The warship SAS Drakensberg (A301), destined for combat support and replenishment for the South African Navy, will visit Cuba and South America at the end of 2024.
The government of South Africa indicated, through Defence Web, that the visit is being organized as part of South Africa's efforts to increase its naval presence in the Atlantic.
Vice Admiral Monde Lobese confirmed that the Drakensberg, also known as "Drakies" or DKB, will participate in exercises in Brazil, in line with the BRICS+ initiative (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and United Arab Emirates), and will strengthen military relations with Cuba.
The Drakensberg's journey will cover almost 4,200 nautical miles to Brazil and over 2,600 additional nautical miles to Cuba.
Lobese did not specify the exact dates of these transits. There are concerns about the availability of parts for the ship, as Armscor's tender for spare parts has not yet been responded to.
The Drakensberg, with a total cargo capacity of 12,500 tons, has been intermittently operational since 2019 and has been used in resupply missions, piracy patrols, and disaster relief operations.
In recent days, the Russian nuclear submarine Kazan left the Bay of Havana after a five-day visit, generating great geopolitical anticipation.
The Russian flotilla included the Kazan, the oil tanker Pashin, the salvage tugboat Nikolai Chiker, and the frigate Admiral Gorshkov.
Around the same dates, the U.S. government deployed ships and reconnaissance aircraft in the area and announced the arrival of the USS Helena, a fast-attack submarine, at Guantanamo Bay.
To "relax" the geopolitical tension in the area, the Canadian government sent the HMCS Margaret Brooke ship, which arrived at the Port of Havana on June 14 and returned to its country on Monday the 17th.
Canadian authorities stated that the visit to the port of Havana was carefully planned and announced in advance by the military.
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