Namibian Navy

Namibian Navy sailors on parade in downtown Windhoek on 20 March 2015 during Namibia's Independence celebration

Development of Namibia's navy has been slow, and the force was only formally established in 11 September 1998 as a maritime wing and in 2004 as a fully fledged navy, fourteen years after independence. Extensive Brazilian aid has assisted in the development of the Namibian Navy. The first ten officers from the Namibian Army who would be the core group were sent to Brazil in August 1995 after Walvis Bay had been integrated into Namibia in 1994. This group led by Phestus Sacharia consisted of officers such as Peter Vilho, Sinsy Nghipandua, Alweendo Amungulu and Petrus Tjandja, would be the future Headquarters staff and Ship captains.[3] They completed their studies in 1998 from the Admiral Wandenkolk Instruction Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[4] In 1996 the second group of six students all members of the public were also sent to Brasil for studies. The Maritime wing headquarters was established in 1998, while in 2000 the Navy base construction at Walvis Bay started.[4]

Consisting of approximately 1200 personnel the Navy deploys a small number of lightly armed patrol vessels. The first maritime wing commander was Captain Phestus Sacharia. The first ship to be commissioned into service was the donated patrol boat Oryx in 2002.[5] Brazil and Namibia signed an agreement in 2004 for the delivery of a patrol boat and two smaller patrol craft. The newly built 200 ton patrol boat NS Brendan Simbwaye, built at the Brazilian shipyard INACE, was commissioned on January 19, 2009.[6]

An ongoing co-operation program allows Namibian sailors and naval officers to be trained by the Brazilian Navy; by 2009, 466 seamen had been trained. Brazil also provided assistance in preparing a nautical chart of the approach to Walvis Bay and consulting in charting the outer limits of the continental shelf.[7] The Brazilian Navy has also trained the Namibian Marine Corps.[8]

The Ministry of Defence has outlined the Naval policy as follows:

"In peacetime, the Navy of the NDF have a role of augmenting civil offshore patrol forces, particularly providing the means and the expertise to execute enforcement action effectively. Specific tasks include assisting civil forces to combat illegal immigration, smuggling (arms, drugs etc.) and threats to the environment; conducting maritime surveillance, search and rescue; and assisting the Ministry of Fisheries with enforcing a fisheries protection regime. A longer term peacetime task is the protection of offshore oil, gas, diamonds and other installations. A navy aerial surveillance component is a necessary part of the defence system."[9]

The fleet is operationally divided into Squadrons, the squadron are based on the different roles of the different boats and ships, the squadrons were activated on the 24th May 2018. There are four squadrons namely:

• Combat Squadron
• Combat Support Squadron
• Coastal Patrol Squadron
• Harbour Patrol Squadron

Current

Name	Picture	Origin	Class	Type	Built	Entered service (LNF)	Notes
Combat Support Squadron
S11 Elephant		China	Elephant class	Logistics Support Vessel	2012	2012	Multipurpose offshore Patrol and logistics vessel built at Wuhan Shipyard.
Coastal Patrol Boat Squadron
P11 Brendan Simbwaye		Brazil	Grajau Class	Patrol Boat	2009	2010	Hull P11
NPV Oryx		Germany	Oryx Class	Patrol Boat	1975	2002	Transferred from Namibian Fisheries ministry to Navy
Combat Squadron
C12 Daures[10]		China	Type 037 corvette Class [11]	Corvette		2017	Ex PLAN ship Wanning hull 786
C13 Brukkaros[10]		China	Type 037 corvette[11]	Corvette		2017	Ex PLAN ship Ledong Hull 748
Harbor Patrol Squadron
HPB20 Terrace Bay		Brazil	Marlim Class	Patrol Craft	2009	2010	Hull HPB20
HPB21 Möwe Bay		Brazil	Marlim Class	Patrol Craft	2009	2010	Hull HPB21
HPB01 and HPB02		South Africa	Namacurra class	harbour patrol boat	1980-1981	2002	Donated by the South African Navy

The navy is a hierarchical organisation with the navy commander exercising overall command. The Navy Commander is always a 2 star flag officer who is then deputized by two 1 star flag officers heading the Naval Operations and the Naval Support directorates. The two directorates are made up of divisions headed by Chiefs of Staff(COS) who are usually Captain(N). Division of Naval Plans & Naval Operations falls under Naval Operations Directorate, while Naval Personnel & Naval ICT falls under Naval Support Directorate. The Navy is further augmented by the Namibian Marine Corps. The navy has 1200 personnel, most of whom have been trained in Brazil and South Africa.

Command structure

Sleeve insignia	Appointment	Rank and Name
	Navy Commander	Rear Admiral Alweendo Amungulu
	Commander Naval Operations	Rear Admiral(JG) Gotlieb Pandeni[23]
	Commander Naval Support	Rear Admiral(JG) Lazarus Shitaleni[24]
	Senior Staff Officer Naval Operations	Captain(N) Davison Mwoombola[25]
	Marine Corps Commandant	Captain(N) Appolos Haimbala
	Naval Training School Commandant	Captain(N) Lazarus Erastus
	PN Sacharia Naval Base Commandant	Captain(N) Armas Iigonda
	Old Naval Base Commandant	Commander Rachel Tuyoleni
	Naval Calling Station Commandant	Commander Natangwe Hekandjo[16]
	Naval Base Impalila Commandant	Commander Christian Keendjele
	Master at Arms of the Navy	Warrant Officer class 1 Kamati

Officer rank insignia

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Namibian Navy	No equivalent
					Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign			Midshipman

Non-commissioned officers and other appointments

Warrant Officer's can hold the following appointments.[27]

• Sergeant Major of the Namibian Defence Force
• Master-at-Arms of the Navy
• Command-Master-at-Arms
• Master-at-Arms

Equivalent NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Namibian Navy																													No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Chief Petty Officer		Petty Officer												Leading Seaman				Able Seaman		Seaman

• 
  Naval Officers, sailors and marines of the Namibian Navy
• 
  Marines of the Operational Boat Unit
• 
  Namibian Navy Namacurra with a fisheries patrol vessel
• 
  NS Daures & Brukkaros
• 
  NS Brendan Simbwaye
• 
  Marlim Class HPB

• Navy (Namibia) (2011) Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Janes articles
• List of Namibian admirals