Chinese Poly Technologies Partners With Denel To Build Naval Vessels For South Africa

Denel and Poly Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join forces in SA’s maritime rejuvenation.

Poly Technologies aims to take a stake in the Simons Town shipyard and join Denel in constructing three naval vessels. The strategic alliance was signed on 16 September by Denel’s acting Group CEO Zwelakhe Ntshepe and the Vice President of Poly Technologies Inc, Liu Jianmin at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition at Air Force Base Waterkloof.

Poly Technologies is likely to make an investment in the recapitalization of the Simons Town dockyard as part of its management takeover by Denel Integrated Systems and Maritime (Denel ISM). Denel officials declined to give the figure of the Chinese investment and a press statement from Denel only said that the two state owned companies would combine to collaborate in the rejuvenation and growth of the local maritime sector. More immediately, the two companies will collaborate in the construction of three naval vessels for the SA Navy.

Poly Technologies is involved in almost every defence sector including dockyard construction, ship building, tank and armoured vehicle manufacturing, and fighter aircraft production.

Denel did say that it would build three vessels for the South African navy with Poly Technologies in either Simons Town or Durban. This will presumably be if Poly Technologies wins the SA Navy’s Projects Biro and Hotel for hydrographic, inshore and offshore patrol vessels.

The designs Poly Technologies is offering include a Hydrographic Survey Vessel (HSV43 4300T), which will have an overall length of 100.9 m and a displacement of 4 300 tons. The vessel will have a helicopter landing deck on its stern and be equipped with four 12.7 mm machine guns.

Another vessel that could be built by Denel and Poly Technologies is an 85 m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV85) which will have a displacement of 2 080 tons. This will have a helicopter landing pad and could be equipped with a main gun of up to 76 mm.

The third vessel being offered is a 60 m Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV60) with a displacement of 1 000 tons. This vessel will carry four 12.7mm machine guns and a Reutech Solutions 20 mm Super Rogue turret.