NEW DELHI: Marking a new chapter in the strategic partnership between India and South Africa, Indian Navy successfully undertakes the Submarine Rescue Seat Certification for South African Navy. A delegation of the Indian Navy is in South Africa.
The Indian Navy on Tuesday said, "Strengthening bilateral ties, the Indian Navy successfully undertook the Rescue Seat Certification of the South African Navy Submarine (SAS) Manthatisi, a first for any Friendly Foreign Navy." The Indian Navy views it as "a significant milestone in international naval cooperation."
The Navy said in its statement that this agreement paves "way for the implementation of the Submarine Rescue and Cooperation Implementation Agreement signed between the two navies in September 2024."
The Indian Navy delegation also called on Rear Admiral Handsome Matsane, Flag Officer South African Navy Fleet at Simon's Town and interacted closely with South Africa's Armscor Dockyard, Institute of Maritime Technology and the South African Navy technical teams.
The Submarine Rescue and Cooperation Implementation Agreement was signed by Admiral (Adm) Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Indian Navy, and Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the South African Navy, on 03 Sep 24. It ensures the safety of the South African Navy's submarine crew in times of distress or accident.
This agreement enables the Indian Navy to provide rescue assistance to South African Navy submarine crews in the unfortunate event of distress, by deploying the Indian Navy's Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).
The certification process involved rigorous training and evaluation, demonstrating the Indian Navy's commitment to enhancing maritime safety and operational readiness.
The successful execution of this certification marks a new chapter in the strategic partnership between India and South Africa, reinforcing their shared vision for a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in June this year led the Indian delegation to South Africa for the 9th Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting held in Johannesburg. The delegation from South Africa was headed by Acting Secretary for Defence Dr Thobekile Gamede.
Areas of mutual interest were discussed and a way forward for further strengthening of India-South Africa relations were identified.
During the June visit two new agreements in the domain of submarine cooperation were exchanged. The two sub-committees on Defence Policy and Military Cooperation; and Defence Acquisition, Production, Research and Development reported the outcome of the discussions to the JDC.
India-South Africa relations have a shared history, deeply rooted in the commonality of struggle against colonialism. Defence collaboration between the two countries dates back to 1996, when the MoU on 'Cooperation in the field of Defence Equipment' was signed, which was further upgraded by an MoU in 2000.