[3] Designed as a multiple purpose, multi capable frigate, the Valour class encompasses the general guided-missile anti-surface and anti-air role forming the core of the South African surface fleet.

Mhlana, Deputy Chief of the Navy, reported to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence that Mendi was the only frigate of her class still effectively operational, given cancellations and delays in refits for her sister ships.

The concept for the Valour class (Project Sitron) was first conceived in the late 1990s as part of the Strategic Defence Package, in which the new South African ANC government was keen to modernise the armed forces after decades of apartheid-era United Nations sanctions.

As white minority rule came to a negotiated end by 1994, the Navy had lost all its major surface warships and suffered from a critical lack of anti-submarine and anti-air capability, operating nine increasingly obsolete strike craft OPVs and three aged diesel electric submarines.

[9] The Spanish frigate design, the Álvaro de Bazán class topped an acquisition effort in 1995 under Project Falcon, however this was later cancelled in favour of the wider Strategic Defence Package.

In 1999, an initial tender of five general purpose warships that could negotiate the tough sea conditions off the South African coast was met with four designs being proposed by the United Kingdom (GEC F3000), Germany (MEKO A200), France (La Fayette) and Spain (Bazan 59B).

The ANC Government was keen that the newly democratic South Africa would play a leading role in African peacekeeping missions, and as such required a naval force that had regional capability.

The winning design had to be able to conduct sustained operations at sea - potentially far from a home port, provide gunfire and transport support to land forces, have helicopter capacity, and undertake a range of general offensive and defensive missions, as well as regular maritime patrols on behalf of law enforcement.

[9] On 3 December 1999, a contract was signed with the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC) to provide four warships based on the German MEKO 200 design bid.

Originally termed corvettes for political reasons by the South African Navy, the Valour class design, officially the MEKO A200SAN, represented a quantum leap in multi-purpose capability, with a final procurement cost of R9.65 billion in 2007.

Focusing on providing a frigate for navies with a restricted budget, the design ensures a low crew complement, comfortable accommodation, and plenty of space for future technological upgrades on a modular construction.

[3] The A200SAN design offers very solid sea-keeping due to high forward buoyancy and stability reserves to accommodate future upgrades, making the class perfect when engaging in sustained operations in the rough sea conditions found off the South African coast.

The design has the extensive use of the ‘X-form’ structure in which right angles and vertical surfaces are avoided, whilst techniques to reduce an infrared signature allow for pre-cooled exhaust gasses to be expelled just above the waterline.

A degree of proactive protection has also been incorporated into the design, along with an optimised layout and damage control features with light ceramic and Kevlar armour shielding critical compartments and the dividing up of the hull into zones with independent fire fighting, electrical and HVAC systems.

More than 10 watertight compartments, as well as double bulkheads and box girders running lengthwise, form the steel hull which has been proven to prevent break-up.

An independent centre-line gas turbine drives the water jet, coupled by a small reduction gear, eliminating the need for another combining gearbox.

A reverse-thrust bucket is also fitted that can be raised to redirect the water jet forward, giving the class the shortest stopping distance of any other similar warship.

These frigates are expected to spend about 80% of their at-sea time in modes I and II, allowing for a maximum range of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).

The weapon's primary role of providing vessel point defence against aerial hostiles and missiles, with a secondary purpose of engaging surface and shore targets.

Maximum speed of 1,148 km/h (713 mph), with sea-skimming capabilities, preprogramed manoeuvres, active radar seeker and a high explosive fragmentation warhead.

Also included is a computer-based "Naval Logistic Management System" that controls the on-board maintenance planning and execution by automatically generating weekly check-lists and repair schedules.

[5] The hangar and flight deck design enables a wide range of helicopter options to fit requirements such as: Two Westland Super Lynx or One Westland Super Lynx and two UAVs or One Atlas Oryx or One Denel Rooivalk In 2016 it was announced that the Valour class would benefit from a mid-life upgrade over the next decade that would extend service life beyond 2035, with improvement to both capability and capacity.

Described as South Africa's worst naval disaster, 607 members of the SANLC, nine of their white countrymen and 33 British sailors died when the troopship sank eleven miles (18 km) off St Catherine's Light in the English Channel.

After increased piracy for a number of years, fellow South African Development Community members requested help in policing the crucial import and export sea lane.

Since the beginning of operations, every frigate has been deployed on rotation and maritime piracy has fallen substantially, with marines regularly being embarked in order to board suspect vessels.