Damen to Deliver Three Patrol Vessels for South Africa

 

The new vessels – the first of a Damen Sea Axe design to operate in South Africa – will form part of the South African Navy’s Project Biro. The project aims to develop South Africa’s maritime security, ensuring that the country has the capability to respond effectively, rapidly and cost-efficiently to maritime threats such as illegal trafficking and fishing. 

 

The order comes exactly four years to the day that DSCT received the order to deliver vessels for a previous project for the South African Navy, Project Canter.

 

According to Damen, its participation in Project Biro underlines its commitment to the South African Government’s Operation Phakisa initiative, which aims to unlock the potential of the country’s maritime industry.  

 

DSCT will source as many components and services as possible for the project from South Africa-based suppliers. In this regard, DSCT said it plans to provide active support for the Government’s Enterprise Supplier Development program, supporting small and micro-businesses in the country. 

 

The project will also actively contribute to the Department of Trade & Industry’s National Industrial Participation (NIP) program and the complimentary, defense-focused Defense Industrial Participation (DIP). In turn this contributes to the Government’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) initiative. DSCT is a Level-3 BBBEE rated company.

 

Chairman Sam Montsi said, “At DSCT we are not only about shipbuilding and repair, but also about providing people with the opportunities needed to reach their potential – whether they work for us or for one of our many local suppliers – and supporting the country’s economy. DSCT is about the development of an entire shipbuilding and related industries.”