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eventREF E-0093718Revised

Event record

France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa

Date
1 Oct 1976
Updated
30 Sep 2019
France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa

France confirmed the sale of two new combat submarines to South Africa  to protect the oil route round the Cape in the face of escalating Soviet naval activity in the Indian Ocean.  At the time, the Soviet Union was supporting Anti-Apartheid movements like the African National Congress (ANC). This led to tensions between the two countries.    Mikail Gorbachev also reiterated Soviet support for the overthrow of the apartheid government of South Africa. He pledged to continue Soviet support for political formations and states opposing South Africa. States supported by the Soviet Union  included  Angola, Mozambique, and Zambia.    

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How we know this

  1. 01O’Malley P. ‘1976’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialog, [online], Available at www.nelsonmandela.org [Accessed: 30 September 2013]
  2. 02 Mongabay.com, ‘Soviet Union-Sub-Saharan Africa’, [online], Available at www.mongabay.com [Accessed: 30 September 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, September 26). France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093718

South African History Online (2012) 'France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa', South African History Online, 26 September. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093718 (Accessed: 9 August 2026).

South African History Online, France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093718, (accessed 9 August 2026).

"France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa." South African History Online, 26 Sept. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093718. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "France supplies two new combat submarines to South Africa." South African History Online. September 26, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093718.

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