Tiger-class fast attack craft

{{Short description|Missle boats in the German Navy}}

{{more footnotes|date=February 2013}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = Elster P6154.jpg

| Ship caption = Tiger-class vessel S54 Elster

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Tiger class

| Builders =

| Operators = *{{navy|Germany}}

  • {{navy|Greece}}
  • {{navy|Chile}}
  • {{navy|Egypt}}
  • {{navy|Georgia}}

| Class before = {{sclass|Zobel|fast attack craft|4}}

| Class after = {{sclass|Albatros|fast attack craft|4}}

| Subclasses =

| Cost =

| Built range = 1971–1975

| In service range =

| In commission range = 1972–2002 (Germany)

| Total ships building =

| Total ships planned =

| Total ships completed = 20

| Total ships cancelled =

| Total ships active =

| Total ships laid up =

| Total ships lost = 1

| Total ships retired =

| Total ships preserved =

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

| Hide header =

| Header caption = (After last refit)

| Ship type = Fast Attack Craft

| Ship displacement = {{convert|265|t|LT}}

| Ship length = {{convert|47|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| Ship beam = {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}

| Ship height =

| Ship draught = {{convert|2.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| Ship propulsion = *4 MTU MD 16V 538 TB90 turbo diesel engines, {{convert|8,800|kW|abbr=on}} total

| Ship speed = {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}

| Ship range = *{{convert|570|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}

  • {{convert|1600|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}

| Ship complement = 30

| Ship sensors = *SMA 3RM 20 navigation radar

| Ship EW = *Decoy and flare launcher

| Ship armament = *1 × OTO Melara 76mm gun

| Ship armour =

| Ship notes = The ships have been updated twice (1982–84 and 1990–92), this represents the last update that was performed on all ships.

}}

The Type 148 Tiger-class fast attack craft are a group of missile boats built to a Franco-German design and seeing service in the German Navy. The vessels entered service in the 1970s and served into the early 21st century. While they have been mostly retired from German Navy service, many were transferred to other navies and remained in service longer.

Design

File:German fast attack craft S57 Weihe (P6157) in the Baltic Sea on 28 August 1985.jpg

The vessels had been designed by Lürssen of Germany for Israel. They were a modification of the Jaguar-class fast attack craft but armed with the French Exocet missile. They were built mainly in France by Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie in Cherbourg (CMN) for political reasons; twelve were built and completed there, while another eight of the boats were laid down by CMH, but completed by Lürssen.

Their export to Israel was also blocked for political reasons, and the boats were commissioned into the German Navy as the Tiger class. A number of other boats were built by CMN for various navies to the same design, which became known as the La Combattante II type fast attack craft.

Operational history

The boats were commissioned into the Bundesmarine in the mid-1970s, replacing the Jaguar-class vessels of the 3rd and 5th Squadrons. At first the boats did not receive names, only numbers, but these were introduced later at the insistence of the crews.

The ships served for 30 years, and received major updates in 1982–84 and 1990–92. After decommissioning they were scrapped or sold to different countries. No direct replacements were procured as due to the changed operating conditions the Deutsche Marine has reduced the number of these fast attack boats drastically and procured instead a smaller number of corvettes.

Ship list

class="wikitable"

!NATO
pennant
number

!German
pennant
number

!Name

!Call sign{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

!Shipyard

!Laid down{{Harvnb|Couhat|Baker|1986|p=191}}

!Launched

!Commissioned

!Decommissioned

!Status

P6141S41TigerDRBACMN11 October 197127 September 1972

|30 October 1972

24 September 1998sold to the Chilean Navy as Teniente Uribe (LM-39); decommissioned 2014.
P6142S42Iltis (Polecat)DRBBCMN2 February 197212 December 1972

|8 January 1973

15 October 1992sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6143S43Luchs (Lynx)DRBCCMN23 March 19727 March 1973

|9 April 1973

27 August 1998sold to the Chilean Navy for scrapping
P6144S44Marder (Marten)DRBDCMN15 April 19725 May 1973

|14 July 1973

25 May 1994sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6145S45LeopardDRBECMN13 September 19723 July 1973

|21 August 1973

28 September 2000sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6146S46Fuchs (Fox)DRBFLürssen10 March 197221 May 197

|17 October 1973

19 December 2002Sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6147S47JaguarDRBGCMN29 November 197220 September 1973

|13 November 1973

28 September 2000sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6148S48Löwe (Lion)DRBHLürssen10 July 197210 September 1973

|9 January 1974

19 December 2002sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6149S49WolfDRBICMN23 January 197311 January 1974

|26 February 1974

27 August 1997sold to the Chilean Navy in 1997 as Guardiamarina Riquelme (LM-36); decommissioned 2004.
P6150S50PantherDRBJLürssen30 September 197210 December 1973

|27 March 1974

29 September 2002scrapped 2003
P6151S51Häher (Jay)DRBKCMN5 April 197326 April 1974

|12 June 1974

23 June 1994sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6152S52Storch (Stork)DRBLLürssen12 March 197325 March 1974

|17 July 1974

12 November 1992sold to the Hellenic Navy
P6153S53Pelikan (Pelican)DRBMCMN11 September 19734 July 1974

|24 September 1974

25 June 1998sold to the Chilean Navy for scrapping.
P6154S54Elster (Magpie)DRBNLürssen29 June 19738 July 1974

|14 November 1974

27 August 1997sold to the Chilean Navy in 1997 as Teniente Orella (LM-37); decommissioned 2014.
P6155S55Alk (Auk)DRBOCMN9 April 197415 November 1974

|7 January 1975

13 May 2002sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6156S56Dommel (Bittern)DRBPLürssen13 December 197330 October 1974

|12 February 1975

19 December 2002sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6157S57Weihe (Harrier)DRBQCMN2 July 197413 February 1975

|3 April 1975

19 December 2002sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6158S58Pinguin (Penguin)DRBRLürssen11 March 197426 February 1975

|22 May 1975

28 June 2002scrapped 2003
P6159S59Reiher (Heron)DRBSCMN8 November 197415 May 1975

|24 June 1975

27 September 2002scrapped 2003
P6160S60Kranich (Crane)DRBTLürssen9 May 197426 May 1975

|6 August 1975

24 September 1998sold to the Chilean Navy in 1998 as Teniente Serrano (LM-38); decommissioned 2014.

See also

References

= Notes =

{{reflist}}

= Bibliography =

  • {{cite book |editor1-last=Couhat |editor1-first=Jean Labayle |editor2-last=Baker |editor2-first=A. D. III |title=Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87: Their Ships, Aircraft and Armament |year=1986 |location=Annapolis, Maryland, USA|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-85368-860-5}}