SAS Spear

The SAS Spear (S97), formerly known as the SAS Maria van Riebeeck, was a Daphné-class submarine of the South African Navy (SAN). It was the SAN's first submarine. It was decommissioned in 2003 and subsequently scrapped.

In 1967, after nearly two years of negotiations, an order was placed with the French Government for three Daphné class submarines. The first of these submarines was the SAS Maria van Riebeek. It was launched on 18 March 1976 - the date marks the birth of the SAN's submarine service.