior-class after 1994. The strike craft flotilla was known as SAS Scorpion.[2]
In March 1971, a South African project team visited Britain, France and Portugal to investigate alternative designs for future frigates or corvettes. A decision was made to buy corvettes from Portugal, with four ships of an upgraded version of the being ordered. However, due to the changing of the political climate in Portugal following the 1974 Carnation Revolution, the new Portuguese authorities cancelled the transference of the corvettes to South Africa, instead integrating them in the Portuguese Navy, where they formed the .
The then Minister of Defence, P. W. Botha, had already started discussions with Israel to buy their Reshef-class missile boats, designated Project Japonica.
In 1974, a contract was signed with Israeli Military Industries for the construction of three of the modified Reshef-class vessels at the Haifa facility of Israeli Shipyards. A further three were built immediately after at the Sandock-Austral shipyard in Durban, South Africa, with three more being built at the same facility several years later.[3] The imposition of the international embargo on the sale of arms to South Africa on 4 November 1977 forced the project to be carried out under a cloak of security.[3] The South African variants were fitted with Gabriel missiles, otherwise known as 'Scorpion' missiles, and had two Oto Melara 76 mm guns instead of a single one with a Phalanx CIWS.
With the arrival of the strike craft, a strike craft flotilla was formed in 1977 under the command of Captain Glen Syndercombe.[4] This flotilla was renamed SAS Scorpion in 1980.
The flotilla was formed into two squadrons in 1985, with four ships being in service at one time in Squadron 1 and two in service with Squadron 2,[5] which was based in Simon's Town.
Three decommissioned Warrior-class strike craft were refurbished by SA Shipyards and recommissioned as offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) from 2012 to 2014. Their aged Skerpioen missile launchers were removed, providing extra room for a small RHIB boat and a small contingent of seaborne commandos to board suspect vessels. Re-classed as OPVs, these vessels are armed with one OTO Melara 76 mm naval artillery gun, the rear one of the two originally fitted having been removed, as well as a pair of 20mm guns and a pair of 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Rear Admiral Hanno Teuteberg, Chief Director Maritime Strategy, said in 2013 that the early indications are that the life of the OPV vessels can be extended for at least five or more years, to coincide with Project Biro, the new build Offshore/Inshore patrol vessel project.
Three of the former strike craft were refurbished and recommissioned as SAS Isaac Dyobha (P1565), SAS Galeshewe (P1567) and SAS Makhanda (P1569). As of 2023, only SAS Makhanda remains in active service. Her home port is Naval Base Durban, which is undergoing an upgrade in preparation for the new patrol flotilla which will consist of similarly named Warrior Class Inshore Patrol Vessels currently under construction.[6]
A total of 9 boats were delivered to the South African Navy.
| Name | Previous names | Pennant | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1561 | 8 July 1977[7] | 2004 | Scrapped 2004 | Built by Israel Shipyards Ltd, Haifa, Israel. Originally named after PM of Union of South Africa Jan Smuts.[8] | |||
| SAS P.W. Botha | P1562 | 2 December 1977 | 2005 | Sunk as target 2005[9] [10] | Built by Israel Shipyards Ltd, Haifa, Israel. Originally named for former President of South Africa Pieter Willem Botha. | ||
| SAS Frederic Creswell | P1563 | 6 April 1978 | Awaiting 'sale and/or destruction'[11] | Built by Israel Shipyards Ltd, Haifa, Israel. Originally named for South African Labour Party minister Frederic Creswell and renamed for black South African leader Adam Kok III. Stripped and towed to Simon's Town. Deemed surplus, awaiting tenders for 'sale and/or destruction'. | |||
| SAS Jim Fouché | P1564 | 22 December 1978 | 2005 | Sunk as target 2005[12] | Built by Sandock-Austral, Durban, South Africa. Originally named after the 2nd State President of South Africa Jacobus Johannes Fouché. | ||
| SAS Frans Erasmus | P1565 | 27 July 1979[13] | 2022 | Decommissioned in 2022 | Named for former National Party cabinet minister Frans Erasmus; renamed after the Reverend Isaac Dyobha, a chaplain in the South African Native Labour Corps who died in the sinking of the SS Mendi in 1917.[14] | ||
| SAS Oswald Pirow | P1566 | 4 March 1980 | Scrapped | Built by Sandock-Austral, Durban, South Africa. Originally named after National Party minister Oswald Pirow and renamed for decorated HMSAS officer René Sethren CGM. | |||
| P1567 | 11 Feb 1983 | 2020 | Decommissioned in 2020. In Reserve. [15] | Named for South African Party minister of defence Hendrik Mentz; renamed for the Tlhaping tribe's chief Galeshewe. | |||
| SAS Kobie Coetsee | P1568 | 11 February 1983 | 2008 | Sold for scrap | Built by Sandock-Austral, Durban, South Africa. Originally named after National Party politician Kobie Coetsee; renamed after Cpl Job Masego of the Native Military Corps. | ||
| SAS Magnus Malan | P1569 | 4 July 1986 | - | In service | Built by Sandock-Austral, Durban, South Africa. Originally named after National Party politician and Chief of the South African Defense Force Magnus Malan; converted to an OPV in 2014.[16] Likely to be decommissioned 2023. |