Sa'ar 6-class corvette
{{Short description|Class of Israeli Navy corvettes ordered in 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = | display title = | sclass = 2 }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Saar-6-pic0016a.jpg | Ship image size = 300px | Ship caption = INS Magen launching a Barak LRAD in its first testfire. }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Sa'ar 6 class | Builders = | Operators = {{navy|Israel}} | Class before = {{sclass2|Sa'ar 5|corvette|4}} | Class after = | Subclasses = | Cost = NIS 1.8 billion (US${{Format price|{{To USD|1800000000|ISR}}}}) per unit (2015 est.) | Financial assistance (Germany) = 155M U$D | Built range = | In commission range = | Total ships planned = 4 | Total ships on order = | Total ships building = | Total ships completed = 4 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = 4 | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = | Total ships retired = | Total ships scrapped = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Corvette | Ship displacement = {{convert|1900|LT|t}} at full load{{cite web |url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/imps-news/israeli-navys-ins-magen-corvette-officially-named |title=Israeli Navy INS Magen corvette officially named |website=shephardmedia.com |date=27 May 2019 |access-date=27 January 2021}} | Ship length = {{convert|90|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = | Ship draught = | Ship draft = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship range = {{cvt|4,000|nmi|km mi}} https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israeli-navy-inaugurates-first-saar-6-corvette-59059026 May 2019 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815200203/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israeli-navy-inaugurates-first-saar-6-corvette-590590 |date=15 August 2020 }} | Ship complement = 70 | Ship sensors = EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar | Ship EW = C-GEM RF Active Decoy | Ship armament = * 1 × Oto Melara 76 mm main gun
| Ship armour = | Ship armor = | Ship aircraft = | Ship aircraft facilities = | Ship notes = }} |
The Sa'ar 6-class corvette is a series of four German-made corvettes ordered for the Israeli Navy in May 2015. These are operated by Shayetet 3 flotilla.
Development
The ships' design is loosely based on the German {{sclass|Braunschweig|corvette|2}}, but with engineering changes to accommodate Israeli-built sensors and missiles such as the Barak 8{{Cite web | url= http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/naval/navy/2016/08/04/israel-submarine-ship-corvette-dolphin-germany/88061450 | title = Israeli Navy Marks Milestones at German Shipyards |website=defensenews.com | first = Barbara | last = Opall-Rome | date = 4 August 2016 |access-date=27 January 2021}} 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.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
All four vessels were constructed in Germany in a joint project by German Naval Yards Holdings and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The first of the class was scheduled to be delivered in 2020.{{cite news |last1= Azulai |first1= Yuval |title=Israel signs €430m deal for German patrol vessels |url= http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-signs-430m-deal-for-german-patrol-vessels-1001035494|access-date=14 May 2015 |work=Globes |date=11 May 2015}} Construction cost was estimated at NIS 1.8 billion Israeli new shekel (NIS) or roughly 430 million Euros ($480 million).{{cite web|url= http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/95544-151213-israel-to-arm-warships-with-iron-dome-system-to-protect-gas-reserves-at-sea|title= Israel to arm warships with Iron Dome system to protect gas reserves at sea |date=13 December 2015 |work= i24news |access-date= 1 May 2016}} 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 {{sclass|Dolphin|submarine}}s.{{cite news|last1= Zitun|first1=Yoav |title= Major deal: Israel to purchase four patrol ships from Germany to defend gas rigs|url= http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4656029,00.html |accessdate=14 May 2015 |work=ynet |date=11 May 2015}}
Missions
The Lebanese Hezbollah group alleges that Israel's gas fields lie in Lebanese waters. It has threatened to target Israeli gas platforms.{{cite web |first=Yaniv |last=Kubovich |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.832507 |title=Israel Assesses Hezbollah Can Now Strike Its Offshore Gas Platforms |work=Haaretz |date=4 January 2018 |access-date=27 January 2021}} An Israeli-owned ship reportedly came under missile fire repeatedly near the United Arab Emirates. The ship was en route to the UAE from Kuwait, according to Channel 12 news.{{Cite news|last1=Fassihi|first1=Farnaz|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|last3=Bergman|first3=Ronen|date=2021-04-06|title=Israel-Iran Sea Skirmishes Escalate as Mine Damages Iranian Military Ship|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/world/middleeast/israel-iran-ship-mine-attack.html|access-date=2021-07-26|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|last=staff|first=T. O. I.|title=Israeli-owned ship said attacked off UAE coast amid sky-high tensions with Iran|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-owned-ship-said-attacked-off-uae-coast-amid-sky-high-tensions-with-iran/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US}}
The Sa'ar 6 has been adopted for maritime protection, anti-shipping and prevent threats in the Israeli exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Sa'ar 6 is also used to defend Israeli shipping lanes in the Mediterranean to import more than 90 percent of goods for Israel.{{Cite web|last=GDC|date=2021-07-09|title=Israel Adopts Sa'ar 6 As Maritime Anti-ship Doctrine|url=https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/07/10/israel-adopts-saar-6-as-maritime-anti-ship-doctrine/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Global Defense Corp|language=en-US}} One of their roles will be to protect natural gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea against possible seaborne terrorism attacks or rocket threats.
Characteristics
The Sa'ar 6 has a displacement of almost 1,900 tons at full load and is {{convert |90|m|ftin|abbr= on}} 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, 40 cells for the C-Dome point defense system, 16 anti-ship missiles Gabriel V,{{cite web |url= https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/45519 |website= Israel defense |title=Sea-to-sea missile test conducted |last= Dombe |first=Ami Rojkes |date=29 September 2020 |access-date= 27 January 2021}}{{cite web |url= https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/09/25/Israel-tests-new-sea-to-sea-missile/7691601060080/ |title=Israel tests new sea-to-sea missile |last=Adamcyzk |first=Ed |website=UPI |date= 25 September 2020 |access-date= 27 January 2021}} the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar, and two {{cvt |324|mm|in}} torpedo launchers. It has hangar space and a platform able to accommodate a medium class SH-60-type helicopter.{{Citation | url = http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3029 | title = Design of Future: TKMS Built Sa'ar 6 Meko A100 Corvettes for Israeli Navy Unveiled | work = Navy recognition | date = 23 August 2015 |access-date= 27 January 2021}}
Israel received the first of four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, {{INS |Magen}}, on 11 December 2020;{{Cite web |last= Kanig |first=Christian|date=12 November 2020 |title= Korvette "Magen" kurz vor der Abreise nach Israel|url= https://esut.de/2020/11/meldungen/23998/korvette-magen-kurz-vor-der-abreise-nach-israel/ |access-date= 9 December 2020 |website= Europäische Sicherheit & Technik |language= de-DE}} Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems officially handed over the second corvette, {{INS|Oz}}, on 4 May 2021.{{Cite web|last=Archus|first=Dorian|title= TKMS hands over 2nd Sa'ar 6 corvette to the Israeli Navy |url= https://navalpost.com/tkms-hands-over-saar-6-corvette-to-the-israeli-navy/ |work=Naval Post|date=4 May 2021 |access-date= 4 May 2021}} On July 27, 2021, the final two ships, INS Atzmaut and INS Nitzachon, were also delivered to the Israeli Navy by the builder. They were to be equipped with radar and weapon systems by the Israeli Navy after their arrival in Israel.{{Cite web |url= https://seawaves.com/?p=13463 |title = "INS Atzmaut" and "INS Nitzachon" handed over to Israeli Navy | work = Sea Waves}} In Haifa in September 2022, the vessel's 76/62 rapid-fire main gun was ceremonially accepted for the first two ships of the class.{{cite web | url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/09/israeli-navy-accepts-leonardo-main-gun-for-saar-6-corvettes/ | title=Israeli Navy Accepts Leonardo Main Gun for Saar 6 corvettes | date=15 September 2022 }}
Ships of class
| class="wikitable"
|+ Sa'ar 6-class corvette !Name !Builders !Laid down !Launched !Commissioned !Status | |
| {{INS|Magen | 2}} (Defender/Shield)
| rowspan="4" |German Naval Yards Holdings & ThyssenKrupp |7 February 2018 |12 May 2019 |11 November 2020 | rowspan="4" | Active |
| {{INS|Oz | 2}} (Courage)
|24 August 2019 |4 May 2021 |
| {{INS|Atzmaut | 2}} (Independence)
|2018 |23 April 2023{{cite web |url= https://www.timesofisrael.com/larger-more-powerful-navy-declares-fleet-of-saar-6-class-warships-operational/ |title=Larger, more powerful: Navy declares fleet of Sa'ar 6-class warships operational |website=The Times of Israel | date=23 April 2023}} |
| {{INS|Nitzachon | 2}} (Victory)
|2018 |12 December 2023{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/navy-declares-4th-advanced-saar-6-class-warship-operational-sends-one-to-red-sea/|title=Navy declares 4th advanced Sa'ar 6-class warship operational, sends one to Red Sea | The Times of Israel|website=The Times of Israel }} |
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite news|last1= LAPPIN|first1=Yaakov |title=How navy engineers made the next missile ship stealthy|url= http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/How-navy-engineers-made-the-next-missile-ship-stealthy-455048 |accessdate=5 July 2016|work= Jerusalem Post|date= 26 May 2016}}
External links
- {{cite news| via =Reuters |title= Germany says it will help finance four new Israeli warships |url= http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=22175 |accessdate= 24 June 2016 |work= Israel Hayom|date=16 December 2014}}
- {{cite news|title= First Israeli Saar 6 Corvette Completes C-DOME live fire test |url= https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/first-israeli-saar-6-corvette-completes-c-dome-live-fire-test |accessdate= 4 September 2022 |work= Janes|date=22 February 2022}}
{{Braunschweig-class corvette}}
{{Corvettes of the Israeli Navy}}