Namibian Navy

Development of Namibia's Navy has been slowest of the three Arms of Service. The force was only formally established on 11 September 1998 as a maritime wing, and in 2004 as a fully-fledged navy.

Extensive Brazilian aid has assisted in the navy's development. Initially, a group of four trainees were dispatched to the Naval Academy in Brazil, complemented by ten officers from the Namibian Army. These personnel formed the core group that were sent to Brazil in August 1995^{[clarification needed]} 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.^[2] Later in the 1990s, two more groups were sent to Brazil to study at Admiral Wandenkolk Instruction Center in Rio de Janeiro.

By 2004, 180 officers and ratings had been trained for the maritime wing, 168 of which had been trained in Brazil.^[3] 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.^[4]

As of 2024, 1200 Navy personnel have been trained in Brazil.^[5] The Brazilian Navy has also trained the Namibian Marine Corps of which more than 1400 have been trained at the Naval Training School at Rooikop.^[6][5]

The Navy's maritime wing headquarters was established in 1998, while in 2000 construction of a naval base began at Walvis Bay.^[7] The first maritime wing commander was Captain Phestus Sacharia.

The Navy has approximately 1200 personnel and deploys a small number of lightly armed patrol vessels.

The first ship to be commissioned into service was the donated patrol boat Oryx in 2002.^[8] In 2004, Brazil and Namibia signed an agreement 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 19 January 2009.^[9]

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, maritime 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."^[10]

The fleet is operationally divided into four squadrons, based on the different roles of the craft. The squadrons, which became active on 24 May 2018, are:

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

Current

More information Name, Picture ...

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	Grajaú-class patrol boat	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[11]		China	Type 037 corvette Class [12]	Corvette		2017	Ex PLAN ship Wanning hull 786
C13 Brukkaros[11]		China	Type 037 corvette[12]	Corvette		2017	Ex PLAN ship Ledong Hull 748
Harbour 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
Y01 and Y10		South Africa	Namacurra class	harbour patrol boat	1980–1981	2002	Donated by the South African Navy

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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.

Command structure

More information Sleeve insignia, Appointment ...

Sleeve insignia	Appointment	Rank and Name
	Navy Commander	Rear Admiral Sackeus !Gonteb
	Deputy Navy Commander	Rear Admiral(JG) Lazarus Erastus
	Commander Naval Operations	Rear Admiral(JG)
	Commander Naval Support	Rear Admiral(JG)
	Master at Arms of the Navy	Warrant Officer class 1

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Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

More information Rank group, General / flag officers ...

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Namibian Navy[18] v t e
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Rear admiral junior grade		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant junior grade			Ensign

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Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

More information Rank group, Senior NCOs ...

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Namibian Navy[18] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading seaman				Able seaman		Seaman

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Proficiency badges

• 
  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