Alster (A 50)
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| Career (Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg |
| Laid down: | 1987 |
| Commissioned: | 1988 |
| Homeport: | Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein |
| Fate: | In active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Klasse 423 |
| Displacement: | 2375 tonnes (full load 3200 t) |
| Length: | 83,5 metres |
| Beam: | 14,6 m |
| Draught: | 4,2 m |
| Propulsion: | Humboldt-Deutz Diesel |
| Speed: | 21 Knots |
| Range: | 5000 nautical miles |
| Complement: | 36 sailors 40 intelligence technicians |
| Armament: | none |
The Alster (A 50) is an intelligence ship of the German Navy. She is the lead ship of the "Klasse 423".
The Alster is meant as a reconnaissance ship, with a wide array of modern elektromagnetic, hydroacoustic and electro-optic sensors for strategic intelligence gathering. She can be used as an advanced warning unit. The design was originally intended to gather data on Soviet ships.
On the 26th of October 2006, Israeli planes flew over the Alster [1], stirring an international incident [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. German authorities declared that the planes have fired shots at the ship and evaded launching flares. The Israeli, though denying that firing had occurred, acknowledged the incident and declared that no aggression was meant. Diplomatic activity resulted in a settlement, though none of the parties backed from its position.
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