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6 octobre 2015 2 06 /10 /octobre /2015 15:45
Exercise Oxide ticked all the right boxes

 

06 October 2015 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

 

The just completed Exercise Oxide off South Africa’s east coast in the Richards Bay area saw in excess of 230 activities successfully executed in what has been called a “unique” exercise for the SA Navy (SAN). “Exercise Oxide was unique in that it was the first time an exercise of this magnitude was conducted away from a SAN home support base,” Corporate Communications Officer Commander Cara Pratten said.

 

“The crux of the exercise was to plan for and have sufficient logistic support to sustain a deployment of 638 people from different units and countries for a month. This proved to be the backbone of the exercise and several lessons were learnt,” she said, adding they would be added to the maritime arm of service’s knowledge base for future use.

 

The 2015 iteration of Exercise Oxide had as its overall objective exercising inter-operability between national and international rescue organisations as well as naval entities.

 

“This was accomplished with resounding success,” Pratten said.

 

The co-ordinated search and rescue component of Oxide was conducted in collaboration with Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Committees based in Cape Town and La Reunion.

 

The second objective was to exercise specific sea serials. These included advanced interdiction and boarding, Special Forces activities, establishment of a beach head and beach landings done by the Navy’s Maritime Reaction Squadron and sea manoeuvres such as light line transfers, personnel transfers, vertical replenishment and gunnery firing.

 

Two highlights for the French contingent as seen through the eyes of the Officer Commanding FNS Floreal, Commander Francois-Xavier Waroux, were a towex (towing exercise) with SAS Protea and the professionalism of the SA Navy shown by its sea riders aboard the French light surveillance frigate.

 

The towex was conducted in wind conditions exceeding 20 knots and Waroux said that presentations were all not perfect because of the wind but this did not stop it from being a good exercise.

 

Waroux said the SAN midshipmen tasked with manning the Chaka communications system aboard the French frigates handled themselves professionally at all times.

 

“The quality of South African midshipmen bodes well for the future of the SA Navy,” he said after the exercise.

 

In total 307 activities were planned for oxide 2015 and 238 were executed in accordance with the serialised programme. Cancellations were mostly due to weather.

 

The execution of serials was measured according to an “after-action review” reporting format for each activity. The lessons learned were discussed in detail at the technical debrief held on October 5.

 

“One of the most important aspects of any exercise is analysing the application of current military doctrine and reassessing it for future utilisation and Oxide provided the conditions to do precisely this. In future, all relevant guidelines, policies and after-action reports will be clearly visible so as to improve performance,” Pratten said.

 

La Reunion is set to host Exercise Oxide 2017.

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29 septembre 2015 2 29 /09 /septembre /2015 16:45
Exercice maritime bilatéral Oxide 2015

 

29.09.2015 ambafrance-rsa.org

 

Les forces françaises basées à la Réunion participent à l’exercice Oxide 2015 du 9 septembre au 2 octobre à Richards Bay avec les forces armées sud-africaines.

 

Le but de cet exercice est de renforcer notre coopération et de développer notre interopérabilité afin de faire face plus efficacement aux enjeux régionaux de sécurité.

 

A l’occasion de sa quatrième édition, cet exercice a pris une dimension interarmées. La marine sud-africaine a ainsi engagé trois bateaux, le SAS Protea (bâtiment océanographique), le SAS Isaac Dhyoba (Offshore Patrol Vessel) et le sous-marin SAS Queen Modjadji. La France a déployé la frégate de surveillance Floréal.

Un C130 BZ et un CASA 235 ont participé à des opérations de parachutages de forces spéciales sud-africaines et de commandos français. Un C 47 TP a réalisé des missions de sauvetage en mer et de surveillance maritime. En complément, un Oryx et le Panther du Floréal ont déposé des équipes d’inspection et évacué des blessés dans le cadre d’opérations de sauvetage en mer.

 

La frégate de surveillance Floréal :

Le Floréal est une frégate de surveillance, dont la mission est de faire respecter la souveraineté de l’Etat français dans les espaces maritimes éloignés de la métropole. A ce titre, elle intervient dans les opérations de lutte contre la piraterie et les trafics, de police des pêches, de surveillance du trafic commercial et de sauvetage en mer.

Long de 93,50m, large de 14m, il déplace 2800 tonnes. Le Floréal est armé d’un canon de 100mm, de deux canons de 20mm et de quatre mitrailleuses de 12,7mm. Un hélicoptère de type Panther est embarqué en permanence.

 

VIP day :

A l’occasion du VIP day de l’exercice Oxide qui s’est tenu le 24 septembre, madame l’Ambassadrice Elisabeth Barbier, le Lieutenant-general Mgwebi (chef des opérations interarmées), le Lieutenant-general Msimang (chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’air), le Vice-Amiral Hlongwane (chef d’Etat-major de la marine), le Lieutenant-general Nyembe (Chef des Renseignements Militaires) et le Général de Brigade Reignier (commandant supérieur des Forces Armées de la Zone Sud de l’Océan Indien FAZSOI) ont pu assister à une démonstration des capacités des forces engagées. Pendant plus d’une heure, les participants ont présenté l’ensemble du spectre des missions qui sont jouées durant cet exercice.

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28 septembre 2015 1 28 /09 /septembre /2015 16:45
C-Navy welcomes the French Ambassador on board SAS PROTEA - Photo by Leading Seaman Themba Zekevu

C-Navy welcomes the French Ambassador on board SAS PROTEA - Photo by Leading Seaman Themba Zekevu

 

28.09.2015 by Sub Lieutenant Doreen Oosthuizen - navy.mil.za

 

Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General D.M Mgwebi invited the Chiefs of Military Services and Divisions, maritime stake holders and the media to view a capability demonstration on board the South African Naval Hydrographical Survey vessel, SAS PROTEA. The capability demonstration formed part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) joint and Multi-National Maritime EXERCISE OXIDE 2015. French (FNS FLOREAL) and South African Naval vessels (SAS PROTEA and SAS ISAAC DYOBHA) and support forces have been in the area of operations since the beginning of September. EXERCISE OXIDE takes place every two years between the South Indian Ocean Naval Forces (FAZSOI) and the SANDF.

 

The capability demonstration that took place on 24 September showcased the combined operational and tactical procedures between the SANDF’s four Arms of Services. The South African marines from the Maritime Reaction Squadron and 4 Special Forces Regiment boarded the South African Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel, SAS ISAAC DYOBHA.

 

The SAS ISAAC DYOBHA (simulating a vessel in distress) lay in close proximity of the SAS PROTEA to ensure a perfect vantage point for viewing. The demonstration included marines performing an un-opposed a boarding by sea boat, a search and seizure of ‘pirates’, big bangs, smoke, marines being vertically dropped on the deck of the SAS ISAAC DYOBHA by a South African Air Force ORYX helicopter and a man-overboard simulation. The South African Air Force’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft dropped a life raft during the fly-pass to simulate a Search And Rescue scenario while running commentary was broadcast to explain the sequence of events to the guests who paid close attention to the demonstration from the SAS PROTEA’s flight deck.

 

The SAS PROTEA treated guests the evening with a cocktail function on board where the day’s display was praised by the Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant-General D.M. Mgwebi, the Commander Task Group, Captain (South African Navy) M. Nkomonde and the French Ambassador, Elizabeth Barbier who all thanked Richards Bay for the warm welcome and highlighting the importance of forces’ being able to perform readiness training to conduct unified land and sea operations.

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