Of note, the "German frigate consortium" mentioned in the article is the same shipyard that built the Bismark and the Graf Spree.
My guess is, since this is the new prevailing ship designs, it's so they will be harder to hit.
Because they want the latest and greatest.
They're not nearly as "stealthy" as, say, the F-117 and Stealth Bomber.
Just a few changes in the superstructure profile to make it a little harder to pick up on the edge of a radar's range.
This was on TV last night, and I wondered as well.
The idea I settled on was that smugglers have plenty of resources and would use radar to avoid detection. The use of a stealth ship would make the smugglers job more difficult.
Oh, come on - this is a clear computer graphics...
South Africa's defense expenditures have nothing to do with defense needs or geopolitics, and everything to do with corrupt government officials taking massive bribes from the international arms industry. There have been major scandals about it, but the ANC is so entrenched in power that they can just about whatever they want without recriminations.
Read: "The Pentagon's New Map"
South Africa is about the only country in Africa participating the the new global security sphere.
I think they're buying this new class of ships simply because these are the ships of the future. I happened to see a TV program on stealth ships last night and many countries are building these ships, including our own. Most of these ships are also built with a low heat signature.
Why is South Africa Building A "Stealth Navy"?
To provide some fun targets for our newest planes.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1161751/posts
These stealth frigates/corvettes are way too small to have any serious range or sea-keeping abilities. These are pure coastal defense vessels that are going to use their "stealth" design to hide in the radar/acoustic clutter of their own coastline. Of course this does nothing when it comes to space surveillance and little against AWAC's.
You don't see the USN breaking it's neck to jump on the bandwagon.
Because the Chinese ordered them to
zodiac-class warship
That is funny as hell thanks
Given that the ANC are stealth Communists, and increasingly anti Western, I would regard this as future target acquisition. I'd say hit them as they are launched.
The purpose of the SA navy is purely to patrol the rather long coastline, to prevent an influx of illegal weapons, drugs, fish poachers and immigrants. There is no Coast Guard as there is in the US. Hopefully the new vessels will help, because up to now they have not been very successful in achieving any of those targets.