What Are We Thinking ?

Описание: Yeah, that narrow, ancient-feeling pedestrian tunnel under the railway at St James—it's one of those quirky bits of the Muizenberg-St James walkway that always catches people off guard. You duck through this dim, one-person-wide passage (part of the old coastal path infrastructure, squeezed between the tracks and the cliffs), and suddenly the light bursts open to that sweeping view of False Bay. Classic Cape drama: from enclosed and echoey to wide-open ocean in seconds.
And right on cue, there they are—those massive foreign warships playing "war games" just offshore. You're spot on about the timing; as of right now (mid-January 2026), the multinational exercise Will for Peace 2026 (originally planned as Mosi III but renamed and rescheduled) is underway from January 9-16. It's a China-led #bricscountries Plus drill hosted by South Africa in False Bay/Simon's Town waters, focusing on "maritime safety operations, interoperability, and protection serials."
The line-up includes: #WillForPeace2026

China: Guided-missile destroyer CNS Tangshan and replenishment ship CNS Taihu.
Russia: Corvette RFS Stoikiy and fleet oiler Yelnya (they pulled into False Bay on the 9th).
Iran: Expeditionary sea base IRIS Makran, corvette IRIS Naghdi, and another base ship IRIS Shahid Mahdavi.
Plus South Africa's own contribution (notably frigate SAS Amatola was docked and visible), and reportedly a UAE corvette too.

Photos and reports show them maneuvering right out there in False Bay—visible from spots like St James, Kalk Bay, or even Fish Hoek beach on a clear day. It's sparked protests, diplomatic grumbling (especially from the US, who see it as cozying up to sanctioned states), and plenty of "WTF" moments locally.
As for the SA Navy's side... yeah, the frustration is real. The fleet's core combat strength is theoretically solid on paper—4 Valour-class frigates, 3 Heroine-class submarines—but chronic underfunding, maintenance backlogs, and budget cuts mean operational readiness is way down. As of recent reports (including 2024-2026 updates):

Only one of the four frigates is reliably operational at any given time (often just SAS Amatola gets prioritized for events like this).
The submarines? None are currently seaworthy—refits stalled, no funding for essential work.
The rest relies on newer inshore patrol vessels (like the Warrior-class MMIPVs, with three now commissioned) for EEZ patrols, plus the sole replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg.

So when big foreign fleets roll in for "exercises," it does feel wildly mismatched—like one rusty family sedan watching a convoy of supercars do laps. South Africa's hosting as part of BRICS solidarity, but yeah... seriously, WTF is the vibe for a lot of folks watching from the shore. The contrast hits hard emerging from that tunnel into the bay view.