French Navy ships Dixmude and Aconit, rerouted around Cape Town due to the war in Iran, engaged in joint training and diplomacy with South Africa. The visit highlights maritime cooperation amid regional tensions. Officials from both nations emphasized shared security interests.
The French Navy's assault ship Dixmude and stealth frigate Aconit docked in Cape Town after being diverted from the Suez Canal due to the US and Israel's attack on Iran earlier this month. The ships, which left Toulon in February for a five-month Jeanne d'Arc training mission with 160 midshipmen, participated in the Papangue exercise at Reunion island. South African Navy officers joined for command and control training, according to Dixmude commander Captain Jocelyn Delrieu.
Delrieu described Cape Town as a key resupply point and training hub, noting the importance of crossing the Cape of Good Hope for midshipmen. "And especially for the midshipmen on board, because it is a training mission, to cross the Cape of Good Hope longitude is a thing you have to do in your sailor life," he said. France's ambassador to South Africa, David Martinon, called the visits a "shared commitment to the security of these strategic waters."
Upcoming navy staff talks from 18 to 20 May will mark the first between the two nations, resuming strategic dialogue after a 12-year suspension. South African personnel, including Lieutenant Sakhile Mbokane and NSRI's Dean Wegerle, trained aboard French ships like Nivôse on maritime medicine and navigation.
This cooperation follows the South African Navy's "Will for Peace" exercise with Russia, China, UAE and Iran ships at Simon’s Town, which Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese called a success. The Iranian vessels were later sunk in the strikes on Iran.
