The South African Navy (SAN), under the leadership of Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, has deployed three naval platforms into False Bay this week as part of the national force preparation exercise, Red Lion 2025, with the drills briefly joined by the French Navy’s newly commissioned offshore patrol vessel, Auguste Techer. The exercise, designed to enhance the SAN’s readiness and operational capability, involves coordinated activities across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal.
On 11 August, the SAS Adam Kok III (P1573) the Navy’s latest multi-mission inshore patrol vessel (MMIPV), and the Valour Class frigate SAS Amatola (F145) departed the naval harbour in Simon’s Town to begin the sea phase of Exercise Red Lion. These vessels engaged in a series of demanding maritime operations, including simulated fast inshore attacks, gunnery drills, towing exercises, flying station maneuvers, boarding boat launches, weapons orientation, and publication exercises. The opening days at sea were described as “valuable” for crew training and operational efficiency.
Prior to taking to the waters, Western Cape-based SAN units carried out extensive land-based simulations, including bomb threat responses, building evacuations, shipboard fire drills, and heightened security operations around Simon’s Town naval facilities and the Armscor dockyard. These exercises involved the coordinated efforts of naval police, explosive ordnance disposal units, and security teams to neutralize simulated threats and maintain safety.
By Friday, ship tracking data showed the SAS King Shaka Zulu, SAS Adam Kok III, SAS Amatola, and the French offshore patrol vessel Auguste Techer (P781) operating near False Bay in what appeared to be a joint passage exercise. The French vessel, spotted in Cape Town harbour earlier in the week, is part of the Félix Éboué class and displaces 1,300 tons with an 80-metre length. Crewed by 30 sailors and capable of hosting an additional 29 passengers, it supports combat divers and carries two 8-metre inflatable boats along with a Survey Copter Aliaca UAV a drone capable of three-hour missions over a 50-kilometre range, launched via catapult and recovered using a net.
Commissioned to replace the retired P400 class patrol vessels in 2023, the Félix Éboué class plays a crucial role in France’s overseas military presence, which includes 20 naval vessels, 40 aircraft, and 7,000 personnel stationed across French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and La Réunion. These assets safeguard French sovereignty, provide disaster relief, and enforce the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ensuring freedom of navigation in international waters.
The Auguste Techer’s mission profile includes sovereignty enforcement, maritime surveillance, protection of national interests, pollution response, and combating illicit maritime activities across France’s vast 7 million km² exclusive economic zone in the Indian Ocean. During its visit to South Africa, the French crew engaged in cultural and military exchanges, including a tour of the SA Naval Museum. Among the visiting officers were Colonel Frédéric Ducotey, Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces in La Réunion, and Lieutenant Commander Robin Martins, commanding officer of the Auguste Techer.
This collaboration between the South African and French navies during Exercise Red Lion 2025 highlights the importance of international maritime cooperation, joint readiness, and the shared commitment to safeguarding the world’s oceans.
Leave a comment