INS Nirit a.k.a. INS Hetz |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sa'ar 4.5 |
| Builders: | Israel Shipyards Ltd. |
| Operators: | Israeli Navy Mexican Navy |
| Preceded by: | Sa'ar 4-class missile boat |
| Succeeded by: | Sa'ar 5-class corvette |
| Subclasses: | Aliya (Chochit) Hetz (Nirit) |
| Completed: | 2 Aliya-subclass 8 Hetz-subclass |
| Active: | · Aliya-subclass: INS Aliya, INS Geula. · Hetz-subclass: INS Romach, INS Keshet, INS Hetz, INS Tarshish, INS Kidon, INS Yaffo, INS Herev, and INS Sufa. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Missile boat |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 61.7 m (202.43 ft) |
| Beam: | 7.62 m (25.00 ft) |
| Draft: | 2.8 m (9.19 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 4 MTU V16 diesel engines |
| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Complement: |
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| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
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| Armament: |
Aliya-subclass:
Hetz-subclass: |
| Aircraft carried: | Eurocopter Panther in Aliya-subclass (in ISC) |
| Aviation facilities: | Helipad and helicopter hangar in Aliya-subclass |
Sa'ar 4.5 (Hebrew: סער 4.5) is a class of Israeli Sea Corps missile boats designed and built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4-class missile boat. There are two different subclasses that are both named Saar 4.5: The first of which initially called Chochit (Hebrew: חוחית), but renamed to Aliya (Hebrew: עליה); the second of which initially called Nirit (Hebrew: נירית) but renamed to Hetz (Hebrew: חץ).
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Missile boat of this class was the first Sa'ar 4.5 to come out. Two ships of this version were built and launched in 1980, the first one being INS Aliya, followed by INS Geula. Additionally to the anti-ship missiles, these missile boats were equipped with aviation facilities that could accommodate two (1 in a regular basis) Bell 206, MD 500, or HH-65 helicopters. Eurocopter Panther was the latest helicopter on these ships in Israeli navy. Aliya-subclass are the smallest warships with a helipad and helicopter hangar.
In August 1984 INS Aliya and INS Geula were sent to destroy a terrorist facility in Nahr al-Bared, northern Lebanon. Two MD 500 Defenders from INS Aliya and another two from INS Geula successfully hit the target. In July 1985 INS Aliya and INS Geula carried out a similar mission near Nahr al-Bared.[1]
In January 2004 both ships were sold to Mexico for service in the Mexican Navy renamed ARM Huracán and ARM Tormenta. On August 23, 2004 the ships were launched in Mexico. Press reports indicates that the Israelis removed the Harpoon missile systems prior to the sale, however the Gabriel anti-ship missile systems were included in the package.[2]
Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boat lacks the helicopter facilities of the Aliya-subclass, but has more weapon systems fitted. It is largely based on the Sa'ar 4-class missile boat with improvements in electronic systems: command and control, detection, classification and identification, fire control system, radar, sonar, electronic warfare and communications. The engines and propulsion systems were also upgraded. The ship itself is 4 meters longer than the Sa'ar 4-class to accommodate the new systems.
The original construction plan for Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boats included 2 helicopter-equipped ships (INS Aliya and INS Geula) and three ordinary missile boats: INS Romach (launched and commissioned in 1981), INS Keshet (launched and commissioned in 1982) and INS Nirit. INS Nirit was laid up in 1984 but the construction ceased due to lack of funds and it was finally launched in 1990 and commissioned in 1991 with some modern equipment, eventuality renamed to INS Hetz. Consequently the older INS Romach and INS Keshet were upgraded to match the INS Hetz specifications. INS Kidon, INS Tarshish, and INS Yaffo commissioned in 1994, 1995, and 1998 respectively. Particularly INS Kidon and INS Yaffo were built comprising various older systems that were disassembled from Sa'ar 4-class missile boats with the same names, atop brand new Sa'ar 4.5-class hulls. INS Tarshish possibly also comprised some weapon systems demounted from Sa'ar 4-class missile boat with the same name, atop new Sa'ar 4.5-class hull. Another two further-upgraded Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boats called INS Herev and INS Sufa commissioned in 2002 and 2003, raising the number of Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boats to eight. All of them in service in Israeli navy.
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