Sa'ar 4-class fast attack craft
{{Short description|Israeli Navy ship class}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2019}}
| {{Infobox ship begin |sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=US Navy 100315-N-4774B-200 The Chilean navy Sa'ar 4-class fast-attack craft Angamos and Casma perform tactical maneuvering exercises in the Strait Of Magellan.jpg |Ship caption=Chilean Navy Sa'ar 4-class fast-attack craft Angamos and Casma perform tactical maneuvering exercises in the Strait of Magellan }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name=Sa'ar 4 class |Builders= Israel Shipyards |Operators=* {{navy|Israel}}
|Class before= {{sclass2|Sa'ar 3|missile boat|4}} |Class after= {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|4}} |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range= |In service range= |In commission range= |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed= |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type=Fast attack craft |Ship displacement=* 415 tons
|Ship length={{convert|58|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|7.62|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught={{convert|2.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=* 4 MTU 16V 538 diesel engines,
|Ship speed={{convert|34|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range=*{{Convert|4000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{Convert|17.5|kn|km/h}}
|Ship endurance= |Ship complement=45 |Ship sensors=* Elta EL/M-2207/2208 air & surface search radarNorman Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1989, {{ISBN|1-55750-262-5}}, p. 241.
|Ship EW=* 1 × 45-tube, 4-6 × 24-tubes and 4 single chaff rocket launchers |Ship armament=
|Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
The Sa'ar 4 or Reshef class were a series of fast attack craft built based on Israeli Navy designs grounded in accumulated experience derived in the operation of "Cherbourg" (Sa'ar 1, Sa'ar 2, and {{sclass2|Sa'ar 3|missile boat|5}}) classes. Thirteen were built at the Israel Shipyards, ten for the Israeli Navy and three for the South African Navy. Another six were built for the South African Navy in South Africa with Israeli assistance.
Sa'ar 4 boats' first battle engagements occurred in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War when two Sa'ar 4 boats, INS Reshef and INS Keshet, engaged Egyptian and Syrian ships and coastal targets. Israel had sold most of its Sa'ar 4 boats to other navies, but INS Nitzachon and INS Atzmaut remained in active Israeli Navy service until 2014.
Variants
=Israel=
Ten Sa'ar 4-class boats were built for the Israeli Navy. {{As of|2013}} only two remain in service. Three were disassembled, with systems taken for use in the construction of {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|0}} vessels. Three vessels and one hull stripped of systems were sold to Chile. Two vessels were sold to Sri Lanka.
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| width="15%"| Vessel name
!width="7%"| Meaning !width="35%"| History !width="36%"| Fate !width="7%"| Status |
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|INS Reshef |Spark |Launched in 1973. |Sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-34 Angamos. |Active (Chile) |
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|INS Keshet |Bow |Launched in 1973. |Sold to Chile in 1980 as LM-31 Chipana. |Active (Chile) |
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|INS Romach |Lance |Launched |Sold to Chile in 1979 as LM-30 Casma. |Active (Chile) |
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|INS Kidon |Javelin |Launched in 1974. |Disassembled. Various systems reassembled atop {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|5}} hull in 1994. The old hull sunk as an underwater memorial. |Retired |
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|INS Tarshish |Launched in 1975. |Disassembled. Some systems reassembled atop {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|5}} hull in 1995. The old hull sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-35 Papudo. |In 1998 cannibalized for spares Chilean Navy |
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|INS Yaffo |Launched in 1975. |Disassembled. Various systems reassembled atop new {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|5}} hull in 1998. |Retired |
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|INS Nitzachon |Victory |Launched on 10 July 1978. |Redirected to anti-submarine warfare. |Retired |
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|INS Atzmaut |Independence |Launched on 3 December 1978. |Redirected to anti-submarine warfare. |Sunk in July 2016, by 2 Harpoon (missile)s - launched by INS Hetz and INS Herev, in missile test conducted by the 3rd Flotilla.{{Cite web|url=http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/71494/israeli-navy-successfully-tests-long-range-missiles/#KT6jC6EiKdLRPWWU.97|title = Israeli Navy Successfully Tests Long-Range Missiles|date = 10 July 2016}} |
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|INS Moledet |Homeland |Launched in 1979. |Redirected to anti-submarine warfare. |Sold |
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|INS Komemiyut |Sovereignty |Launched in 1980. |Redirected to anti-submarine warfare. |Sold |
=South Africa=
The {{sclass2|Warrior|strike craft|1}} (formerly designated Minister class) in service with the South African Navy are modified Sa'ar 4 (Reshef-class) fast attack craft.{{cite web|title=Warrior class strike craft|url=http://www.victorlogistics.co.za/navy_strike.htm|date=May 26, 2005|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103110730/http://www.victorlogistics.co.za/navy_strike.htm|archivedate=November 3, 2007}} In 1974, a contract was signed with Israeli Military Industries for the construction of three of the modified Reshef class vessels at the Haifa facility of Israeli Shipyards. A further three were built immediately after at the Sandock Austral shipyard in Durban, South Africa, with three more being built at the same facility several years later.{{cite web|url=http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/132/170|title=The Secret South African Project Team: Building Strike Craft in Israel, 1975-79|date=November 26, 2004|accessdate=2014-03-22|publisher=University of Stellenbosch|author=Cdr Thean Potgieter|format=PDF}} The imposition of the international embargo on the sale of arms to South Africa on 4 November 1977 forced the project to be carried out under a cloak of security. The South African variants were fitted with Gabriel missiles, known in South Africa as 'Scorpion' missiles, and had two OTO Melara 76 mm guns instead of a single one with a Phalanx CIWS.
= Chile =
In 1979, the Chilean Navy purchased its first Sa'ar 4, followed by a second in 1980 and a final two boats in 1997.{{Cite web|title=LM-31|url=http://www.armada.cl/armada/site/artic/20140415/pags/20140415171104.html|access-date=2020-08-14|website=armada.cl|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=LM-30|url=http://www.armada.cl/armada/site/artic/20140415/pags/20140415165346.html|access-date=2020-08-14|website=armada.cl|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=LM-34|url=http://www.armada.cl/armada/site/artic/20140415/pags/20140415172923.html|access-date=2020-08-14|website=armada.cl|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Lancha Misilera|url=http://www.armada.cl/armada/site/artic/20140213/pags/20140213121243.html|access-date=2020-08-14|website=armada.cl|language=es}} Papudo (ex INS Tarshish) was purchased with several missing systems and due to budgetary constraints was retired in 1998, only a year after entering service. All Sa'ar 4s in service with the Chilean Navy are armed with two OTO Melara 76 mm guns, eight Gabriel missile launchers and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon with the exception of Angamos which was modernized in 2013 replacing four of the Gabriel missile launchers with four Exocet MM40 launchers.{{Cite web|last=Defensa.com|date=2013-07-18|title=La Armada de Chile recibió modernizada la lancha misilera LM-34 "Angamos" - Noticias Defensa defensa.com Chile|url=https://www.defensa.com/chile/armada-chile-recibio-modernizada-lancha-misilera-lm-34-angamos|access-date=2020-08-14|website=Defensa.com|language=es}} Three Sa'ar 4s remain in service as of 2020.
=Sri Lanka=
In 2000, two of the Israeli boats were sold to the Sri Lankan Navy, forming the {{sclass|Nandimithra|missile boat|4}}. It is not certain if these boats retain the Harpoon missile capability, however, these boats retained their Gabriel missile capability.[http://www.sipri.org/contents/armstrad/REG_EXP_ISR_95-05.pdf/download] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621042446/http://www.sipri.org/contents/armstrad/REG_EXP_ISR_95-05.pdf/download |date=June 21, 2006 }}
See also
- {{sclass2|Sa'ar 5|corvette|1}}
- Israeli Sea Corps
- Tunis Raid
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Sa'ar 4-class missile boat}}
- [http://www.newview-hs.com/naval-home Israeli Weapons dealer]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060718065055/http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/naval/saar4/Saar4.html Israeli Weapons]
- [http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/132/170 Project Japonica: The secret building of South African Strike Craft in Israel, 1975-79]
{{Sa'ar 4-class missile boat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sa'ar 4 Class Missile Boat}}
Category:Missile boats of the Israeli Navy
Category:Missile boats of the Chilean Navy
Category:Missile boats of the South African Navy