Sa'ar 5-class corvette
{{short description|Class of Israeli Navy small corvettes}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| sclass = 2 }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Three Sa'ar 5 Class Missile Corvettes Going For a Cruise.jpg | Ship caption = The Sa'ar 5-class corvettes cruise off the shore of Israel during a training exercise }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Sa'ar 5 class | Builders = Northrop Grumman by Ingalls Shipbuilding | Operators = {{navy|Israel}} | Class before = {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|4}} | Class after = {{sclass2|Sa'ar 6|corvette|4}} | Subclasses = | Cost = $260 million each{{Cite web|url=https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/an-lcs-for-israel-04065/|title = Sons of Saar? Israels Next Generation Frigates}} | Built range = | In service range = From 1 February 1993 | In commission range = | Total ships building = | Total ships planned = | Total ships completed = 3 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = 3 | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = | Total ships retired = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Corvette | Ship displacement = * 1,275 tonnes (full load)
| Ship length = {{convert|85.64|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|11.88|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} | Ship draught = | Ship draft = {{convert|3.45|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} | Ship propulsion = *Combined Diesel or Gas
| Ship speed = * {{convert|20|kn|km/h|0}} (diesel engines)
| Ship range = {{convert|3500|nmi|km |
| 2}}
| Ship complement = * 64 officers and crewmen
| Ship sensors = AAW & SuW: EL/M-2258 ALPHA rotating AESA S-band multifunction radar (upgrade version for Eilat & Hanit) EL/M 2248 MF-STAR fixed 4-faced AESA S-band multifunction radar (upgrade version for Lahav) Elta EL/M-2221 fire-control radar Elta EL/M-2218S air search radar (removed) ASW: EDO Type-796 hull-mounted sonar Rafael towed sonar array | Ship EW = * Argon ST AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoys
| Ship armament = Missiles: 2 x quad launchers for Harpoon anti-ship missiles 1 x 32-cell vertical launching system for Barak surface-to-air missiles Guns: 1 x 20mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 x 25mm (0.98 in) Typhoon Weapon Station [formerly occupied by 2 x 20mm (0.8 in) autocannons] Torpedoes: 2 x 324mm (12.75 in) Mark 32 torpedoes Aircraft: 1 helicopter }} |
Sa'ar 5 ({{langx|he|סַעַר|lit=storm}}) is a class of Israeli Navy corvettes. They were Israeli designed using lessons learned from the {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat}}s. Three Sa'ar 5 ships were built by Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula, Mississippi) for the Israeli Navy, based on Israeli designs.
They were the largest surface warships in Israel's surface naval fleet, although the Sa'ar 6-class corvette now being deployed are considerably larger. Although classified as "corvettes" due to their small size, only 71 crew, and limited loiter time, their weaponry are almost comparable to that of a frigate. They are equipped with sonar, 2 triple torpedoes, 2 quadruple missile launchers, electronic warfare capabilities and decoys, a Close-in weapon system, 2 autocannons and a helipad and helicopter hangar.{{cite web|url=http://www.g2mil.com/frigate.htm |title=21st Century Frigates Today |publisher=G2mil.com |date= |accessdate=17 July 2015}}
The first of class, {{INS|Eilat|501|6}}, was launched in February 1993, followed by {{INS|Lahav}} in August 1993 and {{INS|Hanit}} in March 1994.
Combat history
On 14 July 2006 during the 2006 Lebanon War, INS Hanit was struck by a Hezbollah-fired C-802 missile while patrolling 8.5 nm offshore of Beirut; the missile was Chinese-built with an upgraded Iranian radar seeker. The missile hit the corvette's unstealthy crane near the rear helicopter pad; the explosion holed the pad, set fire to fuel storage, and killed four crewmembers. The fire was extinguished after four hours and Hanit returned to Ashdod under its own power for three weeks of repairs.{{cite report |last1=Zakheim |first1=Dov S. |date=February 2012 |title=The United States Navy and Israeli Navy: Background, current issues, scenarios, and prospects |url=https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/D0026727.A1.pdf |publisher=CNA |page=27-28 |id=COP D0026727.A1/Final |access-date= }}
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Chief of Staff Visits Navy, Jan 2011 (2).jpg Eurocopter AS565, the type of helicopter used on the Sa'ar 5 class]]
The ship's radar system was not fully functional at the time, and both the ECM and the Barak anti-missile systems were in a two-minute stand-by mode. An officer ordered that the anti-missile defenses be switched off about an hour prior to the attack without notifying the captain. The decision took into account intelligence assessments that Hezbollah did not have the capability to hit Israeli warships. The partial sensor shutdowns were known by the officer responsible, but the captain was not informed.{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3325146,00.html |title=Report: Ship crew didn't realize missile threat |work=Ynetnews |last=Greenberg |first=Hanan |date=11 July 2006 |accessdate=17 July 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/785086.html|title=Missile attack on INS Spear: IDF probe faults navy, ship's crew|first=Amos |last=Harel |work=Haaretz |date=8 November 2006|accessdate=17 July 2015}}
In August 2009 INS Eilat and INS Hanit passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, along with a {{sclass|Dolphin|submarine}}. The move was seen as a possible warning to Iran.{{cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=148627 |title=2 IDF warships cross Suez to Red Sea |work=The Jerusalem Post |first=Yaakov |last=Katz |date=14 July 2009 |accessdate=17 July 2015}}
On 31 May 2010 INS Lahav and INS Hanit participated in the Gaza flotilla raid, meant to stop a convoy of ships from breaching the blockade of the Gaza Strip, along with the missile boat INS Nitzachon.
Ships
Three ships of the Sa'ar 5 class have been built:
- {{INS|Eilat|501|6}}, launched February 1993
- {{INS|Lahav}}, launched August 1993
- {{INS|Hanit}}, launched March 1994
The ships' missile systems include: (i) anti-air capability with 1 x 32-cell vertical launch system (although it is possible to carry another), with Barak-1 and/or Barak-8 missiles of IAI and Rafael, and two four-cell Boeing Harpoon missile launchers.
Ship's guns are a Raytheon / General Dynamics MK15 Phalanx 20mm close-in weapon system (CIWS). Secondary guns include a pair of 25mm Typhoon Weapon Station.
The main radar for the 1st and 3rd ship (INS Eilat and INS Hanit) is the Advanced Lightweight Phased Array (ALPHA) ELM-2258 by Elta, an AESA S-band multifunction rotating radar, with automatic track initiation at +120 km (for fighters) and +25 km (for missiles).
The main radar for the 2nd ship INS Lahav is the micro-AEGIS-style four-fixed-paneled S-band radar. In 2014 September 23, she was presented to the public with that new radar at Haifa naval base.{{cite web |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2014-news/september-2014-navy-naval-forces-maritime-industry-technology-security-global-news/2006-israeli-navy-saar-5-class-corvettes-fitted-with-iai-elm-2248-mf-star-multifunction-aesa-radar.html |title= Israeli Navy Sa'ar 5 class corvettes fitted with IAI EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multifunction AESA radar |work= NavalRecognition.com |date=20 September 2014}}
For undersea warfare, the EDO Corporation's Type-796 hull-mounted search-and-attack sonar.
Electronic warfare includes an AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy system, a radar warning receiver Elisra NS-9003/9005, and three Elbit Deseaver chaff decoys.
See also
- {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4|missile boat|1}}
- {{sclass2|Sa'ar 4.5|missile boat|1}}
- Israeli Navy
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Sa'ar 5-class corvettes}}
- [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/saar5/ Naval Technology]
- [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/eilat-specs.htm Global Security]
- [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/mideast/israel.htm Hazegray]
- [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=738611&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 Ha'aretz: 4 soldiers missing after naval vessel hit off Beirut coast]
{{Corvettes of the Israeli Navy}}