SAS President Steyn

History
South Africa
Name	President Steyn
Namesake	Martinus Theunis Steyn
Ordered	18 September 1957
Builder	Alexander Stephens and Sons, Linthouse, Glasgow
Laid down	20 May 1960
Launched	23 November 1961
Commissioned	8 April 1963
Identification	Pennant number: F147
Nickname(s)	'PS'
Fate	Sunk as target, 29 April 1991
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	President-class frigate
Displacement	2,170 long tons (2,200 t) (standard load) 2,605 long tons (2,647 t) (deep load)
Length	370 ft 0 in (112.78 m)
Beam	41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
Draught	17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) (deep load)
Installed power	2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × shafts 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	214
Sensors and processing systems	Type 162, 170, 177M sonars Type 293Q surface-search radar Type 262 and 275 gunnery radars Type 277Q height-finding radar Type 978 navigation radar
Armament	2 × triple Limbo anti-submarine mortars 1 × twin 4.5-inch (114 mm) dual-purpose gun 1 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors AA gun

SAS President Steyn was the second of three President-class Type 12 frigates built in the United Kingdom for the South African Navy (SAN) to use during the 1960s. The ship spent most of her career training and made many visits to foreign ports in Africa, Western Europe and Australia. In the late 1960s, she was modernized and equipped to operate a helicopter. In the mid-1970s, President Steyn played a minor role in the Angolan Civil War as a part of South African operations against the communists. The ship was withdrawn from service in 1980 and was sunk as a target in 1991. This happened after financial problems prevented her from being reactivated.