| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sa'ar 3 |
| Operators: | Israeli Navy |
| Preceded by: | Sa'ar 2-class missile boat |
| Succeeded by: | Sa'ar 4-class missile boat |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Missile boat |
| Displacement: | 210 tons (250 tons loaded) |
| Length: | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Beam: | 7.62 m (25.0 ft) |
| Speed: | 42 knots (78 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km) at 19 knots (35 km/h), 500 nautical miles (930 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
Fire-control radar - Orion |
| Armament: | 4 Harpoon launchers, 6 Gabriel SSN missiles, 76 mm Oto Melara gun |
Sa'ar 3 class ("Cherbourg") is a class of missile boats built in France at the Cherbourg shipyard based on Israeli Navy modification of the German Navy's Jaguar class fast attack craft. They are also known as the stars of Cherbourg .
Sa'ar 3 ships' first battle engagements were made in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. During this war, the first surface to surface missile naval engagements took place. The first was at the Battle of Latakia where the Israeli Navy attacked Syrian ships and coastal targets using their guns and missiles. This was followed shortly thereafter by Israeli attacks against Egyptian forces at the Battle of Baltim[1]