The Indian Navy recently welcomed SAS Amatola (F145) on her arrival at Visakhapatnam. The frigate will participate in the International Fleet Review 2026 IFR2026 India and the biennial naval exercise MILAN 2026, highlighting the enduring maritime ties between South Africa and India across the Indian Ocean Region.
SAS Amatola (F145) is the first of four Valour-class frigates built for the South African Navy by the European South African Corvette Consortium. In keeping with a naming convention that honours acts of valour the vessel was named after the Amatola mountain range in the Eastern Cape the site of conflicts between British forces and the Xhosa nation in late 1852. The frigate was officially named by Mrs Zanele Mbeki, wife of then-President Thabo Mbeki at the Blohm & Voss, Thyssen Rheinstahl, Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Thales shipyards in Germany just after noon on 7 June 2002.
SAS Amatola’s deployment underscores the South African Navy’s commitment to international cooperation, interoperability and regional security. Her presence at these high-profile events offers an opportunity to showcase South Africa’s naval capabilities while fostering stronger partnerships with navies across the region.
Exercise MILAN 2026 is the 13th edition of the Indian Navy’s premier biennial multilateral naval exercise held in Visakhapatnam from February 15–25, 2026, Andhra Pradesh. This year’s event also converged with the International Fleet Review (IFR) and the IONS Conclave with over 72 participating nations and 60+ warships. Read more about Exercise MILAN.
The visits form part of a broader agenda of engagement between the Indian and South African navies, reinforcing mutual respect, collaboration and shared maritime interests in the Indian Ocean.
