Sa'ar 6-class corvette
The Sa'ar 6-class corvette is a series of four German-made corvettes ordered for the Israeli Navy in May 2015.
INS Magen | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name: | Sa'ar 6 class |
Operators: | Israeli Navy |
Preceded by: | Sa'ar 5 class |
Cost: | NIS 1.8 billion (US$506 million) per unit (2015 est.) |
Planned: | 4 |
Completed: | 1 |
Active: | 1 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Corvette |
Displacement: | 1,900 long tons (1,900 t) at full load[1] |
Length: | 90 m (295 ft 3 in) |
Range: | 4,000 km (2,200 nmi; 2,500 mi) [2] |
Sensors and processing systems: | EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar |
Armament: |
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Development
The ships' design is loosely based on the German Braunschweig-class corvette, but with engineering changes to accommodate Israeli-built sensors and missiles such as the Barak 8[3] and the naval Iron Dome system. Elbit Systems has been awarded the contract to design and build the electronic warfare (EW) suites for the ships.[4]
All four vessels will be constructed in Germany in a joint project by German Naval Yards Holdings and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The first of the class was scheduled to be delivered in 2020.[1][5] Construction cost was estimated at NIS 1.8 billion Israeli new shekel (NIS) or roughly 430 million Euros ($480 million).[6] Israel will pay for two thirds of the cost and the German Government will subsidize a third of the corvettes' construction costs, as with the Dolphin-class submarines.[7]
One of their roles will be to protect natural gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea against possible sea-borne or rocket threats.[6] The Lebanese Hezbollah group alleges that Israel's gas fields lie in Lebanese waters. It has threatened to target Israeli gas platforms.[8]
Characteristics
The Sa'ar 6 has a displacement of almost 1,900 tons at full load and is 90 m (295 ft 3 in) long. It is armed with an Oto Melara 76 mm main gun, two Typhoon Weapon Stations, 32 vertical launch cells for Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles, 20 cells for the C-Dome point defense system, 16 anti-ship missiles (likely Gabriel 5),[9][10] the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar, and two 324 mm (12.8 in) torpedo launchers. It has hangar space and a platform able to accommodate a medium class SH-60-type helicopter.[11]
Israel received the first of four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, INS Magen, on 11 December 2020.[12]
Ships of class
Name | Builders | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Magen (Defender\Shield) | German Naval Yards Holdings & ThyssenKrupp | 7 February 2018 | 12 May 2019 | 11 November 2020 | Active |
Oz (Courage) | 24 August 2019 | Under construction | |||
Atzmaut (Independence) | |||||
Nitzachon (Victory) |
References
- "Israeli Navy INS Magen corvette officially named". shephardmedia.com. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- 26 May 2019
- Opall-Rome, Barbara (4 August 2016). "Israeli Navy Marks Milestones at German Shipyards". defensenews.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- "Elbit Systems to supply EW suites for the Israeli Navy Sa'ar 6-class corvettes". defence-blog.com. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- Azulai, Yuval (11 May 2015). "Israel signs €430m deal for German patrol vessels". Globes. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- "Israel to arm warships with Iron Dome system to protect gas reserves at sea". i24news. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- Zitun, Yoav (11 May 2015). "Major deal: Israel to purchase four patrol ships from Germany to defend gas rigs". ynet. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Kubovich, Yaniv (4 January 2018). "Israel Assesses Hezbollah Can Now Strike Its Offshore Gas Platforms". Haaretz. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- Dombe, Ami Rojkes (29 September 2020). "Sea-to-sea missile test conducted". israeldefense.co.il. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- Adamcyzk, Ed (25 September 2020). "Israel tests new sea-to-sea missile". UPI. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- "Design of Future TKMS Built Saar 6 MEKO A100 Corvettes for Israeli Navy Unveiled", navyrecognition.com, 23 August 2015, retrieved 27 January 2021
- Kanig, Christian (2020-11-12). "Korvette „Magen" kurz vor der Abreise nach Israel". ESUT - Europäische Sicherheit & Technik (in German). Retrieved 2020-12-09.
Further reading
- LAPPIN, Yaakov (May 26, 2016). "How navy engineers made the next missile ship stealthy". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
External links
- "Germany says it will help finance four new Israeli warships". Israel Hayom. December 16, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2016 – via Reuters.