SA denies report on Russian plan to fire hypersonic missile during drill

South Africa’s National Defence Force denied a report by Russia’s Tass news service that that country’s navy would launch a hypersonic Tsirkon missile during a joint naval exercise starting next week that also includes China.

Exercise MOSI II, which will start on February 17 and will take place off South Africa’s eastern port of Richards Bay, reprises a similar exercise in 2019 between the three navies. The timing, coupled with South Africa’s ambivalence about condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has raised tensions with key trading partners including the US, the UK and the European Union.

Tass on February 3 reported that the missile would be fired by the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, citing an unidentified official from the military-industrial complex.

“The SANDF is aware of the statement made by TASS,” the South African military said on Friday in response to a query from Bloomberg. “We can confirm that according to the protocol agreement signed by the three countries, there is no planned launch of any missile during Exercise MOSI II.”

The exercise, which will end on February 26, will include one Russian frigate and one oiler, a ship that carries fuel and other supplies, the SANDF said. China will send a destroyer, a frigate and a support vessel, while one South African frigate will take part.