The British military sealift vessel Anvil Point made a strategic stop at Cape Town harbour for refueling and resupplying, highlighting the ongoing global logistics operations of military transport fleets. The United States and the United Kingdom are known for their continuous movement of military cargoes worldwide, serving their national defense forces through pre-positioning, training, and active military engagements.
In recent times, American military sealift transports have ceased their regular visits to South African ports for bunkering, opting to bypass the region despite the Houthi threat influencing naval routes. In contrast, British sealift vessels, which typically traverse the Suez Canal for Indian Ocean or Persian Gulf access, have been making calls to South African ports for the same purpose.
This pattern was evidenced when the Hartland Point visited Cape Town in early February after servicing British military bases in the Middle East and East Africa. The regularity of such visits was further confirmed with the arrival of Anvil Point on April 14th.
Anvil Point, with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9248540, anchored off Table Bay at 07:00 before docking at Duncan Dock’s Eastern Mole berth at 10:00. This non-commercial berth frequently serves as a transit point for vessels needing bunker fuel, stores, and fresh provisions.
Constructed in 2002 by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland—famed for building the Titanic—Anvil Point measures 193 meters in length and has a deadweight of 13,274 tons. Notably, she was the last major vessel to be built at the historic shipyard. She boasts two MaK 7M43 seven-cylinder, four-stroke main engines that generate 17,130 bhp (12,600 kW), propelling her at a service speed of 17 knots with the aid of two controllable pitch propellers and a bow transverse thruster for enhanced maneuverability.
Owned by Foreland Shipping Ltd and displaying the FSL logo on her funnel, Anvil Point is operated by Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd and managed by AW Ship Management Ltd, both based in London. Andrew Weir’s historical significance is rooted in their ownership of the Bank Line and operation of the RMS St Helena mail ship, both of which were regular visitors to South African ports.
Anvil Point’s journey mirrors that of her sistership Hartland Point, albeit in reverse, with both vessels’ routing decisions influenced by the Houthi menace and the associated risks of Red Sea transit.
Departing Marchwood Military Port near Southampton on March 24th, Anvil Point stopped in Gibraltar—a British Colony and tri-services military hub—before setting sail for Cape Town on March 28th. After a brief 12-hour stay in Cape Town, she departed at 22:00 on April 14th for Duqm, Oman. There, the British Military operates the UK Joint Logistics Support Base (UKJLSB) within the port, supporting the Royal Navy Littoral Response Group (South)’s security patrols in the Indian Ocean and the Joint Training Area (JTA) for British-Omani army exercises.
Anvil Point’s visit underscores the intricate logistics and strategic considerations underpinning military operations, as well as the enduring relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom in facilitating these essential maritime activities.