SAS Galeshewe

History
South Africa
Name:	SAS Galeshewe
Namesake:	enamed for the Tlhaping tribe's chief Galeshewe
Operator:	South African Navy
Builder:	Sandock Austral, Durban
Launched:	26 Mar 1982[1]
Commissioned:	11 Feb 1983
Homeport:	Durban
Status:	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type:	Warrior class strike craft
Type:	Missile boat
Displacement:	415 tons (450 tons full loaded)
Length:	58 m (190 ft)
Beam:	7.62 m (25.0 ft)
Draught:	2.4 m (7.9 ft)
Propulsion:	4 MTU 16V 538 diesel engines, four shafts, total of 12,800 hp (9,500 kW)
Speed:	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range:	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17.5 kn (32.4 km/h) 1,650 nmi (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement:	45 officers and crewmen

SAS Galeshewe is a Warrior-class strike craft of the South African Navy, currently configured as an Offshore Patrol Vessel.

She was commissioned in 1983 and originally named SAS Hendrik Mentz for South African Party minister of defence Hendrik Mentz, she was renamed on 1 April 1997.^[2] She was upgraded in 2012/2013 to an Offshore Patrol Vessel role.^[3]

The SAS Galeshewe is currently employed with anti piracy patrols.^[4][5]

References

1. "Patrol Forces". Navy.mil.za. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
2. Wessels, Andre. "The South African Navy during the years of conflict in Southern Africa 1966-1989" (PDF). Retrieved August 14, 2014.
3. Wingrin, Dean (10 May 2013). "Navy commences upgrade of fourth strike craft". Defenceweb.co.za. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
4. Helfrich, Kim (November 14, 2013). "OPVs take up counter piracy duties". Defenceweb.co.za. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
5. Martin, Guy (July 30, 2013). "SAS Isaac Dyobha takes over from SAS Galeshewe patrolling Mozambique Channel". Defenceweb. Retrieved December 9, 2014.