SAS Mendi

	SAS Mendi
History
South Africa
Name	SAS Mendi
Namesake	SS Mendi
Ordered	3 December 1999
Builder	Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel
Laid down	28 June 2002
Launched	October 2003
Commissioned	20 March 2007
Homeport	Simonstown
Identification	F148
Status	Active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Valour-class frigate
Displacement	3,700 tons
Length	121 m (397 ft)
Beam	16.34 m (53.6 ft)
Draught	5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Propulsion	CODAG WARP; 2 × Diesels 5,920 kW (7,939 hp) each; 2 shafts; 1 × Gas turbine 20,000 kW (26,820 hp); 1 waterjet;
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	152
Sensors and ; processing systems	Surveillance Radar: Thales Naval France MRR-3D NG G-band multi-role radar; Optical Radar Tracker: 2 Reutech RTS 6400 monopulse X-band (I/J bands) combined radar and optronics trackers; Electro-optical Tracker: Reutech Electro-optical tracker; Identification Friend or Foe: Tellumat Integrated Naval IFF system; Target Designation Sights: M-Tek Target Designation Sights; Sonar: Thales UMS4132 Kingklip sonar; Obstacle avoidance sonar: MDS 3060;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	ESM/ECM: Saab Grintek Avitronics SME 100/200 ESM (Intercept and Jammer) & ELINT; Decoys: 2 Saab Grintek Avitronics MRL Super Barricade chaff launchers (96 decoys);
Armament	1 × Otobreda 76 mm gun; 1 × twin-barreled 35 mm (Denel) dual-purpose gun; 2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Mk1; 8 × MBDA MM40 Exocet Block 2 SSM (2 × 4-cell launchers); 16 × Umkhonto SAM (2 × 8-cell vertical launchers);
Aircraft carried	1 × SuperLynx 300 (can carry 2)
Aviation facilities	Flight deck; Enclosed hangar;

SAS Mendi (F148) is the last of four Valour-class frigates built for the South African Navy by the European South African Corvette Consortium and entered service in March 2007. SAS Mendi was named by Mrs Helena Retief, wife of the (then) Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Johan Retief.^[1]

^ South African Navy Ships Archived 2011-12-25 at the Wayback Machine

[1] South African Navy Ships Archived 2011-12-25 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

History
SAS Mendi
South Africa
Name	SAS Mendi
Namesake	SS Mendi
Ordered	3 December 1999
Builder	Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel
Laid down	28 June 2002
Launched	October 2003
Commissioned	20 March 2007
Homeport	Simonstown
Identification	F148
Status	Active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Valour-class frigate
Displacement	3,700 tons
Length	121 m (397 ft)
Beam	16.34 m (53.6 ft)
Draught	5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Propulsion	CODAG WARP 2 × Diesels 5,920 kW (7,939 hp) each 2 shafts 1 × Gas turbine 20,000 kW (26,820 hp) 1 waterjet
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	152
Sensors and processing systems	Surveillance Radar: Thales Naval France MRR-3D NG G-band multi-role radar Optical Radar Tracker: 2 Reutech RTS 6400 monopulse X-band (I/J bands) combined radar and optronics trackers Electro-optical Tracker: Reutech Electro-optical tracker Identification Friend or Foe: Tellumat Integrated Naval IFF system Target Designation Sights: M-Tek Target Designation Sights Sonar: Thales UMS4132 Kingklip sonar Obstacle avoidance sonar: MDS 3060
Electronic warfare & decoys	ESM/ECM: Saab Grintek Avitronics SME 100/200 ESM (Intercept and Jammer) & ELINT Decoys: 2 Saab Grintek Avitronics MRL Super Barricade chaff launchers (96 decoys)
Armament	1 × Otobreda 76 mm gun 1 × twin-barreled 35 mm (Denel) dual-purpose gun 2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Mk1 8 × MBDA MM40 Exocet Block 2 SSM (2 × 4-cell launchers) 16 × Umkhonto SAM (2 × 8-cell vertical launchers)
Aircraft carried	1 × SuperLynx 300 (can carry 2)
Aviation facilities	Flight deck Enclosed hangar