SAS Mendi off to fight pirates
SAS Mendi, the South Africa Navy's Valour-class frigate, is on its way to Pemba in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel where it will be used to protect merchants ships and other vessels from Somali pirates.
The Mendi left South Africa on Saturday, 17 September 2011. This is the ship's second deployment in the protection programme dubbed Operation Copper. It was stationed at Pemba from February to April this year and was relieved by SAS Amatola, which is now back in port at Simon's Town after spending 126 days at sea.
Earlier this year President Jacob Zuma granted the necessary authority to the navy to allow it to combat piracy and other maritime crimes off the coast of east Africa.
Read the Ports & Ships Maritime News.
Read more on Operation Copper on Defence Web.
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