SAS ''Protea'' is a
survey vessel
A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys, usually to collect data for mapping or planning underwater construction or mineral extraction. It is a type of research vessel, and may be designed for the purpo ...
of 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 ...
, part of the s
built for the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
. ''Protea'' was the fifth ''Hecla''-class vessel and was
commissioned on 23 May 1972
As of 2023, ''Protea'' remains in service.
Role
''Protea'' is a specialist
hydrographic survey vessel
A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys, usually to collect data for mapping or planning underwater construction or mineral extraction. It is a type of research vessel, and may be designed for the purpo ...
, although its equipment has been used in
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
operations using ''Protea''s shallow water route survey system (SWRSS).
She is the only ship in the South African Navy that is painted white, denoting that she is not a
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...
.
Her
hull is strengthened for navigation in ice and she is fitted with a transverse
bow thruster
Manoeuvering thruster (bow thruster or stern thruster) is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, either the bow or stern, of a ship or boat to make it more manoeuvrable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow th ...
unit, for increased manoeuvrability in harbour.
History
''Protea'' was
commissioned at
Scotstoun
Scotstoun ( gd, Baile an Sgotaich) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Garscadden and Yoker to the west, Victoria Park, Jordanhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde ...
,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and arrived in South Africa on 14 June 1972.
In 1978 ''Protea'' took part in an international
krill
Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in n ...
research project, becoming the first South African Navy vessel to round
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego RamÃrez ...
. She also acted as the guardship for the 1976 and 1979 Transatlantic Yacht races.
In 1981 she was involved in
Operation Kerslig, a clandestine operation to attack oil facilities in
Luanda
Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
, Angola.
She remained active in the post-apartheid navy and as late as February 2023 was reported to be participating in joint South African-Russian-Chinese exercises which involved the frigate ''
Admiral Gorshkov'' and tanker ''Kama'' from the Russian Navy along with the destroyer ''
Huainan
Huainan () is a prefecture-level city with 3,033,528 inhabitants as of the 2020 census in north-central Anhui province, China. It is named for the Han-era Principality of Huainan. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu'an ...
'', the frigate ''
Rizhao
Rizhao (), alternatively romanized as Jihchao, is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong province, China. It is situated on the coastline along the Yellow Sea, and features a major seaport. It borders Qingdao to the northeast, Weifang t ...
'' and the support ship ''
Kekexilihu'' from the Chinese Navy, as well as other units from the South African Navy including the frigate
''Mendi''.
See also
*
List of ships of the South African Navy
This is a list of active South African Navy ships as of 2023. There are approximately 47 ships in commission, this includes 4 frigates, 3 submarines, 2 minesweepers, 1 replenishment vessel, 1 Survey vessel 5 tugboats and 31 patrol vessels.
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protea
Hecla-class survey vessels
Ships of the South African Navy
Military units and formations in Cape Town
1970 ships