Fleet Command is the

South African Navy The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force. The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery prot ...

's single type command and controls all vessels and units of the South African Navy, besides Naval Headquarters. The commander of Fleet Command is a Rear Admiral and referred to as Flag Officer Fleet (FOF). The post was previously known as Chief of Naval Operations. Fleet Command was formed on 1 April 1999 following a Defense review, with Rear Admiral Eric Green as the first Flag Officer Fleet.

Command, control and organisation

Four directorates are responsible for the day to day control of Fleet Command: * Director Fleet Force Preparations (DFFP) * Director Fleet Human Resources (DFHR) * Director Fleet Quality Assurance (DFQA) * Director Fleet Logistics (DFL)

Past Flag Officers Fleet

* 1999 to 2005 - Rear Admiral Eric Green * 2005 to 2008 - Rear Admiral

Hennie Bester Rear Admiral Hennie Bester is a retired South African Navy officer who served as Flag Officer Fleet from 2005 to 2008, when he retired. Military career He joined the Navy in 1968. He served on a number of ships before joining the project to a ...

* 2008 to December 2010 - Rear Admiral

Robert Higgs Robert Higgs (born 1 February 1944) is an American economic historian and economist combining material from Public Choice, the New institutional economics, and the Austrian school of economics; and describes himself as a " libertarian anarchis ...

* December 2010 to 1 February 2014 - Rear Admiral

Phillip Schoultz Rear Admiral Philip Schöultz is a retired Rear Admiral in the South African Navy, who served as Flag Officer Fleet. He joined the Navy in 1972 and served on minesweeper , the destroyer and the frigate . He then joined the strikecraft flotil ...

* 1 February 2014 to 31 March 2020 - Rear Admiral

Bubele Mhlana Bubele Kitie Mhlana is a South African naval officer. He was born in the Ngangelizwe township in Mthatha. Military career He is a former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) operative and joined the South African Navy in 1994. He assumed command of the m ...

* 1 April 2020 to current - Rear Admiral

Musawenkosi Nkomonde Rear Admiral Musawenkosi Nkomonde is the current serving Flag Officer Fleet of the South African Navy. The has previously Commanded SAS UMKOMAAS and SAS ISANDLWANA F146. Background He joined the Navy in 1997 after school. After military trai ...

Force preparation

Director Fleet Force Preparations is responsible for the day-to-day running of the ships and submarines and for ensuring their operational readiness. The Maritime Reaction Squadron and Navcomcens also report into DFFP.

Maritime Reaction Squadron

The Naval Rapid Deployment Force (NRDF), now known as the Maritime Reaction Squadron (MRS), was formed in 2006. The main aim of this specialised unit is to deploy infantry-trained South African Navy members in various peacekeeping roles within the African continent and to assist in boarding operations at sea, humanitarian operations and disaster relief. The squadron consists of the following components: *Operational Boat Division (OBD), with 10 Namacurra-class harbour patrol boats and six Lima-class utility landing craft *Reaction Force Division (RFD), consisting of one naval infantry company with a command and support element * Operational Diving Division (ODD), consisting of four operational diving teams (ODT) of 17 divers

Human resources

Director Fleet Human Resources is responsible for all training and manning and also controls the training units.

Training units

SAS Saldanha SAS Saldanha is a South African Navy training base in Saldanha Bay. History In 1941, as a result of increased pressure on Table Bay, a new Allied harbour was sought. Saldanha Bay, with its sheltered moorings, was the ideal location. The South A ...

- located on the West Coast and provides training and development for ratings *

SAS Wingfield SAS Wingfield is a South African Navy base, on the site of the World War II Wingfield Aerodrome in Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of ...

- located in the Greater

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

area; provides practical training for apprentices and the technical musterings * SAS Simonsberg - training in gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, communications, diving and seamanship *

South African Naval College The South African Naval College provides naval officer training to the South African Navy and is one of three officer training institutions within the South African National Defence Force, the equivalent of the Air Force Gymnasium and the Army G ...

Gordon's Bay - training college for naval officers *Maritime Warfare School, Simonstown *NBCD School - nuclear, biological, and damage control training

Logistics

Director Fleet Logistics is responsible for all Logistics units as well as for the maintenance of the fleet.

Logistics units

* Naval Armament Depot * Naval Dockyard * Naval Stores Depot * Fleet Maintenance Unit * Naval Publications Unit

Quality assurance

Director Fleet Quality Assurance is responsible for the output of Fleet Command and monitoring Quality Assurance throughout Fleet Command.

References

{{South African Navy South African Navy Military units and formations in Cape Town