Simonstown Agreement

In return, South Africa promised the use of the Simonstown base to Royal Navy ships.

[1] The agreement also permitted South Africa to buy six anti-submarine frigates, ten coastal minesweepers and four seaward defence boats[2] from the UK valued at £18 million over the next eight years.

In effect, the agreement was a mutual defence arrangement aimed at protecting sea routes between the UK and the Middle East.

[4] These agreements were: 1) Agreement on Defence of the Sea Routes round Southern Africa: Extracts from the letters and memoranda dated 30 June 1955 exchanged between the Governments of the United Kingdom and South Africa were included in 1974 Cabinet papers published by The National Archives many years later:[5] 2) Transfer of the Simonstown Naval Base[4] 3) Ancillary Financial and Administrative arrangements[4] The government of the UK terminated the agreement on 16 June 1975.

Ships of the Royal Navy continued to call periodically at Simon's Town and other South African ports, however the Royal Navy was not able to use any South African ports during the Falklands War.