The hull of the SA’s Navy’s new hydrographic survey vessel is complete and the vessel is expected to launch in March 2024, says project manager Armscor. The SAS Nelson Mandela, currently under construction at Sandock Austral’s shipyard in Durban, is a major part of Project Hotel, a R2.7bn upgrade of the navy’s hydrographic survey capability with a much-needed new ship as well a revamped survey office. The office has been completed and is currently operational.
While the new ship is due to be handed over to the fleet in March 2025, SAN Deputy Chief, Rear Admiral Bubele Mhlana, told parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence in May that an accelerated handover deadline of October 2024 was possible.
The 95m-long vessel has an ice-strengthened bow for Antarctic operations and will be equipped with state-of-the-art echo sounders, side-scan sonar and a sampler for recovering material from the ocean floor.
The vessel will replace the SA Protea which has served in the role since 1972.
